As an important component of all information security software, network security software plays an important role in establishing a secure and safe means of transferring information.
Network security software fall into various categories such as intrusion detector software, antivirus software, vulnerability scanners, packet sniffers, packet crafting tools, web vulnerability scanners, firewalls and many such internet security software.
What are Network Security Threats
With the computer information network expanding at a massive rate where every person wants to remain connected through the internet, network security threats have increased significantly over the past few years.
With lots of confidential information being transferred through internet such as credit card information, personal identification information and business and personal emails, the internet has seen an increase in the number of attempts to exploit the vulnerabilities of the security architectures designed to protect the flow of information over the internet.
Network security solutions are proposed against most of the threats that have been found to disturb the safe and clean flow of information. Some of these threats are listed below.
- Scanning of information is the most common mode of information security breach. It is carried out both through physical (human) and automatic means (computer virus). An unauthorized person or entity regularly skims through the information being sent and received from a system and later exploits this information in a way that incurs loss to the rightful owner of the information.
- A computer connected to the internet is prone to viruses and worms that result in loss of performance of the system and in some cases loss of personal information (Trojan Horses have been reported to deliver information of any kind to the sender or author). Some viruses tend to destruct the installed software and also cause them to malfunction.
- Financial losses have also been reported by many computer users. Most of the people who use internet use their computers for making payments online through credit cards, debit cards or money transfers through bank accounts. This information is sensitive and can be scanned and copied to be exploited by an unauthorized person resulting in huge financial deficits. Since this crime can be committed from any part of the world, it becomes very difficult to trace the culprit in most of the cases.
- Another type of security threat is 'resource attacks'. Such attacks aim at overwhelming the system resources such as RAM (Random Access Memory) and the CPU (Central Processing Unit). In such attacks, the attacker forges itself as numerous zombies (false systems) and launches attacks on the system resources of a single victim. This results in the victim's resources being consumed and prevents it from granting services to other client systems or other services running on the same machine. Such attacks are common on big servers.
For a detailed overview of the most prominent network security threats for the year 2010, read the article 'Top 10 Information Security Threats' by Kevin prince published in Network Security Edge.
Computer Network Security Software: Network Security Solutions and Network Security Program
A computer network security software mostly consists of an application software that implements the Network Security Program of an organization. A network security software may sometimes be used along with a network security hardware such as a network firewall or network router.
As discussed earlier, network security software may include several different categories of software such as firewalls, packet sniffers, vulnerability scanners and antivirus software.
Firewall: A Useful Network Security Software
A firewall can be implemented both as a hardware and a software. It acts as a filter that permits authorized messages to and fro a system while blocks the unauthorized messages. A firewall works on predetermined sets of rules and regulations and grants permission for flow of authorized messages. It is mostly placed between an unprotected network and a protected network like a user system and the internet.
Antivirus: A must for Network Security
An antivirus software is a software that prevents malicious software or computer programs such as viruses, worms and Trojan horses from attacking a computer system. Most of the antivirus software use signatures of viruses that have been designed earlier.
Antivirus software can prevent any suspicious program from taking control of the computer if they find a similar code as is present in its virus directory. Such software packages continuously update their virus database as and when a new code or virus appears on a network.
Intrusion Detection Software: Essential Network Security Software for Threat Prevention
An intrusion detection software is the most important component of any network security software as far as prevention of a security breach is concerned. Such software prevent any suspicious software from intruding into a computer system.
The job of Intruder Detection and Prevention Systems (IDPS), is to identify possible threats, preparing a report or log about them, furnish this report to the security administrator and if possible, attempt to stop any loss due to the threat.
Network Security Software Overview
Though most organizations deploy various methods to stop any loss due to security breaches through the internet, yet we see several network security breaches being reported everyday. the major cause of these breaches is due to users being unaware of the threats that can be posed before them.
Most of these security measures work only when a threat has already had its impact on several users, and this remains a problem as security measures always a step behind the threats. Network security software helps prevent threats from turning into harmful impacts.
Ashutosh Tiwari - Ashutosh Tiwari is an engineer by profession, specialized in Computer Science. With SCJD and SCJP certifications, he works in the field of ...
