NETWORK SECURITY- TERMINOLOGY
Tags: siem, security, networks
Published: 2020-07-02 11:09:06

### Topics covered
          Security Terminology
          Types of hacker
          Approaches to Network Security
          Threat Classification
### Security Terminology

Below are some common network security terminology used by security professionals:

1. **Firewall**: It is a barrier between a network and the outer world. Sometimes, it acts as a firewall, standalone server, or a router.
2. **Proxy server**: Proxy server hides your internal network IP address and presents its own IP address to the outside world. Proxy server and firewall work in conjunction.
3. **Access Control**: It refers to the measures taken to limit access to a resource. For example, logon procedure, encryption, or any method to prevent unauthorized access.
4. **Authentication**: It is a method of verifying a authentic user. For example, entering the credentials, or two-factor authentication.
5. **Non-repudiation**: It is a method to track actions taken by a user. It ensures a person cannot deny an action performed on a computer. One of the methods is *auditing*.*Auditing* is the process of reviewing logs, records, and procedures. It is performed by an auditor.
6. **Least privilege**: It means you are assigning enough privilege to any user or device, just to get the job done.
7. **CIA Triad**: CIA Triad refers to Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability. The security measures need to abide by these aspects. Such as, a strong password protects the confidentiality, digital signature ensures integrity, and a backup system increases availability.

### Types of hacker

Based on the level of the exploitation of a system, hacker groups are divided into three types:

1. **White hat hacker**: If a hacker upon finding the vulnerability, reports it to the vendor anonymously, explaining what the flaw is and how it was exploited, they are White hat hacker.
2. **Black hat hacker**: If a hacker gains access to a system with a goal to harm it, they are categorized as the Balck hat hacker.
3. **Grey hat hacker**: A grey hat hacker abides by the law but conducts illegal activities because they find it ethical.

### Approaches to Network Security

An organization can choose several approaches to secure their networks. Three approaches are:

1. **Perimeter Security Approach**: Security efforts are focused on the perimeter of a network including; firewall, proxy server, technology, or procedures. Generally, small organizations that do not store sensitive data and with budget constrain adopt this measure.

2. **Layered Security Approach**: Layerwise or segmentwise security efforts implemented on a network, as if it were a separate network. It is a preferred security approach wherever possible.

3. **Hybrid Security Approach**: The combination of the perimeter to layered security defense with passive to active approaches implemented is a hybrid security approach. 

### Threat Classification
Based on what a threat actually does to your system or network, here are three major classifications:

1. **Malware**: Malware is a type of threat designed to spread on its own, without the creator having to be directly involved. *Computer Virus* is a common example of malware. Analogous to a biological virus, a computer virus replicates and spreads by infecting other programs. Likewise, *Trojan horse* is also a type of malware, that appears benign but secretly downloads other types of malware on your computer. Illegitimate software is prone to a Trojan horse. Furthermore, *Spyware* is also a type of software that spies on your computer by recording all the keystrokes and periodic screenshots.

2. **Intrusion attacks**: Intrusion attacks help to gain access to a system or intrude into a system usually with malicious intent. Hackers generally use the term *cracking* if they are able to intrude in a system via some operating system or any other means. Some of the intrusion attacks are initiated via *social engineering*. The intruder relies more on human nature rather than a technology to gain enough information required to access the targeted system.

3. **Blocking attacks**: This category of attack deals with Denial of Service Attack (DoS).The attacker prevents a legitimate user to access the system by flooding false connection requests.