Introduction
Security is on everyone's minds these days. Enterprises understand, as never before, the importance of building resiliency into network architectures and having a strong disaster recovery plan. Concern for the everyday issues of network security i.e., keeping hackers off your network also has come to the fore.
Computer networks are operating in an increasingly risk-prone environment. Hackers, competitors, dishonest data brokers, and disgruntled employees have a seemingly endless menu of attacks to choose from these days. In todays world companies can build their computer system's defenses just as they would strengthen their body's ability to ward off infection by developing a regimen of "healthy" practices and sticking to it. Many factors have coalesced to catapult network security to the top of the list of issues that IS professionals face daily. The increased decentralization of business operations (for example, banking) and the corresponding growth of computer networks is perhaps the number one driver of concern about network security.
The growing popularity of electronic commerce in the form of Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) and Internet cash and credit-based transactions also raises concerns about network security. In addition, the increasing technical sophistication of personnel that have network access to sensitive information - for example, personnel records, funds transfers, purchase orders and credit card numbers is cause for alarm.
An enterprise's network, information systems, databases, and processes are essential for the enterprise's survival and must be protected from both internal and external threats. Remote users connecting to the enterprise's network from outside the enterprise must be protected, as well.
Discussion
The protective measures an enterprise implements make up what the AICPA defines as information security. Information security consists of the following security measures: antivirus protection; firewalls; intrusion detection systems; and password management.
Firewalls protect a network from outside hackers and other malicious attacks.......
