Information Security threats have grown substantially in 2010. Computer network security is an inseparable part of information security and has become an important part of all organizational agendas and even small businesses and individuals using the internet for information exchange, being prone to information security threats, now take serious measures to reduce the negative impacts they would otherwise have to face.
Home Network Security: What is a Secure Network
A secure network, in the field of computers and information exchange, is a network that is resistant to the information security threats posed by intruders, and provides a safe medium of information exchange where the information can be assumed to reach only the designated recipient without being scanned or manipulated by unauthorized personnel or malicious computer programs while in transition.
Home Network Security: Individual Efforts to Ensure Computer Network Security
Network Security threats such as viruses are mostly spread from one computer system to another connected to each other through a network. If these personal computers are secure, they add to the security of the network.
- The most basic security step that any individual must take towards network security is installing and maintaining an antivirus program on the computer. Free antivirus software provide protection against some of the basic security threats. A paid version gives the choice of using advanced features provided by the antivirus.
- Use a network security firewall. These firewalls can be implemented both in the form of hardware and software. These firewalls are designed to prevent any unauthorized communications between connected computers.
- Never click on links that arrive in emails from untrusted sources. These links may lead to undesired downloads, installing of a virus or a trojan horse, or may even confirm the subscription of the email to a mailing list.
- Always have a backup ready for important data stored on the computer. Make it a habit to backup the computer data once in a while. This really turns handy in case of a computer crash or in case it becomes urgent to recover the system completely or restore it to default settings.
- Almost every software vendor provides updates to its products as no software comes with a lifetime warranty for protection against network security threats. Always keep updating the software being used on the computer and check for any security updates being released by the software vendor.
- Never let out confidential information such as name, address, telephone number, email addresses, credit card info to a stranger. Never respond to emails that promise you large sums of money or expensive gifts or prizes for doing nothing at all.
- Keep the operating system updated. Operating Systems vendors such as Microsoft keep releasing security related patches for their products. Often, there would be an option that would enable operating systems to get updated themselves by connecting to internet through automatic update feature.
- Network security software are available to help individual and corporate users prevent threats to their systems. Avoid such software that have a single point of failure. Try to have a security software that provides protection in several layers or levels so that even if one level is breached, there are others for protection.
- Do not keep data scattered all over the place on the computer and avoid the habit of maintaining multiple copies of data if not very necessary.
- Try to encrypt the data when sending emails and attachments in emails.
- Lastly, never leave the computer connected to a network when not using the computer. Switch off the computer itself or disconnect it from the network.
Use of Network Security Software
Though it is almost essential for organizations to deploy some sort of network security software to manage their information security needs and the security of their organizational databases, individuals can also use these software for protecting their personal computers.
Further reading:
- Introduction to Network Security by Matt curtin
- Home Network Security from CERT
Ashutosh Tiwari - Ashutosh Tiwari is an engineer by profession, specialized in Computer Science. With SCJD and SCJP certifications, he works in the field of ...
