Software and Network security

Call Back:

Call back is a dial up system where users can access a network remotely, this AIDS security as you have to be authenticated so only trusted people can access the network. A used would call the system and enter their username and password. The system would then hang up on the user and call them back at a preconfigured number. This means that the user can’t access the network from anywhere. The use of dial up systems using modems seems outdated but is one of the most secure ways of hiding data. This helps to ensure security because you can only access the data from certain trusted areas. This makes sure you are who you are and you’re in a secure area.

Hand Shaking

For communication to take place between two different devices a protocol needs to be in place. Both of the devices need to be using the same type of protocol so be able to communicate with each other. Handshaking is a process that continuously agrees a method of data communication. Challenge Handshake authentication protocol is one type of a communication protocol. After a device has connected to a server a challenge is sent to the device and the device uses a hash to generate a specific value and this is sent back to the server to make sure the device is what it is. This helps to ensure security because if the devices is pretending to be someone else than the connection can be terminated and no communication can take place.

Diskless networks

It’s easy to transfer data from one device to another and this is the biggest risk to data being stolen. Devices in a diskless network do not have a cd/dvd drives, usb ports or floppy disk ports. This prevent data from being added or removed. The network will also use a cloud network where the system will use a virtual machine to create a diskless network. This ensure security because no data can be took off or added to the network keeping all this data on the one network.

Use of backups

Backups are used to restore data or remove damage that has happened to the computer. A backup will load all data from a previous point in time. This will remove anything that has happened after that point in time. Some major organisation back up every 8 hours encase of any major attacks or failures. Raid allows data to be recovered from duplicated hard drives while mirroring server to operate at the same time as the primary server. This ensures security because if anything is severely damaged then it can be all brought back.

Audit logs

An audit log (also sometimes called an audit trail) is a chronological record of security-relevant data that documents the sequence of activities affecting an operation, procedure, event, file or document.Audit logs are used to keep a record of network and database activity. Whenever a computer has been logged in, what sites have been on and what programs you have been on are all recorded where and when they happened. This log contains a simple reference to the service accessed along with the identity of the user. The purpose of audit lots are to keep a detailed record of how systems has been used, this includes what programs have been accessed, internet history and access to other databases. This helps to ensure security as audit logs

Virtual private network

A virtual network provides a complete copy of a whole network that cannot have any consequences on the original machine and network. This is basically a set of computer than connect to each other over the internet. A VPN allows people to connect to a remote company network remotely in a way similar to connecting to your own computer but it allows you to work from home and access all your company work. A VPN uses an encryption on data that is being sent. This data is sent through a tunnel which prevents data entering that is not fully encrypted this helps to ensure security as nothing can leave the VPN that is opened in it.

Intrusion detection system

Intrusion detection systems work with the firewall and the monitor traffic to alert anyone of people entering the system. IDS are passive which means they will record any attempts for the admin so they can decide what to do. A fire wall is the first line of defence but the IDS don’t know stop all attacks. This helps to ensure security as you will know whenever anyone is trying to attack so you know how to stop them. An IDS looks for security policy violations, Trojans, information leakage such as key loggers, configuration errors and unauthorized.

Software updating

You have to constantly make sure that your software is up to date as it can be to block from any new types of attacks. Operating systems such as windows uses updating security and updating OS systems. Linux also uses a similar tool. This helps to ensure security as the updates deal with any weakness in the software and security that may allow hackers, viruses and other attacks into the network. You should still have anti-virus and malware protection, but you’ll pick up fewer problems to start with when you have the most updated operating system regardless going to an unauthorised site and prevent you from downloading harmful files.

Levels of access to data

All networks and servers have functions that allow certain account to have certain control over files. These levels are:

Read – this allows the user to see the data

Write – this allows the user to change or edit the information

Execute this allows the user to create new files, folder and data

It is important that levels of access are monitored and users that no longer need access don’t have it anymore. This helps to ensure security as people cannot access data that they are not supposed to.

Virus checking software

These scan a systems to locate and deal with any malware that may have entered a systems. Virus definitions are store in a data base and software scans files, compares with the data stored in the definitions database to

locate the malware. Updates should be set up to automatically update the definitions database regularly as a minimum this should be done on a daily basis. This helps to ensure security as it will keep anti-virus software up-to-date as viruses are constantly evolving so a system will have to evolve with them.

Firewall configuration

In commercial situations it is essential to have a firewall installed on your systems. This is to ensure that no external threats can attack the computer and infect all the systems. A fire wall could also stop people going onto website that they are not supposed to. Windows even comes with a free built-in firewall, and has since Windows XP. Network administrators and private user benefit from using firewalls. It helps them keep away unauthorized users and stop the activity of any malware that might attempt to retrieve date from a local PC or network and send it to a third party. This helps to ensure security as nothing can get onto the system without the firewall detecting it.