Lesson 9

Computer Networking Security Conclusion

As you have seen by the information in this module, computer networking security is a continuing process in which an administrator ensures that information is shared only between authorized users.

Computer Networking: This refers to the interconnection of computing devices to enable communication and the sharing of resources among them.
Security: In this context, it pertains to the measures taken to protect networks, devices, and data from unauthorized access, threats, or damage.
Continuing Process: Indicates that security in networking is not a one-time setup but requires ongoing attention, updates, and management.
Administrator: This is the person or role responsible for managing and maintaining the network, including its security protocols.
Information: Refers to the data or content that is transmitted or stored within the network.
Authorized Users: These are individuals or systems that have been granted permission to access specific information or parts of the network.
Ensures: Highlights the responsibility and actions taken by the administrator to safeguard the network.
Shared: Points to the nature of networks where information can be distributed among users.
Only: Emphasizes exclusivity, meaning that access control mechanisms are in place to restrict information to just those who are authorized.

Each of these elements collectively describes the dynamic and protective aspect of managing security in computer networks, focusing on the controlled dissemination of information.
This module discussed the various aspects of overall site security including security risks and solutions. In this module, you learned how to:

Describe security risks and solutions
Describe security measures needed to protect your system and Web site
Design for system security at the operating system, server, and application levels
Restrict server and scripting parameters to increase security
Define encryption methods and describe encryption implementation

Key Terms and Concepts

Access control: Determines where a person or network host is allowed to enter a system.
Asymmetric encryption: Encryption that creates a public key and a private key. The private key remains secret, on your computer. You can freely disseminate the public key.
Authentication: Establishes a person's identity.
Cryptography: Creating cipher text from plain text.
Data confidentiality: Using algorithms that make information remain secret.
Data integrity: A service for ensuring that information cannot be altered.
Digital certificate: A way to prove your identity. You can use it to encrypt and decrypt messages from individuals and servers. In technical terms, it is a public key that has been signed by a certificate authority.
Digital signature: Use of a one-way hash algorithm and a private key to provide a stamp of approval on an electronic document or network transmission.
File transfer protocol: The File Transfer Protocol, or FTP, is the set of communication rules that computers use to exchange files.
Firewall: A firewall is a series of applications and hardware that filters and audits outside network traffic as it passes into your network.
Intrusion detection software: Software that scans an internal network for security threats.
Nonrepudiation: The ability to prove that a transaction has in fact occurred.
One-way encryption: A one way encryption algorithm produces ciphertext that cannot be taken BACK tothe original plaintext.
Packet filtering: The use of a type of firewall device that processes network traffic on a packet-by-packet basis. Packet filter devices allow or block packets, and are typically implemented through standard routers.
Public key encryption: The use of asymmetric algorithms to ensure effective key exchange.
Secure Electronic Transaction (SET): A method of information exchange that allows businesses and clients an extra level of protection while conducting business.
Secure hash algorithm (SHA): A specific one-way encryption algorithm.
Secure Sockets Layer (SSL): An encryption method enabled by digital certificates.
Security policy: The foundational building block for a site's security.
Secure MIME (S/MIME): A specification for secure electronic mail. S/MIME was designed to add security to email messages in MIME format. The security services offered are authentication (using digital signatures) and privacy (using encryption). S/MIME assumes that both the sender and receiver of secure email messages have public/private key pairs and uses the concept of a digital envelope.
Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP): The Internet standard protocol to transfer electronic mail messages from one computer to another. It specifies how two mail systems interact, as well as the format of control messages they exchange to transfer mail.
Symmetric encryption: Encryption that uses the same key to encrypt and decrypt information.
Threat: Attacks, such as IP spoofing, packet sniffing, and social engineering, designed to thwart access control and authentication.

Security Policy - Quiz

Click the Quiz link below to take a multiple-choice quiz on the material we covered in this module.
Security Policy - Quiz