Cybercrime remains one of the fastest-growing forms of criminal activity worldwide, with Australia being one of the largest targets for cybercriminals.
In recent years, several well-known Australian companies have fallen victim to ransomware attacks. For instance, in September 2022, Optus, Australia’s second-largest wireless carrier, disclosed that it suffered a data breach that resulted in 10 million of its customers’ personal details being stolen.
Likewise, in March 2023, Latitude Financial, the largest non-bank lender across Australia and New Zealand, announced that it had suffered a large-scale data breach that exposed the personal information of more than 14 million customers.
As more and more businesses rely on cloud computing and the internet to optimize their processes, cyber threats will inevitably continue to evolve and target them. That’s why it’s crucial for businesses to prioritize network security and take measures to protect themselves against such threats.
What is network security and how does it work?
Network Security is the practice of protecting computer networks and their associated devices from unauthorized access, theft, damage, or disruption. It involves implementing measures to ensure the protection of an information technology system. It also serves as a means of controlling internet access by identifying and preventing various threats from accessing the system.
An effective network security solution can help businesses reduce overhead expenses and prevent costly losses resulting from security incidents or data breaches. By ensuring secure access to systems, applications, and data, businesses can continue to operate smoothly and deliver high-quality services and products to their customers.
What are the different types of network security?
Firewalls
Firewalls control incoming and outgoing traffic on networks, with predetermined security rules. Firewalls keep out unfriendly traffic and are a necessary part of daily computing. Network Security relies heavily on Firewalls, and especially Next Generation Firewalls, which focus on blocking malware and application-layer attacks.
Firewall is one of the most basic network security features that can help protect your system and devices from hackers. A firewall essentially controls incoming and outgoing traffic on a network, with predetermined security rules.
To ensure the protection of your business’s network, it is highly recommended to implement a firewall. This is a basic yet crucial step in network security that can prevent potential data breaches and save your business from costly losses. Regularly updating and maintaining your firewall is also important in keeping up with new threats and vulnerabilities.
Next-Generation Firewall
As cyber threats continue to evolve and become more advanced, security tools have also advanced to keep up with the threats. Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) is a type of firewall that goes beyond the capabilities of traditional firewalls. According to Garner, NGFW is a “deep-packet inspection firewall that moves beyond port/protocol inspection and blocking to add application-level inspection, intrusion prevention, and bringing intelligence from outside the firewall.”
NGFWs offer several additional features that traditional firewalls lack. While traditional firewalls focus on monitoring and controlling traffic based on basic packet information such as source and destination addresses, NGFWs perform deep packet inspection. This means they analyze the actual content of the packets, including application-level protocols, to make more informed decisions on traffic.
The main advantage of NGFWs is their ability to detect and block advanced threats that may go undetected by traditional firewalls. NGFWs can identify and block malicious traffic that may be disguised as legitimate traffic, as well as prevent unauthorized access to the network. In addition, NGFWs can also provide application-level control and visibility, allowing businesses to enforce policies on specific applications and prioritize network traffic based on business needs.
If your business needs NGFW protection, Gartner has compiled a list of the top NGFW vendors in the market that you can refer to.
Access Control
Access control is a security measure that determines which people, groups, and devices are authorized to access network applications and systems, preventing unauthorized access and potential threats. When integrated with Identity and Access Management (IAM) products, access control can strongly identify the user, while Role-based Access Control (RBAC) policies ensure that only authorized personnel and devices have access to assets.
Access control helps protect businesses by preventing data breaches, limiting the spread of malware, and protecting sensitive information. For example, access control can be used to restrict access to financial data or customer information to only authorized personnel, ensuring the confidentiality and integrity of the data.
Zero Trust Network Access
Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) is a security model that assumes all users, devices, and applications are untrusted and need to be verified before being granted access to a network or resources. In other words, it doesn’t matter whether a user is inside or outside the network – they have to prove their identity and be authorized before they can access any resources.
ZTNA is different from traditional security models that rely on a perimeter-based approach, where everything inside the network is considered safe and trusted. With ZTNA, every user and device must be authenticated and authorized before accessing any resource, even if they are already inside the network.
ZTNA works by using a combination of technologies such as multi-factor authentication, network segmentation, and micro-segmentation. When a user requests access to a resource, ZTNA verifies their identity using several factors such as a password, a security token, or biometric authentication. Once the user is authenticated, ZTNA checks their access rights and determines if they are authorized to access the resource.
If the user is authorized, ZTNA creates a secure tunnel between the user’s device and the resource, which is encrypted and protected from any potential threats. This ensures that only authorized users can access resources, and any suspicious activity is detected and blocked.
ZTNA can be useful in several scenarios, such as remote work or cloud-based applications. For example, if an employee needs to access a company’s cloud-based application from a public network, ZTNA can verify their identity and determine if they are authorized to access the application, even though they are outside the company’s perimeter.
Another scenario is when a contractor needs temporary access to a specific resource, ZTNA can provide them with access for the duration they need without granting them access to other resources in the network.
Email Security
Email security refers to the protection of email messages and the information they contain from unauthorized access, loss, or compromise. It involves using various technologies and strategies to safeguard email systems and prevent cyber threats, such as phishing, malware, and spam.
For businesses, email security is essential as it helps to protect sensitive information and intellectual property from falling into the wrong hands. For example, email security solutions can prevent unauthorized access to emails containing personal data, financial information, or confidential business plans.
Email security can also protect businesses from spam and phishing attacks that can compromise the security of the entire network. By using spam filters and anti-phishing technologies, businesses can prevent malicious emails from reaching their employees’ inboxes, reducing the risk of data breaches or malware infections.
Furthermore, email security solutions can also help businesses to comply with regulatory requirements such as GDPR or HIPAA by ensuring that sensitive information is securely transmitted and stored.
Intrusion Prevention System (IPS)
An intrusion prevention system (IPS) is a security tool that looks for and responds to possible network attacks automatically. It is similar to an intrusion detection system (IDS) as it also examines network traffic and sets rules for network administrators. However, the IPS goes further by automatically reacting to detected vulnerabilities using pre-set rules.
For example, if an unauthorized user tries to access a business network, the IPS can detect and prevent the attack before any damage is done. This makes it an essential tool for businesses to protect their networks from cyber threats.
Aside from detecting potential threats, IPS can also detect security rule flaws, record existing threats, and prevent employees from breaking security policies. This makes it an important component of any business’s security architecture.
Benefits of IPS for businesses include protection from spyware, detecting potentially dangerous behavior, and monitoring user activity to identify suspicious intentions. IPS can also be optimized for efficiency, making it a cost-effective solution for network security.
Data Loss Prevention
Data loss prevention (DLP) is a way to protect sensitive information like personal data, financial data or company secrets from being leaked or exposed to outsiders. DLP combines technology and best practices to help prevent unauthorized people from accessing this information. For example, DLP can help a company make sure that only authorized employees have access to certain types of data, and that this data is not sent outside the company network through email, cloud storage or other means. DLP can be beneficial for businesses as it can help them avoid costly data breaches and comply with regulations around data protection.
Remote Access VPN
A remote access VPN allows employees who are working from home or abroad to safely access company files and data by encrypting all communication between their device and the company network. This is done by creating a virtual tunnel between the employee’s device and the company network, which is secure and prevents unauthorized access.
Using a remote access VPN can be beneficial for businesses in several ways. It is a cost-effective solution as it eliminates the need to buy and manage multiple solutions. Additionally, it provides a Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) approach which ensures that only authorized individuals have access to specific private programs. Finally, remote access VPNs use the public network to allow controlled access to a company’s servers from anywhere in the world, while still maintaining security.
For example, a company may have employees working from home or traveling to different locations, but they still need access to important company files and data. By using a remote access VPN, these employees can securely access the company network and work as if they were in the office, without risking any sensitive data being stolen.
