Network Security

• Collect and use Monitoring Tools
• Record statistics and look for trends and unusual occurrences
• Know which data and resources Users should be accessing
• Monitor and Control external access to your networks

Collect and use Monitoring Tools

You need to monitor your network to provide day-to-day information on its operation. These same tools will provide a view of any abnormal activity.

Record statistics and look for trends and unusual occurrences

How well you know how your network runs will determine how easily you can detect an operational anomaly - possible hacker. If there are changes from normal daily/weekly patterns fro which there are no explanations you may have a hacker. Clifford Stoll in “The Cuckoo’s Egg” noted that the hacker he was tracking used accounts of people who were on vacation. This was one of the clues that allowed Cliff to narrow his search.

Know which data and resources Users should be accessing

The standard NOS administration facilities will let you limit what each User should be able to access. By careful setting of rights and privileges it should be possible to stop Users accessing that which they should not. Then, even if a particular account is compromised, the data available will be limited to what that User could access. Of course, if it’s an Admin/Supervisor account that is compromised, the hacker has open slather into your network.

Monitor and Control external access to your networks

Be very careful about allowing external access to your networks. Limit as much as possible what a visitor can access. Try and quarantine external accesses to particular, well controlled areas. At all times, external accesses must be treated with caution. You may be secure, but the system from which the visitor is entering may not be...

Web Author: Geoff May. Last Update: 08/09/98 Copyright © 1998 by Network Business Services Pty Ltd. All Rights Reserved.