Network security is not a joke, Jim

Hardcore Office fans will recall the classic Dwight Schrute’s line: identity theft is not a joke, Jim. Originally, Dwight referred to the crime of masquerading as another person. You must know it: millions of families suffer every year. So, Savannah, why are you butchering the timeless phrase? Because I think Dwight would agree with me: network security is not a joke. Imagine the proud Schrute setting up his router: it would probably have an anti-theft alarm set, so nobody touches his “precious.” He would install and perfect firewalls, change passwords regularly, enable encryption, and, probably, place the entire router in a cage.

Of course, Dwight might not be the role model you aspire to be. But his detailed-oriented attitude and passion for all-things-secure are admirable and somewhat inspiring. From a realistic perspective, network security is boring, like that philosophy class you took for extra college credits. However, differently than other tedious classes, network security is something that you will use when you grow up. No confusing trigonometry here. Little did you know, but network security is highly relevant to any online citizen. Ignoring this topic could lead to severe repercussions. Hope that’s spooky enough.

Context: current status of network protection

Instead of dragging out cables, it has become more efficient and scalable to use wireless networks. In such cases, fiber optics and wires are replaced with radio frequencies. However, the wireless approach is generally treated as a less secure option. Malevolent forces can intercept it, especially if the network lacks WPA or WPA2 encryption.

Typically, the wireless connection is available within 150–300 feet from the router. So, if you live in a clustered apartment complex, your neighbors are within range to connect it. We all know the classic meme of an annoying neighbor stealing your Wi-Fi. However, the story could turn less pleasant if that neighbor exploits your network to perform illegal activities, spy on your web traffic, or penetrate your device.

Of course, you can spice things up by reinforcing VPNs, access control, firewalls, packet sniffers, email scanners, etc. Even a regularly-updated password will keep people from piggybacking on your network. All of these protective measures are available to you when you revamp your home network. But what about public Wi-Fi? With these networks, you are unaware of the specific security practices used (or if there are any at all). So, while free Wi-Fi hotspots might be around every corner, finding a secure one is challenging. Since mobility is a crucial aspect of our modern lifestyle, free Wi-Fi is bound to be a dangerous temptation.

Why should you care about network security?

Network security is a broad term, encompassing a range of concepts and practices for securing networks. Imagine a medieval setting and a huge castle, guarded by several layers of protection. First, we have a secure gate and tall walls. Then, we have archers and other soldiers raging on the intruders from a distance. If all these fail, the castle might have cannons or other measures to fall back to. In a sense, network security refers to the protective strategies and tools you apply to protect your castle, aka, network.

So, in a very simple sense, network security is a combination of measures applied to protect the incoming and outgoing internet traffic. We attempt to minimize the possibility of unauthorized access, abuse, modifications, or malfunctions. Since there is no button like “please secure my network and block unwanted traffic,” we need to get more creative. So, layering is the preferred option. Instead of relying on one universal cure, we implement several measures as a backup. If one fails, another steps up to the challenge.

Available security measures

• Firewalls. Imagine firewalls as filters that attempt to get rid of any unwanted residue. They guard your network by monitoring incoming and outgoing traffic and evaluating its legitimacy. So, a firewall will deny access to anything suspicious. What classifies as suspicious behavior? The destination and source, IP port numbers, packets in UDP or TCP can all trigger specific red flags. However, firewalls are flexible, meaning that users can classify one or another portion of traffic as unacceptable.
• Divide your network. You can split your network into subnets to implement different security measures and requirements. If one zone gets overwhelmed, malfunctions, or suffers an attack, others will remain untouched.
• Media Access Control. Each device embarking on the online quest operates with a unique MAC address. Networks can be smart enough to accept requests only from specific MAC addresses. However, while it works as an access controller, it is not beneficial in isolation. It means that MAC needs to be one of the protective strategies, but not the sole one. MAC spoofing could allow intruders to masquerade with a different combination, which would trick your network into accepting it.
• Encryption of network data. Snooping on someone’s web traffic is the mirror of the digital soul. You could make it more private by enabling WPA and WPA2. If the WPA3 is available as well, opt for it. Currently, it is the strongest encryption option available. However, ensure that your equipment supports WPA3.
• Updating is key. Access your firmware’s interface by typing in the router’s IP address as an URL in your browser. Patches are crucial at this stage, so the manufacturers release updates, you need to apply them. Some issues are innate, however. According to a study, mostly all popular routers operate with unpatched vulnerabilities. In some cases, vendors neglect to release any patches or updates despite glaring issues in their products. As a result, users might use unsecured routers for years.

Network security is one of the tasks that you should deem as your sole responsibility. With vendors providing insufficient patches and disregarding vulnerabilities, you need to make your efforts count. You don’t need to be tech-savvy to perform any of these. All it takes is a stubborn attitude that refuses to give up regardless of the odds.