Introduction

Security issues are of paramount importance to the network administrator. In the past, networks were lone entities. These lone networks typically ran NetBEUI in small workgroups of fewer than 200 computers and were not connected to any other networks. The major security concerns in an isolated environment typically revolved around employees located at the site. You could focus your security efforts on local access controls, such as locking down diskette drives on employee workstations and checking briefcases and handbags for printed materials.

Today s network is very different from the isolated NetBEUI network. It is likely that your network is connected to other networks via dedicated leased lines, the Internet, or your organizational remote access server.

Each of these points of access represents an ever-increasing security risk. Previously, electronic documents had to be copied to a diskette or printed in order to leave your premises; now it is as easy as sending an e-mail attachment over the Internet. Your organization s prized database can just as easily be posted to electronic newsgroups. Hackers can snoop the network and gain usernames and passwords that allow them to bypass normal access controls. Innocent experimentation by fledging systems engineers and power users can corrupt or destroy data just as effectively as the actions of the most malignant hackers.

Effective network security standards are the sum total of a well-planned and carefully implemented security infrastructure. These measures include hardware security, file and folder access controls, strong passwords, smart cards, social security, physical sequestration of servers,...