Everything You Need to Know About Network Security
Akin to food and shelter, privacy is one of life's necessities in these modern times. Network security in any organization is paramount not only for hardware protection but also to maintain clients' confidence. A network is the interconnection of hardware devices and nodes logically for the sharing of resources and data. On the other hand, network security is the configurations and settings integrated to maintain data integrity and protection within a network.
Network Security Vulnerability Attacks
With volatile network security, an organization's network is susceptible to several vulnerability attacks, both to hardware and software. They include Malware attacks, pharming, spamming, phishing, whaling, spoofing, and tailgating.
Malware Attacks
This is malicious software that masquerades within a network, especially during downloads and online attachments. Malware often exhibits itself in viruses, rootkits, trojans, logical bombs, spyware, and ransomware.
Viruses
They are destructive self-replicating programs that hide within the existing software. They are often dormant and pose as Html, doc, exe, and zip files.
Worms
They are similar to viruses but do not require a host program to replicate or execute. They mainly target databases, email servers as well as web cloud servers. Worms often target the software systems within the organization’s network. To detect worms, the network administrator needs to run network penetration testing.
Ransomware
Akin to its name, these malicious programs tend to hold the user hostage until a certain ransom is paid. Ransomware is often transmitted through email attachments and web downloads. Crypto-malware is a prevalent malware that demands payment through digital currency. To detect ransomware, intricate network security monitoring should be deployed and firewall security across email and web servers.
Logical Bombs
They self-trigger on a specific date and time, similar to bombs. An interesting element is that these logical bombs can disguise in a network system for up to months. Consequently, comprehensive network security management and audit trails quickly detect this malware type.
Social Engineering Attacks
This is the deliberate manipulation of human error to gain unauthorized data access. There are various forms of social engineering: phishing, whaling, pharming, tailgating, spamming, smishing, etc.
Phishing
Phishing is common across network emails and entails creating a sham trust in the user. It dupes the user into logging in afresh with their username and password and stores the same in the background for malicious usage. So, when you key in your credentials, the hackers are left with a copy of the logins on their end.
Whaling
It’s similar to phishing but aims for executive users and managers for intricate data at ransom. Hackers and cybercriminals often engage in whaling for industrial espionage and alteration purposes.
Smishing
This is using text messages (SMS) to disguise innocent users for sharing their sensitive information. Crackers often target corporate organizations and send out malicious and false texts to clients to reveal or update their passwords, thus tapping into their sensitive data.
With the above vulnerabilities, organizations should pay attention to how to avert such attacks.
Network Security Types
For the network administrators and application security masters, consider integrating the following security services into your organization’s network security architecture:
Data Loss Prevention (DLP)
Data breaches and loss in any organization will tremendously truncate clients' confidence and the overall reputation of the business. With the DLP measure, the network administrator curbs the magnitude of data access to the employees. Consequently, the data is accessed and processed in a management hierarchy, thus averting colossal data loss in a security breach.
Application security
This network security service protects applications, software, and systems across the computer network. It encrypts the email and database servers and scans all the transmitted data packets and attachments. With application security, the network administrator can also monitor and filter out any suspicious data packets before reaching the host target.
Firewalls
A firewall is a set of defined rules that filter out data packets across a computer network, with a firewall. The network administrator can select the file types that should be transmitted and the ones to be left out. Firewalls can either be hardware or software.
A hardware firewall integrates as a gateway between two devices or network nodes. The software firewall is installed and set up across the systems and applications with access to the internet.
Network segmentation
It entails separating the network into several bits with off-site storage for each section. In case of a security attack, the entire network is not affected, and the data can be reconstructed back from the backups.
Network Security Services
Network security services are designed to protect internal company infrastructures and connected devices from undesired access, mishandling, and attacks. Network security providers can offer a comprehensive assessment of network architecture and evaluate the security of internet connections. Providers then use this information to implement firewalls and other protective measures that are customized to meet the client’s needs. Network security providers can also help monitor device inventories and wireless access points, and provide up-to-date visibility into the overall security health of individual devices and the network as a whole.
Network security services often overlap with vulnerability assessment and threat intelligence to determine gaps and track possible security risks across a client’s network and connected devices. These services go hand-in-hand with endpoint security, application security, and other cybersecurity services to keep companies aware of threats, safe from attacks, and prepared to respond in the event of an incident. Businesses can deploy network security software and other IT security tools in lieu of or in addition to network security services to maximize protection efforts.
Privacy is not for the passive. Computer and network security attention are paramount to any organization that transacts across the internet. There are several network security companies in Dubai & Abu Dhabi that you can rub shoulders with. At Technopeak, you are assured of state-of-the-art security services in network security. Engage them and be among the millions of happy clients out there.
