Term Paper on "Network Security"

Term Paper 5 pages (1551 words) Sources: 8 Style: APA

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Network Security

The practice of networking has reached new heights in both homes and the office environment. Networking solutions are often chosen because of the convenience that they provide.

Although networks a re a popular solution for many, there are some security concerns that must be addressed to ensure that users and the information available over the network remains safe and secure. The purpose of this discussion is to examine the network security measures that are available.

Security for networks

To ensure the security of networks there are several steps that can be taken. One of the first steps is network configuration. When configured correctly the data contained on a network can be kept rather secure and access to the network can be restricted. The configuration of a network actually takes place when the network is first created. A configuration that takes security into account may ask for a user name and a password to enter into the network or to gain access to sensitive information. However, this type of identification has been around for many years and many hackers and malicious users know how to evade such measure.

For this reason, some organizations have actually begun to use biometrics to identify users. Biometrics allows the organization to scan a user attempting to enter the network using certain physical characteristics that are unique. In most cases finger prints and Iris Scans are used (Stallings, 2006). Most organizations that use this type of advanced security transmit highly sensitive information over their networks.

This type of security measure guarantees that unauthorized persons will not have access to the network or the sensitive information that is contained on the network.

Wire-based or Ethernet networks have been utilized for many years and is still one of the most popular solutions for networking. In addition wireless networking solutions are also gaining in popularity. There are certain security measures that can be taken to ensure security for either a wire-based or wireless network.

One of the first lines of defense actually lies in the hardware. In most cases hardware such as hubs comes equipped with firewalls. Firewalls are systems

That secure a network, shielding it from access by unauthorized users. Firewalls can be implemented in software, hardware or a combination of both. In addition to preventing unrestricted access into a network, a firewall can also restrict data from flowing out of a network (Intel Glossary)."

Firewalls are a vitally important to protecting any network because they do not allow unauthorized users to gain access to the network. Although firewalls provide a great deal of protection, they can be cracked by hackers or intruded upon because of holes in the firewall software. For this reason there must be other security devices in place.

Additionally security devices may include such things as virus scan software, anti-malware software and anti-adware software. The aforementioned software devices can scan an individual computer or an entire network to detect viruses, worms malware and adware that may be harmful to the network by slowing down the network or destroying the ability of the network to function at all (Stallings, 2006). Such software must be updated often to ensure that the latest virus definitions are present. When virus definitions are changed but the software is not updated, the network will not be protected from new viruses, worms or any other malicious threat.

In addition to threats that came from outside of a business or organization, there are also inside threats that can occur. In some cases, employees have done malicious things and accessed their office networks and downloaded sensitive information. For instance, there have been several incidences of employees stealing credit card numbers and other sensitive information from their places of employment. The stolen information is often used by the employee to commit identity theft. In addition, in some cases the employees will sell the information to a third party.

To combat this issue security checks should be done on employees that will have access to the network, particularly if the network contains sensitive information. In addition some type of encryption software that conceals credit card numbers may be necessary. This type of software can be used to prevent both inside and outside attacks on the network.

Security issues unique to wireless networks

Wireless networks are among the most popular in the spheres of business and home use. Wireless networking allows for greater mobility and many also choose it because aesthetically it is more appealing. However wireless networks are also more difficult to secure because signals are transmitted via easily accessible radio signals. A report published by the National Institute of Standards and Technology

The coupling of relative immaturity of the technology with poor security standards, flawed implementations, limited user awareness, and lax security and administrative practices forms an especially challenging combination. In a wireless environment, data is broadcast through the air and organizations do not have physical controls over the boundaries of transmissions or the ability to use the controls typically available with wired connections (Karygiannis & Owens, 2002, pg.11).

In addition, a wireless network has more access points than a wire-based network (Walery, 2005). In many locations anyone with a laptop or some other type of portable device with WiFi capabilities can gain access to a wireless network. Because of this ease of access the perimeters that once kept networks secure no longer exists (Hoover, 2005)

To combat this problem Network Access controls (NAC) should be utilized. According to a white paper entitled "Strengthen Data Protection with Network Access Controls" there are two aims associated with NAC: To only permit connections by endpoint devices that are classified as safe and to identify the actions of a malevolent devices and move rapidly to segregate these devices from the remainder of the network (Olzak, 2006).

There are different NAC strategies that can be utilized. One such strategy is to scan and block. Using this strategy devices that are considered "high risk" are not permitted to gain access to the network (Olzak, 2006). This strategy may send a message to the user to let him know how to decrease the risks associated with his device, but the user will not be given access to the network while using the high risk device. This strategy automatically reduces the some of the threats associated with the use of a wireless network (Olzak, 2006).

Another strategy that can be utilized is scan and quarantine (Olzak, 2006). This strategy does not completely prevent high risk devices from gaining access to the network. However, high risk devices are only allowed to connect to a limited segment that allows the uses to update the device with anti-malware software or other security updates (Olzak, 2006). This strategy is less restrictive and provides the user with more options.

In addition to network access controls, there are other security measures that must be given additional consideration when a wireless network is utilized. One such measure is the adoption of a Virtual private network (VPN) (Vacca, 2006). VPN's are a software or hardware conduit for linking a distant user to a company's wireless local area network (WLAN). The VPN "does this without compromising privacy. VPN applies protocols for encapsulating and encrypting data flowing between a WLAN and a remote computer (Davis, 2006-page 39)."

VPN's can act as a buffer between the network and malicious hackers who are outside of the network (Security recommendations for a VPN). VPN's have received mixed reviews over the years but they seem to serve some organizations very well.

Overall it seems it is vitally important that an organization takes into consideration the additional security issues that are present when a wireless network is implemented. Organizations that have extremely sensitive information contained on their networks may want to utilize a wire-based network instead of a wireless network because they are easier… READ MORE

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