Lesson 1

Network Security and Firewalls Fundamentals is a course designed to teach you how to secure your network from unauthorized activity. By the end of this course, you will be familiar with the processes and technologies used to establish security when connecting your organization to the Internet. You will explore methods of controlling user and hacker access, and of responding to events and minimizing damage when someone circumvents those controls. You will learn about authentication procedures, encryption standards and implementations, as well as direct and indirect ways to protect the ports of your network. You will understand how firewalls and other elements are used for perimeter security. In addition, you will learn how to respond to and report hacker activity and engage in proactive detection.

It is important that the admin that implements network security is familiar with the fundamental tenets of information system security, particularly the concepts of confidentiality, integrity, and availability. These topics are explained in detail in this module and then related to threats, vulnerabilities, and possible impacts of threats realized. After covering these basic topics, the formal processes of systems engineering (SE), information systems security engineering (ISSE), the systems development life cycle (SDLC), and the relationship of network security to the SDLC are explained. These subject areas provide you with an excellent understanding of applying standard rules to incorporate information system security into system development activities. These skills are particularly valuable to individuals working in large companies that need the discipline provided by these methods and to government organizations required to apply formal information security approaches in their everyday operations.

After completing the course, you will be able to

1. Define security and understand security statistics
2. List the attributes of an effective security system and create a security policy
3. Use authentication techniques and access control to secure your network
4. Define encryption and encryption types and uses
5. Describe the requirements for administering and auditing a secure network
6. Describe how network security is affected at the TCP/IP levels
7. Describe the means used to secure protocol layers
8. Apply security principles to secure servers, applications, and gateways
9. Describe the elements involved in the use of firewalls
10. Describe firewall strategies, goals, and designs
11. Plan for proactive detection of and appropriate responses to a security breach