How to test network security
Network security is a set of technologies that protect the usability and integrity of a company's infrastructure by preventing a wide variety of potential threats from entering or propagating on a network. A network security architecture consists of tools that protect the network itself and the applications that run on it. Effective network security strategies employ multiple lines of defense that are scalable and automated. Each defense layer enforces a set of security policies defined by the administrator.
What is network security testing?
Network security testing is a comprehensive tool for testing security controls across a network to identify and expose vulnerabilities and determine risks.
Why is network security testing important?
In today's world, network security poses an even greater challenge as business applications increasingly move to private and public clouds. Additionally, applications themselves now tend to be virtualized and distributed across many locations, some of which are beyond the physical control of IT security teams. With the ever-increasing number of attacks on enterprises, protecting network traffic and infrastructure is critical.
Before I continue this article on network penetration testing, let me ask you something.
How many of you are actually afraid to pay online using your credit or debit cards? If your answer is yes, then you are not exempt from this rule. Security is a concern for many of us, the reason we worry about online payment is because we are not aware of website security. But as time changes, so do things and most websites are now thoroughly security tested to find flaws before they affect real users.
What are the benefits of network security?
Network security is the key to the organization's ability to provide products and services to customers and employees. From online stores to enterprise applications to remote desktops, protecting the applications and data on your network is essential to moving your business forward. In addition, effective network security can improve network performance by eliminating downtime caused by successful attacks.
What should be done to test network security?
Network testing involves testing network devices, servers, and DNS for vulnerabilities or threats. Therefore, it is always recommended to follow the instructions below before starting the experiment:
1) Most critical areas should be tested first: When it comes to network security, areas that are exposed to the public are considered critical. Therefore, the focus should be on firewalls, web servers, routers, switches, and systems that are open to the general public.
2) Being up-to-date with security patches: The system under test should always have the latest security patch installed.
3) Good interpretation of test results: Vulnerability testing may sometimes lead to false positives and may sometimes fail to identify issues that are beyond the capabilities of the tool used for testing. In such cases, testers should be experienced enough to understand, analyze and decide on the result.
4) Knowledge of security policies: Testers should be well aware of security policies or protocols to be followed. This helps to effectively test and understand what is within and beyond security guidelines.
5) Tool selection: From the wide variety of tools available, make sure you choose one that provides the features you need for your testing.
What are network security devices?
Below are some network security devices:
Firewalls
A firewall is a layer of protection that monitors the connections that can be made on a network. A firewall creates a barrier between trusted and untrusted parts of a network. Therefore, a firewall performs access control and macro segmentation based on IP subnets.
Learn more: Application Firewall
What is a firewall?
VPN
VPN gateways are used to establish a secure connection to remote systems.
Antivirus
Used to monitor, detect and filter all forms of malware.
URL filtering
URL filtering protects end users by restricting access to malicious sites.
IDS system
The intrusion detection system monitors malicious attacks and provides alerts to the management team.
What are the benefits of network security testing?
Customer Retention: If a website is secure, users will definitely prefer to use it over other websites. In the case of e-commerce websites, customer retention leads to more revenue generation online.
Cost savings: A website that complies with all security protocols will reduce the costs associated with backing up the site after a security attack.
What are the types of security tests?
Various techniques are used to perform network security testing:
Network scan
Vulnerability scanning
Security scan
ethical hacking
Crack the password
Penetration testing
Authentication
Testers usually test different types of network devices and techniques to identify defects. In this article, we detail some of the top tools and service providers for network security testing. If you intend to create network security in your organization, contact Gostar Sharif Security.