There are several reasons reveals that why network security is important in this digital world. Every organization around the world has tons of data that needs to be kept safe. It could be crucial business data, customers’ personal information, or confidentiality of information, if not anything else.
Who knows what the future will hold? Perhaps your company will add more new employees and new branches, merging, or enter new markets where security is highly regulated. New threats will appear that will test the integrity of the network security solution you have installed.
The importance of network security had increased in the light of modern business practices, especially when a significant part of the workforce went online due to the corona pandemic. In such a scenario, there are more vulnerable points for attackers to take advantage of.
As the Internet’s importance increases and computer networks get more extensive, data integrity has become one of the most important aspects that organizations must consider. Let’s see “what is network security? & Why network security is Important?“.
What Is Network Security?
It is a broad term that includes a series of technologies and associated processes and devices. In other words, network security is the set of configurations and rules that can protect the accessibility, security, and integrity of computer networks and data. It involves the use of both hardware and software.
In simple words, network security is any activity designed to protect the access, use, and integrity of the corporate network and data. Network Security applies both to the information stored on computers and information sent over the communications network, such as LAN, MAN. WAN, Wi-Fi, Intranet, and others.
The Cisco Cybersecurity Reports show that 50 percent of large organizations, with a workforce of more than 10,000, spend at least $1 million on security every year
Any organization, irrespective of the industry and size, requires a certain extent of network security to safeguard itself from any cyber-attack possibility. Unfortunately, the current network architecture is a complex one.
The possibilities of threats are constantly changing since hackers are always on the lookout to exploit loopholes. Such inconsistencies can exist in many forms related to data, device, application, location, and user.
As a result, several network management applications and tools are currently in use to tackle exploits, threats, and non-compliance. After all, just a few minutes of downtime can lead to a lot of disruption or damage.
Why Is Network Security Important?
Network security is essential both in the business world as well as in the case of home networks. Most modern homes, including small-scale businesses, use high-speed internet connections having one or more wireless routers.
These networks are unprotected from exploitation in case the security is not strong enough.
In the business environment, computer equipment is connected to a network to carry out essential operations in all areas of the company: like preparation of commercial offers, billing, dissemination, PR, control of resources, etc.
The use of network applications and permanently connected devices from any location facilitates and provides these tasks immediacy and speed.
That is why it is crucial to always keep these communication channels in optimum operation and protect them against external threats. The most recent statistics indicate that cyber attacks of all kinds are increasing exponentially, and companies, whatever their size, are not spared from this problem.
The hackers try to obtain confidential data of clients, suppliers, or transactions; They try to hijack computers and ask for ransomware (virus) or simply brute force attacks to cause the services to stop working correctly because they do not exceed the available resources.
Insight – Approximately 73% of registered cyber attacks are carried out for financial purposes, otherwise known as ransomware. About 4,000 ransomware attacks occur every day.
As the Internet expands and computer networks get more prominent, data integrity becomes the most critical aspect that individuals and organizations need to recognize. As of date, network security is the most important aspect to be considered when it comes to the Internet.
Why Is Network Security Important for Virtual Businesses?
In the case of virtual business, the Internet is very advantageous. Yet, it should also be as serious as a physical one. We must put the appropriate means of protection in each case to enhance service, raise personal brand or business image in the face of virtual society.
Internet security is one of the most important aspects to consider when working on the Internet, no matter how small or large your company is. While no network is immune from attack, a stable and efficient network security system is essential to protect customer data.
A good enough security system can help to reduce the risk of being victims of data theft and sabotage. Since the reliance on technology is increasing, every bit of online data and all aspects of information must be adequately secured.
Although no network or system is 100% immune to an attack, an efficient and stable enough security system can help avert many exploitations.
Types of Network Security Attacks
The following are the 7 most common types of network attacks that occur in network security:
1. Unauthorized Access – It refers to the access of a network without proper authentication or permission. The reasons for this happen to be weak passwords or a lack of protection from social engineering. However, it could also be due to an insider threat or an existing compromised account.
If a hacker breaks in and steals plans, ideas, or blueprints, the company may drop out on performing new designs and products. This could destroy the business or keep it stagnant.
2. Malware – The malicious software, more commonly known as malware, is a threat to devices. Cyber attackers develop such software to gain access to or cause damage to a computer or network, usually without the victim’s knowledge.
A malware attack occurs when cybercriminals create malicious software installed on someone else’s device without their knowledge to gain access to personal information or damage the device, usually for profit. Due to this, criminals can steal a large volume of confidential information without the victim being aware of it.
The different types of malware include viruses, spyware, ransomware, and Trojan horses. To protect ourselves from malware, one must avoid downloading and installing unfamiliar programs. It is vital to keep the operating system along with all installed programs up to date.
3. Password attack – Passwords are the most widespread method of authenticating access to a secured information system, making them an attractive target for cyberattacks. By accessing a person’s password, an attacker can gain access to sensitive or critical data and procedures, including the ability to update and control those data and systems.
Password attackers use various methods to identify a unique password, including using social engineering, gaining access to a password database, testing the network connection for unencrypted passwords, or simply guessing.
The method is executed in a systematic way known as a “brute force attack”. A brute force attack uses a program to test all possible variants and combinations of information to guess the password.
Another standard method is the dictionary attack when the attacker uses a list of most used passwords to try to access a user’s computer and network. Account lockout best practices and two-factor authentication are very helpful in preventing a password attack.
4. DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) Attacks – In this, attackers build a large fleet of compromised devices. They then used them to drive false traffic to the servers and networks in order to down or make crash the website. A DDoS can happen at both the application level or at the server level.
5. Middle Attack – It involves an attacker intercepting traffic within the network or within external sites and networks. Immense traffic can cause stability problems and can lead to system vulnerabilities like forcing delays, too long loading times, and downtime, sabotaging the system.
The business may also experience a loss of income. With extended downtime, your business will have to stop transacting, resulting in lost revenue. The longer the network is down, the more payment will be forfeited, and the company will start to look unreliable and potentially lose credibility.
6. SQL injections – This occurs when an attacker inserts malicious code into a server using the server’s query language (SQL), forcing the server to deliver protected information.
This type of attack usually involves sending malicious code to a comment or search box on an unprotected website. Safe coding practices, such as using prepared statements with parameterized queries, are an effective way to avoid SQL injections.
7. Social engineering – Another risk to internet security is social engineering attacks, which use fraud to exploit social interactions and access valuable data. The criminals behind these attacks manipulate employees or associates into revealing confidential information or bypassing security measures.
Social engineering attacks are on the rise, and unfortunately, even the best cybersecurity systems cannot reliably stop them. The best defence is to educate your employees on the importance of following established protocols and always being on the lookout for out-of-the-ordinary conversations.
Even these risks and several attacks occurred every day in many businesses, from small enterprises to large organizations.
The above are the several common attacks states that Why Network Security is Important in today’s age.
How to Secure & Protect Your Network
Computer network security breach happens to be in the news almost all the time. Those who fall prey to it incur a loss in millions.
As per the Verizon Reports, 10% of breaches involved the financial industry and 15% in the public sector. Of all the sectors, the health sector is the most vulnerable and catches the highest loss of about 16% since the digital transformation in health care.
The facts related to cybersecurity are scary, and hence protecting the security is critical. Though it is hard to figure out how to secure a network adequately, many network security practices can work wonders to ensure data and protect against hackers.
The aspect of cybersecurity is terrifying. However, it is critical, especially for small and medium-sized businesses, to ensure system security.
To avoid any breach, it is crucial to ensure that users are a step ahead of the hackers and fraudsters or any activity that threatens the overall security. The measures & ways to achieve that are as given below:
Standard Network Security Measures
- Installation and monitoring of the firewall performance.
- Regular updation of the password. At least one update in 3 months.
- Use strong passwords so that people won’t guess and don’t record them anywhere.
- Using 2FA, since two-factor authentication is increasingly preferred, it ensures double effort to prove one’s identity.
- More preference to the detection of advanced end-point.
- Keeping your software and operating system up-to-date ensures that you benefit from the latest security patches to protect your computer from exposing to vulnerabilities.
- Creation of VPN (Virtual Private Network) in network components.
- Using antivirus or a comprehensive Internet security solution is a intelligent way to scan, detect, and remove threats before they become a problem.
- Encryption of files as much as possible.
- Training of the employees.
- Keep an eye out for the URLs you are clicking on. Do they seem legitimate? Avoid clicking on links with unknown or spammy URLs.
- Shutting down the computer when not required.
- Securing personal devices.
- It is essential to have a good backup policy. In the event of a disaster, such as a ransomware attack, you must be able to recover critical data.
- Seeking out help whenever required.
Fact: About 60% of companies have over 500 accounts with non-expiring passwords. Make sure you aren’t in this case.
➤ Related: How to Put Password on Desktop/Laptop Windows 10 » Step by Step Guide.
Advantages of Network Security
Network Security has a lot of advantages to defend a business, or an individual, against threats. The most prominent help happens to be the minimization of the risk level in breaches and attacks.
However, reaching up to an acceptable level of security can be a bit difficult for most organizations. It holds even in the case of those who have their own IT setup and staff.
However, with proper network security systems and tools in place, it is possible to off-load the security threat to an extent and protect files, systems, networks, and sensitive data.
The modern workplace is collaborative, and it is obvious that information would be shared among people. Moreover, the sharing will not only be within an organization but also between organizations in specific cases.
Therefore, network security is essential to keep sensitive data safe and safeguard confidential information. It holds for all such organizational data and information that is significant enough to lead to reputation, legal consequence, or embarrassment.
Strong network security indirectly increases the company’s productivity, thanks to the fact that you no longer have to deal with safety-related tasks and focus on what you really know and know.
Apart from the above, there is every possibility that network security might help with additional benefits that might be less obvious but are equally critical to business operations.
Where is the importance of conducting a network security audit?
The primary purpose of a network security audit is to know the security status of the equipment and systems that make up your network. However, this often serves a purpose that goes beyond merely informational.
The benefits of network security audits can be very varied. You must know them. Based on them, you can make different decisions that ultimately influence your business in multiple ways that go beyond mere security.
Performing a network security audit :
- You know what risks you are subject to.
- You know the most appropriate actions to combat them and, as far as possible, eliminate them.
- Your security strategy is efficient and effective, based on what is important.
- An efficient strategy means less expense.
- A less vulnerable network loses fewer data and, in general, is less exposed so that no havoc is caused at this level, which would not only be cheap but can go much further depending on the attack received.
- The work team must learn to work with an approach in which safety is paramount.
- The level of guarantee of your business is higher.
- The image of your company offers security, commitment and is seen as updated, up to date and focused on the safety of the user and their data.
➤ Related: How To Find All Passwords Entered On My Computer.
Impact Of Network Security On Individuals and Organizations
Although a network breach can be destructive at any level, an individual does not have the required resources to recover from such attacks. An organization is far more secured in terms of insurance and is less vulnerable to a bankruptcy situation.
There are many advantages and disadvantages of computers for individuals. Still, researchers have identified almost 55 different ways in which a network security breach can impact an individual’s personal computer.
The overall impact of cybercrime on an individual can be categorized into five segments: physical or digital, economic, psychological, reputational, and societal.
On the other hand, a successful breach can result in significant damage to any business. It can affect both the business bottom line as well as customer trust. Organizational impacts can be broadly categorized into legal, reputational, and financial loss.
Conclusion
Since there is no foolproof way of network protection of your digital computer, there has to be a detailed risk assessment process to determine the nature and potential of the threats. Based on the assessment, it is possible to decide on the firewalls and security to plug vulnerabilities or counter any issue that may cause any harm.
From all of the above, a simple conclusion suggests itself – in the modern world, information security issues cannot be ignored; in response to new threats, it is necessary to look for new approaches to the implementation of information protection strategies and use new methods and means of ensuring network security.
FAQs
How does network security work?
Network security combines multiple layers of protection at the edge and the network. Each layer of network security implements policies and controls. Authorized users have access to network resources, while malicious users are blocked to prevent them from attacking vulnerabilities and threatening security.
How does network security benefit the companies?
Digitization has transformed the world. It has changed the way we live, work, learn and engage ourselves. Every company needs to provide the services that customers and employees demand must protect their network. Network security also helps shields sensitive information from attacks. Most importantly, it protects your company’s reputation.
Why is network security monitoring necessary?
Network security monitoring is necessary since it can help to keep the IP Network of a system safe. Therefore it allows a secure environment for the various assets of an organization. The most prominent advantage happens to be detecting threats originating from inside apart from those that exist outside.
Why is using a security key essential when connecting to a network?
A network security key is important since it can help to protect the network from intruders or unauthorized access. Furthermore, it will not be possible to connect to any wireless network without a key. Therefore it is vital to keep the network security strong as much as possible. Hence it is advised to keep a unique and strong password for the wireless network.
Why is it important for network security to have a firewall?
A firewall is the equivalent of a security device that could either be in software or hardware. It can help protect a network by functioning as an intermediary between the internal and external traffic.
Why is it essential to use and run a scheduled security audit on your network?
A network security audit is essential because it can help to identify the most significant security risks so that the required security changes can be made to protect against cyber threats.
What is a network security policy, and why is it important?
A network security policy is a guideline for accessing computer networks. It determines the procedure for the enforcement of the security measures and the implementation strategy. It further defines the security controls of an organization. The objective is to inform users and staff regarding protecting various network aspects like configuring, auditing computer networks and systems.
And with this, we end this post on the “Why network security is important?”. If you found the insights of this article helpful, you can share it on social networks,
