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Network security is a set of technologies that protects the usability and integrity of a company’s infrastructure by preventing the entry or proliferation within a network of a wide variety of potential threats.
A network security architecture is composed of tools that protect the network itself and the applications that run over it. Effective network security strategies employ multiple lines of defense that are scalable and automated. Each defensive layer enforces a set of security policies determined by the administrator.
Network security starts with access control. If bad actors gain access to a network, they can surveil traffic and map infrastructure. Once they have mapped infrastructure and applications, they can launch a DDoS attack or insert malware. Access control restricts the movement of bad actors throughout the network.
Even with access control in place, problems can arise. For instance, a bad actor may compromise an employee’s credentials to gain entry. Thus the need for threat control, which operates on traffic that is already permitted. Threat control prevents the actions of bad actors from doing damage within the network.