Network security and policy

Final Analysis

Author

Institution

Introduction’

Network security has become one of the most common aspects in most organizations. It consists of the policies and provisions that network administrators adopt to monitor and prevent unauthorized access, modification, misuse, or denial of network accessible and computer network resources (Kizza, 2005). This underlines the importance of policies in network security.

A). What is a policy?

A network security policy refers to a generic document that lays the rules for accessing computer networks, lays out the fundamental architecture of the company security environment and determines the enforcement of the policies (Kizza, 2005). Policies refer to the declared objectives of the security administrators seeking to achieve, as well as preserve the company’s security interests.

B). Distinguish between policy and implementation.

Policies are different from implementation in that, while policies refer to the declared objectives that guide the fundamental architectures of security networks implementation refers to the stage where policy action takes place. In this stage, the respective administrative agencies execute or put into effect the design of the policy proposal (Ciampa, 2008).

C). Why is it important to separate policies from implementation?

It may be impossible to envisage the varied ways in which different people would use a certain security system in the life of the product. In essence, any hard-coded policies would be potentially inappropriate or inadequate to the users. This underlines the importance of separating implementation from policy specifications, as it would allow different applications to utilize the same implementation mechanisms with varied policies, which enhances the utility derived from the systems over time (McNab, 2008).

D). Why is oversight important?

It ensures that the data and information in a certain network is secure and protected from outside manipulation.

E). Compare the specificity of policies, implementation guidance, and implementation.

Specificity of policies, implementation and implementation guidance may be compared in their emphasis on application of priority. Aspects that have higher specificity are considered as high-priority than the others that have lower specificity. In the same case, the implementation guidance outlines the aspects that have to be prioritized on at a certain time (Kizza, 2005).

F). Distinguish between standards and guidelines.

Guidelines refer to a statement or any other indication of a procedure or policy by which the course of action will be determined. Standards, on the other hand, refer to the agreed and repeatable ways of carrying out a certain course of action. It refers to a published document that incorporates a technical specification or any other precise criteria that are designed for consistent use as a guideline, definition or a rule (Ciampa, 2008).

g) Must guidelines be considered?

It is always imperative that security network administrators consider guidelines otherwise the ambiguity would allow for opportunities of dilution and compromise of the security networks. Guidelines eliminate the potential for uncertainty, as well as confusion in the process of implementing the security networks, thereby reducing the possibility for compromise.

H). List the three types of oversight listed in the text.

Firewall – enhances the difficulty of an individual getting into the network.

IDS – enhances the difficulty for an individual to destroy a company’s security network

NAT – protects the network from any possibility of being mapped out from outside.

I). What is vulnerability testing, and why is it done?

Vulnerability testing refers to the evaluation of all aspects of the security network system as seen remotely from the internet. This is done in an effort to reveal the potential security changes and vulnerabilities that attackers may exploit and remedy them before they can be exploited (McNab, 2008).

J). Why is it important for policy to drive both implementation and oversight?

Policy provides the rules or framework within the network security will be implemented. In essence, it should be incorporated in the implementation so as to eliminate confusion and uncertainty, as well as lower the possibility of compromise. In oversight, it ensures that all the loopholes in the network security systems are covered.

References

Kizza, JM, (2005). “Computer Network Security”. New York: Springer

Ciampa, M (2008). “Security+ Guide to Network Security Fundamentals”. New York: Cengage Learning

McNab, C (2008). “Network Security Assessment: Know Your Network”. London: O’Reilly Media, Inc

(Kizza, 2005) (Ciampa, 2008) (McNab, 2008)