1. Network security safeguards are means which network security threats can be reduced, avoided or prevented
2. Depending on level of security required there are many techniques used for network security
3. As using Internet access and computer systems to manage business continues to rise, security vendors continue to come out with new products to assist in safeguarding networks.

1) Secure Network Equipment

• The first safeguards back to the earliest buildings where locks were used to protect possessions
• Your network equipment needs to be secured behind a door access limited to authorised personnel
• Following provides a facility access checklist
  • Do network cables or power lines run through exposed vulnerable areas?
  • Who has physical and logical access to computers?
  • Who has access to your administrative passwords and how often they are changed?

2) Passwords Procedures

• Passwords are required to access almost every resource in a network environment but poorly selected passwords can be determined easily
• Software’s are available to break poorly selected passwords so implementing policies on passwords, so implementing policies on passwords is an important step in security

• Certain Do’s and Don’ts on creating a password

• Do’s

  • Use a password of mixed case alphabets
  • Use a password with non-alphabetic characters
  • Use a password that is easy to remember
• Don’ts
  • Use your logic name in any form
  • Use your first, middle or last name in any form
  • Use other information easily available about you.
  • Use passwords of all digits and password should not be less than six to eight characters

3) Antivirus Software’s

• A virus is hacker program. It can attack operating system directly
• A virus can be just an annoyance such as those that modify display or replicate email to your entire distribution list or reformat hard disk drive or modify data
• More and more viruses are being transmitted through defects in email programs
• Many take advantages of scripting languages built into systems such as Microsoft outlook
• A Trojan Horse is a hacker program that searches out other programs and infects them by embedding a copy of itself in them so that they become “Trojan Horses’
• Precautionary steps should be taken to prevent problems but antivirus software is a minimum requirement

4) Implement a firewall

• Firewall is simply some type of mechanism for protecting your network from outside world
• Firewall needs constant updates and attention
• Functions of firewall are broken into following areas
  • Packet Filtering
  • Application Proxies
  • Stateful Inspection or dynamic packet Filtering

5) Implement a Virtual Private Network

• A VPN is implemented to secure remote access or communication between facilities over Internet
• A VPN is a private connection between two or more network elements over a shared infrastructure
• A virtual in VPN defines a logical definition between network not a separate physical network
• The private in VPN defines separate address and routing
• A VPN is used to describe service provide services of frame relay and ATM and also encrypted tunnel between network over and IP infrastructure
• Encryption is process of using a secret code to alter data to make it run intelligible to unauthorized parties
• There are three types of VPN
  • Secure remote access
  • Intranet access (site to site)
  • Extranet access (site to site or site to internet)