The Lesson What does a brilliantly executed burglary have to do with network security? It illustrates a powerful principle of security: no matter how carefully planned a security system might be, there is always the possibility that there is someone who has the time, patience, knowledge, skills, tools, and predisposition to wreck it. Cultivating A Security Mindset IT students acquire knowledge and practical skills about a vast range of technology from programming to systems analysis and from cloud computing to mobile architecture, only those who spend time at a workplace acquire experience. Additionally, while technical knowledge and applicable skills are certainly important, network administrators who have specialized in security measures need to know more than technology. They also need to study theories about human nature and borrowed wisdom from fields as diverse as military defense and criminology. This equips them to think about network security in a broader context than simply figuring out how to install firewalls, antivirus software, and intrusion prevention systems. Ultimately, then, each network has to be treated in a different way to analyze its potential for security breaches, and this requires an understanding of malicious human behavior as much as the anatomy of a Trojan horse. Three Goals of Security In order to understand the best measures to ensure network security, a broad understanding of security is necessary. In essence, there are three goals in protecting any kind of information: When setting up a governance model (policies, procedures, and regulations) network administrators have to consider each of these elements of data protection. 5 Sample Network Security Questions Here is a brief sample checklist that exemplifies the right mindset to have when setting up network security: Properly addressing these questions will result in measures like:
Applying the right amount of encryption to data that will be sent over the Internet.Applying the right amount of encryption to data that is stored on digital media.Routinely testing network security to reveal flaws and vulnerabilities.Using software that provides sufficient protection.Setting up a disaster recovery operation to ensure that business continues after the network and resources are compromised.
Conclusion The best network security systems are those where factors other than the variable of computers and technology are taken into consideration. This broader understanding of security can be learned when knowledge and skills are amplified through experience and comparative studies. A network administrator is tasked with balancing confidentiality, system integrity, and availability.