Network Security is the set of rules and practices adopted by a network administrator to control, prevent, and monitor unauthorized access to a computer network, computer networks, files, and network-available resources such as a system’s printer or other media devices. It includes a collection of security features which are essential to ensure that a computer system, server, network, and networks remain secure from threats and from unauthorized access to the computer system itself, and from unauthorized entry into networks and computers.
Network security is a broad subject and there is a lot more involved in it than just its technical definition.
In order to understand the full meaning of this term, we need to understand exactly what it is that it covers. The most basic definition would be to define it as any measures taken to protect a computer system, network, or network-accessible resource from unauthorized access. It is this kind of understanding that helps us understand why security measures are important to have in a network, what they are designed to achieve, and how they might be implemented.
The purpose of these security measures is to restrict and limit access to networks and computer systems to those who are authorized to have access to a particular network or computer system. There are many different kinds of security measures which are commonly applied to networks, computer systems, and networks-all designed to protect and limit the access of unauthorized users to the network. One of the primary ways in which security can be implemented in a network is with firewall systems. A firewall is an electronic circuit or filter which is placed between two or more computers which will allow the user to send and receive messages between them without being intercepted by the firewall system.
Firewalls serve a variety of purposes. They are used to protect a network against unauthorized use, to limit or block traffic on network ports from certain sources, and to provide security to sensitive information. They also prevent traffic from being routed through other networks, which can be done by preventing all outgoing connections to specific networks. These security measures are necessary for networks to be able to function correctly. Without these measures, networks would be difficult to use and would be vulnerable to attack and damage, resulting in downtime and loss of valuable data and information.
Networks are also made secure by implementing policies or procedures
to limit the use of network resources, such as bandwidth, storage space, and memory, as well as to ensure that no one else has access to them. Policies can be enforced by assigning permissions to people within the organization, as well as providing policies and guidelines to users and even the external world. to follow, such as using passwords, deleting files after using them, or not opening email attachments on networks that are not meant for external reading, and so on.
When you want your network to be secure, it is necessary to implement a separate layer of protection for all of these policies which will require extra processing time and attention. In many cases, dedicated staff must be assigned to monitor each of these policies in their entirety, but even then, it can take up to four times the amount of processing time to perform the tasks.
- Another kind of network security measure is the identification of known as IDS (Intrusion Detection Systems).
- IDS can be employed in a variety of ways, such as manually, automatically, or with network monitoring software.
- They are generally run by a separate hardware device which has the task of determining the network’s configuration
to make sure it is not being used incorrectly.
There are some advantages and disadvantages to both manual and automated systems for intrusion detection systems. Automatic systems are easier to use for a large network, while manually used systems are less flexible for a smaller network. Manual systems are also easier to break into than automated ones, but will always be faster. The main disadvantage of this system is that a hacker who finds out how to disable an alarm, or get past the security measures can cause the alarms to go off and thus render the system useless. This is why security measures are used at all times.