Network Security

A computer network is a group of computers and devices connected with each other. Network security focuses on protecting the security of these devices and the links connecting them. (In more precise terms, network security refers to the devices, technologies, and processes to protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of a computer network and the data on it.)

Network security consists of different hardware and software solutions to achieve the set security goals. Hardware solutions refer to the devices you set up in your network to protect your network security. They are hardware, so you can literally hold them. A hardware appliance might look something like the image below.

Examples of hardware appliances include:

• Firewall appliance: The firewall allows and blocks connections based on a predefined set of rules. It restricts what can enter and what can leave a network.
• Intrusion Detection System (IDS) appliance: An IDS detects system and network intrusions and intrusion attempts. It tries to detect attackers’ attempts to break into your network.
• Intrusion Prevention System (IPS) appliance: An IPS blocks detected intrusions and intrusion attempts. It aims to prevent attackers from breaking into your network.
• Virtual Private Network (VPN) concentrator appliance: A VPN ensures that the network traffic cannot be read nor altered by a third party. It protects the confidentiality (secrecy) and integrity of the sent data.

On the other hand, we have software security solutions. Common examples are:

• Antivirus software: You install an antivirus on your computer or smartphone to detect malicious files and block them from executing.
• Host firewall: Unlike the firewall appliance, a hardware device, a host firewall is a program that ships as part of your system, or it is a program that you install on your system. For instance, MS Windows includes Windows Defender Firewall, and Apple macOS includes an application firewall; both are host firewalls.

According to the Cost of a Data Breach Report 2021 (opens in new tab) by IBM Security, a data breach in 2021 cost a company $4.24 million per incident on average, in comparison with $3.86 million in 2020. The average cost changes with the sector and the country. For example, the average total cost for a data breach was $9.23 million for the healthcare sector, while $3.79 million for the education sector.