How do you add security to network design?

1 Identify threats

The first step to add security to your network design is to identify the possible threats that could compromise your network's confidentiality, integrity, and availability. These threats could come from external sources, such as hackers, malware, or denial-of-service attacks, or from internal sources, such as disgruntled employees, human errors, or misconfigured devices. You should conduct a risk assessment to determine the likelihood and impact of each threat, and prioritize the most critical ones.

2 Apply policies

The second step to add security to your network design is to apply policies that define the rules and standards for accessing and using the network resources. These policies should align with your business objectives, regulatory requirements, and best practices. Some examples of policies are authentication, authorization, accounting, password, encryption, backup, and incident response. You should document and communicate these policies to all the network stakeholders, and enforce them with appropriate tools and mechanisms.

3 Implement encryption

The third step to add security to your network design is to implement encryption, which is the process of transforming data into an unreadable form that can only be deciphered by authorized parties. Encryption helps to protect the data from eavesdropping, tampering, or theft, both in transit and at rest. You should use strong encryption algorithms and keys, and apply them to different layers of your network, such as data, application, transport, and link.

4 Use firewalls

The fourth step to add security to your network design is to use firewalls, which are devices or software that filter and control the traffic that enters and leaves your network. Firewalls help to prevent unauthorized or malicious access, and block or allow traffic based on predefined rules or policies. You should use firewalls at different points of your network, such as the perimeter, the internal segments, and the hosts, and configure them according to your network topology and security needs.

5 Monitor and audit

The fifth step to add security to your network design is to monitor and audit your network performance and activity, and detect and respond to any anomalies or incidents. Monitoring and auditing help to measure the effectiveness of your security measures, identify any weaknesses or gaps, and improve your security posture over time. You should use various tools and techniques to monitor and audit your network, such as logs, alerts, reports, dashboards, probes, scanners, and analyzers.

6 Update and patch

The sixth and final step to add security to your network design is to update and patch your network devices and software regularly, and keep them up to date with the latest security features and fixes. Updating and patching help to prevent or mitigate any vulnerabilities or exploits that could compromise your network security, and enhance your network functionality and performance. You should follow a systematic and consistent process to update and patch your network, and test and verify the changes before deploying them.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?