How many types of network security are available? What kind of network security should I choose?
How Many Types of Network Security Available?
Network Security is a term used for protecting computer networks from theft or damage to hardware, software, or information. It is an umbrella term that covers the security of information held on either the physical or logical level. There is a broad term and there are different types of network security to prevent unauthorized access to your network, data, or applications.
Network Firewalls
A network firewall is a device that monitors and controls incoming and outgoing network traffic. Network firewalls are available in both hardware and software forms.
Protocol Analyzers
Protocol analyzers are used to monitor and analyze network traffic. They work by placing themselves between the sender and the receiver, intercepting all traffic on the wire. This way they can decode messages and data packets and reconstruct them into human-readable forms.
They can also detect protocol violations, preventing unauthorized access to your network. Protocol Analyzers can be used in both wired and wireless networks. But they work better in wired networks as compared to wireless ones because they have better control over the traffic.
Hardware Intrusion Detection Systems
Hardware intrusion detection systems are used to detect unauthorized access attempts on your physical equipment. This type of device uses special sensors for detecting intrusion attempts such as the installation of malicious software. This includes modification of configuration settings or physical tampering with equipment.
For example, motion detectors can be used for detecting employees that physically access the server room without authorization.
Remote Access Control
Remote access control is a system designed to control access to remote computer systems. These are such networked computers or services, virtual machines from a central location using security technology. This includes VPN (Virtual Private Network) and SSL (Secure Sockets Layer).
With a VPN you can control who has access to your company’s computer systems from outside your company’s offices. This is by directing all remote users to connect through a VPN client installed on their desktop PCs before they are granted access to your office computers. If a remote user tries to connect directly, the connection attempt will be denied.
Cloud Data Protection
Because VPN clients will not be able to connect if it is not installed on their PCs first. Remote Access Control can also be used to control access to company data and information from outside the company. For example, if you want to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive data on your PC, you can use a remote access control system.
This prevents anyone other than authorized users from accessing your PC or computer systems. Also, it is commonly used with VPNs to grant employees or contractors access to a computer system or network. Since it is especially important when the employees or contractors work outside the company’s office.
It can also be used in wireless networks as an alternative to wireless access points. These are wireless routers that have been configured in such a way that they only accept connections from authorized remote users. Thus, using a VPN client application for example Orbot – Tor for Android an attacker will not be able to connect directly to the router.
That is even if it has been configured with an open WiFi connection. Because the connection attempt will be refused by the remote access point’s firewall software!