Categories:
Printer Friendly
Send to a friend
Network security usually is thought of in terms of securing your network against threats that originate from the Internet. Attacks that come from the Internet are common and relatively easy. The Internet was designed to be an open, free flowing system that encourages the unrestricted exchange of information. The Internet was not designed as a secure system that regulates information exchange. On top of the security problem inherent to the Internet is the fact that most TCP/IP based services are also not designed to provide their own security. In order to secure Internet services such as FTP or HTTP, administrators must put into place additional security methods. Despite these risks, the Internet is not the most common source for network attacks.
Depending on the research, statistics say that from 60 to 80% of attacks on a network originate from within the company attacked. The widespread distribution of hacking information on the Internet has allowed disgruntled or malicious employees to exploit the same vulnerabilities mentioned above on their own networks with little or no security in their way. That's the bad news. The good news is that the same methods used to protect your network from the Internet can be used to protect your network from itself. Implementing multiple DMZ's, strong authentication and digital certificates can help you protect your network (from within and without) as well as provide a more secure opportunity to increase your level of service. With strong authentication, for example, you can make sure that a user authentication attempt originates from a valid source. This also gives you a more secure opportunity to offer remote access into your network from business partners and/or remote employees.
