Network Security

The wide deployment of several networks such as the Internet, 3G networks, enterprise networks, WiFi networks and Bluetooth networks to name just a few, has made networking a common task. However, the social, economical, commercial and ethical aspects of the various network applications have raised several security considerations deriving from network usage. This article is concerned with network security issues. First, the concepts related with information security and networks are presented and the goals of network security are analyzed. The concepts of threats, vulnerabilities and risks are briefly explained and some basic categories of network security threats and attacks are described. Security in networks is accomplished through security services. These services are described along with several widely used network security mechanisms which are commonly used to implement the security services. Finally, the differences in the security requirements of wireless networks in contrast with fixed networks are briefly explained in the last section of this article.