What is Network Security and Its Benefits.

In this modern era organisations primarily rely on computer networks to share information productively and efficiently. So, network security consists of several policies and practices adopted to prevent unauthorised access. In this article I am going to discuss few things related to the Network security and the types of attacks involved in it.

What is Network security?

Network security is subset of cyber security which deals with planning and implementation. Network security is the term which defines in simple way i.e; it is to design and protect the integrity, usability, confidentiality and accessibility of computer networks in both hardware and software technology. It targets various threats and prevents them from entering or spreading over your network. These days network security playing major role in business and other fields, like it covers transactions and communication among businesses, government agencies and individuals too.

Network security mainly focus on three things.

1. Detection : It comes into the picture when some abnormal network traffic shows up.
2. Protection : In this case the configuration of the system or network should be as accurate as possible.
3. Reaction : After knowing the issue quickly, the duty to do is respond to the issues quickly and send back to the security state as soon as possible.

Need for Network Security:

Organisational computer networks have become very large these days. Because, every staff member maintains a dedicated workstation to store his/her valuable information. So, many of the companies have thousands of workstations and many servers on the network. Hence, these workstations are not centrally managed and does not have the protection for using the number of stations. So, if there are thousands of workstations in the corporate network, cyber awareness among users is directly connected to the internet. Then this type of unsecured network is target for many, because it stores the valuable information and displays vulnerabilities.

Hence, to secure the organisational and business information we go for network security.

Types of attacks in Network security:

Attack is to gain access to the data by an unauthorised person or user. Thus, these attacks are classified in three ways like modifying, accessing and destroying of data. In this case attacks are of two types:

1. Passive attack
2. Active attack

Passive attack:

In passive attack, the data will not be modified but the third person will be able to access it. Here the goal of every third person or hacker is to obtain the information which is transmitted. The techniques involved in the passive attacks are of two types.

• The release of the message content
• Traffic analysis

Release of message content:

In release of message content, if sender and receiver are communicating with each other for example the conversation between sender and receiver, where sender says his user ID and password to the receiver. So, the data transmitted between the sender to receiver and receiver to sender, then the attacker can have the scope to observe or listen to the messages that are transmitted. Even when the third party captured the message, couldn’t extract the info from the message.

Traffic analysis:

In traffic analysis also sender sends the message to the receiver but change is that he the third person can only observe the frequency and length of messages transmitted between sender and receiver (traffic flow). Thus, depending upon the traffic flow or observation of unauthorised user or third person can access the data. Third person keep on monitoring to know the information which is sent between the sender and receiver to access the data. Third party will not have the access to modify the data.

This information may be useful for guessing the nature of communication that is happening. Passive attacks are very difficult to detect because they do not involve changes in data

Active attack:

In active attacks, data is modified by unauthorised users so that the impact is more on this attack. The techniques involved in the passive attacks are of four type

• Masquerade
• Modification of messages
• Denial of Service
• Replay

Masquerade:

This can happen when one entity pretends to be a different entity. For example, if sender sends message to the receiver but the receiver receives the message from third person in simple terms sending message on behalf of sender.

Modification of data:

Some part of legitimate messages can modified or that messages can be delayed or rearranged to produce illegal effects. For example, if sender sends a message to the receiver but in between the transmission, unauthorised user will alter or modify the message and sends to the receiver in the name of sender. But receiver is not aware of the modification done during the transmission.

Denial of Service:

It prevents or inhibits normal use or management of communication facilities and this attack may have the target. For example, if sender sends the message then the third party will interrupt the services that can send by the server to the sender. So, it also overloads the server by giving false request or multiple request.

Replay:

It involves the passive capture of a data unit and its subsequent re-transmission to produce an unauthorised effect. For example, Here the receiver receives the messages two times one is from sender and another from receiver. Here, receiver don’t know the original message that has been sent from the sender. During the transmission unauthorised person will modify the data and sends back to the receiver.

Benefits of Network security:

How do we benefit from network security like for example if companies won’t maintain proper security then that leads to damage of the valuable information. So, for that reason network security helps to avoid the attacks and protect your information from other issues. So, below are the few other benefits of the network security.

1. Reduced stress
2. It protects the data of the client which is existing on network
3. Increases the productivity
4. Decreased risk
5. Here, Encrypted data is secure

Network security plays a major role in organisational computer network as it stores the valuable information which encrypts the data and protects data from the hackers. So, by the above information you have got the brief idea about the network security and the attacks caused by them. If you have any queries mention in the comment section below.