Networking Security
Networking Security
Networking Security Threats
We as individuals interact with networks in our daily activities whether in the office, at home, or when we perform monetary transactions, use our mobile phones to make calls or use transport systems to get to work. Today, telecommunication and utility companies use networks to track phone, electricity or water usage and bill for it. Government agencies and organisations depend heavily on networks to communicate with their customers in areas such as credit or debit card transactions and billings. Many of our basic ways of life would be less convenient and many activities would be unfeasible without networks. Not astonishingly, network systems are criminals and intruders targets of choice, because of their potential vulnerabilities.
What makes a network vulnerable?
Connecting computer systems together is incredibly risky due to potential system misconfiguration, poor security policies and software flaws. Criminals can gain unauthorised access to remote networks. Intruders can capture transmissions between network nodes. Furthermore, linking networks enables organisations and individuals, including criminals, to communicate in ways that were not feasible before, resulting in a new set of vulnerabilities. Misuse of newly discovered vulnerabilities by intruders often catches us unaware. There is a need to keep information systems and the networks which carry the associated information or data secure. There are many names for these, from networking security to information assurance. The overriding set of principles are those of C I A (Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability), which are considered by many to be the tenets or principles of computer security. Digital assets include the entire network infrastructure, system application programs including data.
To read the second half of this article, please visit out networking security articles at HoneyJet.co.uk.
Mr Kenny Awuson-David earned his MSc degree in Forensic Computing at Coventry University. He also spent his entire career working within the IT and Network security sector. He researches and implements security solutions for Honeyjet.co.uk and its customers. For more about Kenny Awuson-David visit HoneyJet.co.uk
