NETWORK SECURITY- TERMINOLOGY

Topics covered

      Security Terminology

      Types of hacker

      Approaches to Network Security

      Threat Classification

Security Terminology

Below are some common network security terminology used by security professionals:

1. Firewall: It is a barrier between a network and the outer world. Sometimes, it acts as a firewall, standalone server, or a router.
2. Proxy server: Proxy server hides your internal network IP address and presents its own IP address to the outside world. Proxy server and firewall work in conjunction.
3. Access Control: It refers to the measures taken to limit access to a resource. For example, logon procedure, encryption, or any method to prevent unauthorized access.
4. Authentication: It is a method of verifying a authentic user. For example, entering the credentials, or two-factor authentication.
5. Non-repudiation: It is a method to track actions taken by a user. It ensures a person cannot deny an action performed on a computer. One of the methods is auditing.Auditing is the process of reviewing logs, records, and procedures. It is performed by an auditor.
6. Least privilege: It means you are assigning enough privilege to any user or device, just to get the job done.
7. CIA Triad: CIA Triad refers to Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability. The security measures need to abide by these aspects. Such as, a strong password protects the confidentiality, digital signature ensures integrity, and a backup system increases availability.

Types of hacker

Based on the level of the exploitation of a system, hacker groups are divided into three types:

1. White hat hacker: If a hacker upon finding the vulnerability, reports it to the vendor anonymously, explaining what the flaw is and how it was exploited, they are White hat hacker.
2. Black hat hacker: If a hacker gains access to a system with a goal to harm it, they are categorized as the Balck hat hacker.
3. Grey hat hacker: A grey hat hacker abides by the law but conducts illegal activities because they find it ethical.

Approaches to Network Security

An organization can choose several approaches to secure their networks. Three approaches are:

1. Perimeter Security Approach: Security efforts are focused on the perimeter of a network including; firewall, proxy server, technology, or procedures. Generally, small organizations that do not store sensitive data and with budget constrain adopt this measure.

2. Layered Security Approach: Layerwise or segmentwise security efforts implemented on a network, as if it were a separate network. It is a preferred security approach wherever possible.

3. Hybrid Security Approach: The combination of the perimeter to layered security defense with passive to active approaches implemented is a hybrid security approach.

Threat Classification

Based on what a threat actually does to your system or network, here are three major classifications:

1. Malware: Malware is a type of threat designed to spread on its own, without the creator having to be directly involved. Computer Virus is a common example of malware. Analogous to a biological virus, a computer virus replicates and spreads by infecting other programs. Likewise, Trojan horse is also a type of malware, that appears benign but secretly downloads other types of malware on your computer. Illegitimate software is prone to a Trojan horse. Furthermore, Spyware is also a type of software that spies on your computer by recording all the keystrokes and periodic screenshots.

2. Intrusion attacks: Intrusion attacks help to gain access to a system or intrude into a system usually with malicious intent. Hackers generally use the term cracking if they are able to intrude in a system via some operating system or any other means. Some of the intrusion attacks are initiated via social engineering. The intruder relies more on human nature rather than a technology to gain enough information required to access the targeted system.

3. Blocking attacks: This category of attack deals with Denial of Service Attack (DoS).The attacker prevents a legitimate user to access the system by flooding false connection requests.