Network infrastructure security is a structured system aimed at safeguarding and defending the components, systems, and devices of a network. This involves the establishment of protocols, processes, and technological measures to safeguard the privacy, consistency, and accessibility of information and assets within the network infrastructure. 

The role of network infrastructure security is to safeguard the network against unauthorized access, attacks, and other security threats, thereby maintaining the overall security posture of the organization.

Explore other topics to gain more insights into the world of network infrastructure security:

  1. Differences between Network Infrastructure Security & Infrastructure Security
  2. Benefits of Network Infrastructure Security
  3. Types of Network Infrastructure Security
  4. Role of Zero-Trust Security in Network Infrastructure Security
  5. Guidelines for Robust Network Infrastructure Security
  6. Advance2000 Solutions for Network Infrastructure Security

Difference between network infrastructure security and infrastructure security

Both network infrastructure security and infrastructure security are related but two distinct concepts in the field of cybersecurity. See how:

Network infrastructure security focuses specifically on protecting the network components and devices that facilitate communication and data transfer within an organization or between different entities. This includes routers, switches, firewalls, access points, and other network equipment. 

Network infrastructure security aims to prevent unauthorized access, data breaches, and disruptions to the network. It involves implementing security measures such as strong access controls, encryption, intrusion detection systems, and regular monitoring of network traffic.

Infrastructure security, on the other hand, has a broader scope and encompasses the protection of the entire IT infrastructure of an organization. It includes not only the network components but also the physical assets, systems, applications, databases, and other elements that support the organization’s operations. 

Infrastructure security focuses on safeguarding the availability, integrity, and confidentiality of the entire IT infrastructure. This involves implementing security controls at multiple layers, including physical security measures, access controls, vulnerability management, incident response procedures, and security awareness training for employees.

 

What are the benefits of network infrastructure security?

In this ever-evolving cybersecurity field, infrastructure security provides several essential benefits for maintaining the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of IT systems and data. Here are some key advantages of network infrastructure security:

  • Protection against cybercrime: Network infrastructure security plays a big role in reducing the attack surface area and mitigating security threats, including spam, phishing, viruses, distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, and other malicious activities. 
  • Data integrity and confidentiality: Network infrastructure security protocols ensure that data transmitted over the network remains secure, confidential, and inaccessible to unauthorized parties. 
  • Reduced IT costs: Reducing business risk helps reduce costs and improve productivity and profitability. Maximizing staff productivity and eliminating shadow IT, drives quality and profitability.
  • Availability and uptime: Infrastructure security helps ensure the continuous availability of networks, minimizing downtime and maintaining business continuity while mitigating disruptions brought on by natural disasters, network attacks, and hardware failures.
  • Respect for laws and standards: Many sectors have laws and standards that are specific to data security and privacy, such as GDPR, PCI DSS, or HIPAA. Network infrastructure security helps meet this compliance and avoids legal and financial penalties.
  • Business productivity, collaboration, and trust: Building a secure network infrastructure fosters trust between users, clients, and stakeholders, enhancing business productivity, collaboration, and trust through the reduction of disruptions, facilitating secure remote access for employees, and enabling dependable communication and collaboration.
  • Enhanced network performance: By implementing security measures like traffic analysis, bandwidth management, and Quality of Service (QoS) controls, network performance can be optimized, and the effective utilization of network resources can be ensured.

Types of network infrastructure security

There are various types of network infrastructure security protocols or measures that organizations employ to safeguard their networks. Here are some common types:

  1. Firewalls: are network security tools that filter traffic in accordance with pre-established security rules. In order to prevent unauthorized access and defend against malicious activities, they serve as a barrier between internal and external networks, watching and regulating both incoming and outgoing traffic.
  2. Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) and Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS): are security systems that monitor network traffic for suspicious or malicious activity. IDS identifies potential security breaches, while IPS goes a step further by actively preventing those threats from reaching their targets.
  3. Virtual Private Networks (VPNs): VPNs provide secure remote access to a network by establishing an encrypted tunnel between a user’s device and the network. This ensures that data transmitted over the network remains protected from interception or eavesdropping.
  4. Network Segmentation: Network segmentation help by isolating network segments and controlling the flow of traffic between them, organizations can contain potential security breaches and limit the impact of a network compromise.
  5. Network Access Control (NAC): NAC solutions enforce policies to ensure that only authorized devices and users can connect to the network. This involves authentication, authorization, and enforcement mechanisms to verify the identity and security posture of devices and users before granting access.
  6. Secure Sockets Layer/Transport Layer Security (SSL/TLS): SSL/TLS protocols provide secure communication over a network, typically used for securing web-based applications. They encrypt data transmissions, preventing unauthorized interception or tampering.
  7. Network Monitoring and Logging: Monitoring and logging tools track network activity, collect data, and generate logs for analysis. They help identify and respond to security incidents, track suspicious behavior, and maintain an audit trail for compliance purposes.
  8. Network Hardening: Network hardening involves configuring network devices, operating systems, and applications to reduce vulnerabilities and limit potential attack surfaces. This includes disabling unnecessary services, applying security patches, using strong authentication mechanisms, and implementing secure configurations.
  9. Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) Mitigation: DDoS attacks aim to overwhelm network resources and disrupt service availability. DDoS mitigation solutions help detect and mitigate these attacks, using techniques like traffic filtering, rate limiting, and diverting traffic to absorb the excess load.
  10. Vulnerability Management: Vulnerability management encompasses the processes and tools used to identify, assess, prioritize, and remediate security vulnerabilities in network infrastructure components. This involves regular scanning, patching, and updating of network devices and software to address known vulnerabilities.

Network infrastructure security works by implementing a layered defense strategy, regularly updating security controls, conducting vulnerability assessments and penetration testing, and staying informed about emerging threats.

What is the role of Zero-Trust security in network infrastructure security?

The zero-trust security model plays a big role in network infrastructure security. Zero Trust approach to network infrastructure security shifts from traditional perimeter-based security models to a more granular and dynamic security approach. The Zero Trust model assumes that no user or device should be trusted by default, even if they are inside the network perimeter.

Learn more about Zero-trust and how to implement the basics.

Guidelines on network infrastructure security

Last year, the National Security Agency (NSA) introduced the Network Infrastructure Security Guide as a set of guidelines for enhancing network security. These guidelines provide recommendations for the design and configuration of network infrastructure. The NSA advises following security best practices and adopting Zero Trust principles for both network perimeter and internal devices. The key recommendations include:

  1. Install perimeter and internal defense devices
  2. Group similar network systems
  3. Remove backdoor connections
  4. Utilize strict perimeter access controls.
  5. Implement a network access control (NAC) solution.
  6. Limit virtual private networks (VPN)

To delve deeper into these recommendations, you can refer to the Network Infrastructure Security Guide: Network Infrastructure Security Guide

Advance2000 solutions for network infrastructure security

As many organizations tie business processes to the Internet, security threats become more sophisticated and businesses need to be proactive in their security efforts. We develop a security strategy to prevent threats, mitigate risks and capitalize on new technologies to promote productivity. Advance2000 Security services will provide the best protection and understand that data is your company’s greatest asset.

Advance2000’s private cloud compute solutions enhances network infrastructure security by providing dedicated and isolated infrastructure, allowing clients to maintain strict control over their data and implement customized security policies tailored to their specific needs.

To find an IT partner that can assist in implementing all these preventative security measures for your network infrastructure and other security needs, contact Advance2000 today and ensure a robust and secure infrastructure!

Identify risks and opportunities and create a technology roadmap that mitigates vulnerabilities by leveraging our extensive expertise in IT Risk Assessment and Strategy and Cybersecurity Risk Assessment.