How to secure network infrastructure ?
Network Infrastructure Security
What is Network Infrastructure Security?
Network infrastructure security, commonly applied to enterprise IT environments, is the process of safeguarding the core network infrastructure through the implementation of preventive measures to deny unauthorized access and prevent modification, deletion, and theft of resources and data. Security measures may include access control, application security, firewalls, Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), behavioral analytics, intrusion prevention systems, and wireless security.
How Network Infrastructure Security Works?
Securing network infrastructure requires a comprehensive approach to continuous operations and practices to ensure the ongoing protection of the core infrastructure. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) recommends considering multiple methods when addressing implementation approaches.
Network Segmentation and Isolation:
Special attention should be given to comprehensive i nfrastructure planning. Appropriate segmentation and isolation are effective security mechanisms to limit potential exploits from spreading to other parts of the internal network. Using devices such as routers to separate networks and create boundaries that filter broadcast traffic can restrict or even shut down these segments when attacks are detected.
Limiting Unnecessary Lateral Communications:
Peer-to-peer communications within the network should not be overlooked. Unfiltered communication between peers allows intruders to move freely from one computer to another. This provides attackers with the opportunity to establish persistence in the targeted network by embedding backdoors or installing applications.
Robust Network Devices:
Strengthening network devices is a fundamental way to enhance network infrastructure security. Adhering to industry standards and best practices related to network encryption, available services, access security, strong passwords, router protection, physical access restriction, backup configuration copies, and regular security settings testing is highly recommended.
Secure Access to Infrastructure:
Administrative privileges are granted to trusted users to allow access to resources. Ensuring user credibility is achieved through implementing Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), privileged access management, and managing administrative credential data.
Out-of-Band Network Management (OoB):
Out-of-Band (OoB) management implements dedicated communication paths for remotely managing network devices. This strengthens network security by separating user traffic from management traffic.
Hardware and Software Integrity Verification:
Grey-market IT infrastructure products pose a threat by allowing attackers to exploit network vulnerabilities. Illegitimate products may come pre-loaded with malware waiting to infiltrate a secure network. Organizations should regularly conduct integrity checks on their devices and software.
Why Network Infrastructure Security is Crucial?
The most significant threat to network infrastructure security comes from infiltrators and malicious applications attempting to compromise and control the routing infrastructure. Network infrastructure components include all devices necessary for network communication, such as routers, firewalls, switches, keys, servers, load balancers, Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS), Domain Name System (DNS), and storage systems. Each of these systems provides an entry point for infiltrators seeking to deploy malware on targeted networks.
- Gateway Risks: Hackers gaining access to gateway routers can monitor, modify, and deny traffic entering and leaving the network.
- Infiltration Risks: To gain more control from internal routing and switching devices, an infiltrator can monitor, modify, and deny traffic between main hosts within the network. They can exploit trusted relationships between internal hosts to laterally move to other hosts.
Despite numerous malicious attacks possible by infiltrators on the network, securing the routing infrastructure and defending it should be of utmost importance in preventing deep system infiltration.
Benefits of Network Infrastructure Security
Ensuring a well-implemented network infrastructure security provides numerous key advantages for business networks.
- Improved Resource Sharing Reduces Costs: Enhancing resource sharing allows the utilization of network resources by multiple users without threat, ultimately reducing operational costs.
- Shared Site Licenses: Security ensures that site licenses are more cost-effective than licensing each individual device separately.
- Secure File Sharing Enhances Productivity: Users can securely share files over the internal network, contributing to increased productivity.
- Secure Internal Communications: Email and internal chat systems are protected from prying eyes, ensuring secure internal communication.
- File Partitioning and Security: User files and data are now protected from each other, compared to using devices shared by multiple users.
- Data Protection: Local server data backups are simple, secure, and safeguard vital intellectual property.
Different Types of Network Infrastructure Security
There is a diverse range of methods for network infrastructure security, and employing multiple approaches is advisable to enhance network defense.
1. Access Control: Prevent unauthorized users and devices from accessing the network.
2. Application Security: Implement security measures on devices and software to secure potential vulnerabilities.
3. Firewalls: Gateway protection devices that can allow or block specific traffic from entering or leaving the network.
4. Virtual Private Networks (VPN): VPNs encrypt communications between endpoints, creating a secure "tunnel" for internet communications.
5. Behavioral Analytics: Automatically detect network activity deviating from normal patterns.
6. Wireless Security: Wireless networks are less secure than wired ones, and with the proliferation of new mobile devices and applications, there are increasing vectors for network penetration.
What are the main challenges surrounding network infrastructure?
Some of the top three challenges for network infrastructure are:
1. Traffic Centralization:
Within an organization, there are often multiple subnetworks and different locations or sites. Without a central hub, the visibility, monitoring, and management of the network can become nearly impossible. Many companies utilize network infrastructure solutions to centralize traffic flow, better understanding and monitoring the data passing through their networks. This works to enhance their security posture and assists network operations teams in addressing performance issues.
2. Handling Duplicate Data:
In some cases, duplicate data can account for 50 – 66% of network traffic. Removing duplicate data is critically important, especially concerning the effectiveness of network security solutions. If security solutions receive a significant amount of duplicate data, their ability to detect threats may slow down, and their effectiveness could be compromised.
3. Sending the Right Data to the Right Tool:
Many organizations use various cybersecurity tools and providers. Often, many security service providers charge fees based on the amount of data they need to process. Thus, sending the correct type of data to the appropriate tool is a crucial aspect of network infrastructure. Sending data from various different sources to the same tool may be inefficient and costly.
