Network security combines the rules, technologies, and practices used to protect computer networks and the resources they make available. This lesson introduces the goals of network security and explains how authentication and other protective controls work together.
Network security is the collection of security controls, policies, processes, and practices used to prevent, detect, and monitor unauthorized access, misuse, modification, or denial of a network and its resources. Those resources can include data, applications, devices, and services accessible through the network.
All flashcards
Authentication and authorization
Authentication verifies a user’s or system’s identity; authorization determines which resources that identity may access.
Authentication factor categories
Something the user knows, has, or is, such as a password, token, or fingerprint.
Firewall
A control that enforces network traffic and service access policies, but may miss harmful content in permitted traffic.
Honeypot and honeynet
A honeypot is a decoy resource; a honeynet is a decoy network that typically contains honeypots.
Passive and active attacks
Passive attacks observe or intercept communications; active attacks take action against network resources.
Quiz questions
What is the primary purpose of network security?Answer: To prevent, detect, and monitor unauthorized access, misuse, modification, or denial of networks and their resources.
Which pairing uses two different authentication factor categories?Answer: A password and a security token.
Why might a network need malware defenses in addition to a firewall?Answer: A firewall may permit traffic while failing to detect harmful content carried within it.
What is a monitored honeypot designed to help defenders do?Answer: Attract attackers and study their techniques to improve protection of real systems.
What is a key difference between passive and active network attacks?Answer: A passive attack observes or intercepts data, while an active attack acts against network resources.
Based on the Wikipedia article Network security, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.