Network Security Overview

During the beginning of attending the course network security concepts, I truly did not know what to expect.  Honestly, if I would have guessed it would have been specifically about configuring routers and firewalls to secure a network.  Overall, I was partially correct, but wrong at the same time.  Considering network security does consist of configuring routers and firewalls, but there is much more to it than that.  For example, a few things to take into consideration when securing a network are, patches, software, routers, firewalls, and much more.

The first place to start when securing a network is during the equipment installation.  When setting up your network the main piece of equipment that needs to be configured is your gateway or router.  When the Internet Service Provider (ISP) stops by to setup the system everything is automatically set to default which is extremely unsecure.  As the network administrator, you need to harden the system by changing the credentials, hiding the SSID, setting WPA2, disabling WPS, and setting up other security precautions within the settings, depending on your network.

The next cause for concern is your servers and workstations throughout the network.  Many pieces will need to be configured and setup during the process of securing your network.  For instance, selecting the correct anti-virus software and management tools.  The easiest to setup would be to use the windows based security system, which includes the windows firewall and defender to ensure you are protected from known threats. 

The next to check is the policies that are in place to ensure users do not have full access to everything by setting up user and group policies.  This would be followed by setting file permissions so if the user does manage to login as another they still would not have access to key content.  Another possibility to consider is setting windows updates to run in a timely manner, as if it is not updating properly that leaves possible gaps in your security.  Also, check all services that are running the background and disable any that are not being used.  Last but not least, remove any and all unnecessary registry keys as they can provide backdoors for unwanted visitors.

Once you have secured your devices as much as possible, the next step would be attaching all the devices to the network itself.  When plugging in the Ethernet cable to the computer or connecting to the device wirelessly, make sure to select WPA2 as this is one is secure and backwards compatible to older devices.  Now that you are connected to the network and can access the internet it is best to double check everything is up to date.  Kick off windows updates, to ensure that all patches have been applied and the security system has the latest threat database.

Even though you have made all the necessary precautions and have everything up to date there are still new threats and vulnerabilities found every day.  With this in mind it is always best to setup a back-up system to ensure you have all your data in case of an emergency.  There are many to choose from, whether you have a raided system or a backup software in place that copies all your files to another location such as a cloud or another computer on the network.  Never consider yourself fully protected from any threats or risks, to the fact you do not create a backup.

Overall network security does not only consist of ensuring you have a secure router and security system.  It comes down to hardening every computer and server involved all the while securing the network entirely.  If I would not have taken this course I would not have realized how much is involved when securing a network.  I am completely thankful for being given this opportunity to learn, grow, and utilize my new skills.

References

Dulaney, E., & Easttom, C. (2014). CompTIA Security+ Study Guide, Sixth Edition. Indianapolis: John Wiley & Sons,.

Wireless attacks and its types. (n.d.). Retrieved December 11, 2016, from Exam Collection: http://www.examcollection.com/certification-training/security-plus-wireless-attacks-and-their-types.html