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Building a Secure Network and Why it Matters

blogadmin 23 September 2022 Security 0 Comments

Having a secure network is something everyone needs for both personal or professional use. It prevents attackers from accessing important information and acquiring access to your system.

What is a Secure Network?

On a surface level, a secure network is any network that puts security measures in place to help protect your system from outside attackers. For this article we will focus on a secure network setup for a flat network.

Flat Networks

Flat networks are a type of network architecture notorious for their easy maintenance and simplicity. While simple and effective, they are not secure. When attackers break into a flat network, they can easily reach all of the systems. This level of access will allow an attacker to spread deeper in your environment.

A way to mitigate and contain attackers is with VLAN segmentation.

VLAN Segmentation

A way to set up a secure system is through virtual local area network (VLAN) segmentation. This setup breaks up your server network so only certain systems can communicate with each other. A basic setup of this typically includes the following:

Office Network
DMZ (Internet facing Systems)
Core Server Network
Physical Server Network
Admin Network

Those mentioned above are connected to the server network. However, only certain networks can talk to one another; or have one network communicate with another but the receiving network cannot talk back.

ACL Rules

Along with VLAN segmentation comes access control list (ACL) rules. ACLs are a list of rules that determine what resources each user can access. Additionally, each ACL has one or more access control entities (ACE) that consist of a name of a user or group- think of a security guard that allows people to come in and out of a VIP room.

Having ACLs provide simplified user identification, performance advantages, and more granular control over traffic.

Why does building a secure network matter?

Building a secure network prevents a user from gaining access to information. Utilizing VLAN segmentation helps contain an attacker preventing them from spreading to different networks amongst your sever.

In a  Q3 2019 report, the average time a ransomware incident lasts is about 12.1 days with the average ransom around $41,198- a 13.1% increase from Q2 of 2019.

Ultimately, building a secure network is the best line of defense for protecting your company and its virtual assets. Cyber-attacks will continue to grow as time moves forward and technology advances. Having a secure network not only protects, it also ensures that your company's daily operations run seamlessly saving you both time and money.