Network Security

Security is the 2nd highest priority of every company (right behind profit). The topic is just too broad to do it justice here. Still, security is a significant concern if you work in the tech industry.

This page describes the primary security methods in use today both in the Government and Commercial sectors. All technologies are changing at a blinding pace, but the primary standards and so complex that they take quite a while for ratification. This gives the IT professionals a bit of time to learn – before it is all turned on its head again by the next set of standards.

Security was always a critical area of data communications, but it has ballooned into a vast market since 9/11 and taken on a new urgency. A proliferation of standards, more robust encryption algorithms, hardened firewalls, never-ending Microsoft patches, and a plethora of corporate-sponsored security IT certifications have emerged in the data arena.

And in the physical world, keeping intruders out has become a paramount concern. Personal recognition systems have been perfected – such as fingerprint detection and retina scanning.

Network Security Terms

Here is a glossary of various network security terms including SSL certificates, Public/Private Keys, VPN, PKI, Firewall, IPSec, Encryption, DMZ and more.

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FIPS Overview

FIPS are a series of Federal standards documents; many of them describe security methodologies. Explore the standards and certifications around FIPs here.

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Common Criteria (CC)

Common Criteria (CC) is a modern and globally accepted evaluation method of IT products and systems' security properties. Explore the history of CC here.

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Encryption

Encryption is the process of converting information from its normal, comprehensible form into an obscured guise, unreadable without special knowledge.

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Hash Functions (Hash Algorithms)

A hash functions are complex encryption algorithms used primarily in cryptography and are like a shortened version of full-scale encryption.

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Authentication

AAA is basically authentication, and part of authentication is authorization & accounting. But it has become the catch-all phrase for high-end authentication services to point out that they include authorization & accounting.

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Secure Sockets Layer

Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) is the protocol that allows us to safely buy goods and services via the Internet with our credit cards. Explore the concepts here.

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Helpful Resources on Network Security

• “Symantec Connect” – SecurityFocus. Accessed February 15, 2021. Link.
• “General Design Considerations for Secure Networks” by Sean Convery – Cisco Press. Accessed February 15, 2021. Link.