Network Security Tools: Useful and Dangerous
There are lots and lots of programs written to protect networks from data theft and malicious intrusion. Some are extremely expensive technology solutions and some are available absolutely free. Network administrators have many choices and often use several different network security tools to accomplish their mission of keeping data safe.
Most of these tools focus on encoding the data for transmission throughout the network and monitoring for intrusive activity. On the seamier side though, there is quite a bit of software written that can actually be used by intruders to get into networks. Some other useful tools in the network security arsenal make quick work of recovering passwords and finding lost data. Again, these can be used for the wrong intent but are valuable and necessary for a smooth running network.
Testing, testing
Before you get too upset, it important to remember that these programs can serve a useful purpose. System administrators can make use of them to test for vulnerabilities in their networks. To date, the best network security tools can be put to no better test of its effectiveness except by deliberately trying to override and circumvent the programs used for securing data.
In fact, some of the brightest minds in the computer world come from the dark side of network hacking and code cracking. These individuals may be on the programming end of things or may be one of the intruders. It is ironic but when some of these ambitious souls are caught they are sometimes put to work as penitence to expose network weaknesses.
How much?
In the free realm of network security tools there are programs often very good and useful that are free for use as “open source” software. These types of programs, while the price is right, are not for everyone. They often require a great deal of computer savvy to operate. As network security tools though many can aid a system administrator in an industry task called “sniffing” which is constant monitoring of the network for intruders.
Hackers also use sniffing software to look for holes in the system in which to enter the network. Other network security tools look for anomalies that may indicate someone is trying to get into the network. These monitoring software look for impostors in disguise as legitimate members of the network or people attempting to be invisible or intruders piggybacking on another computer’s network access. While these are clever schemes to get around network security measures, they are detectable with the right network security tools.
A Watchful Eye
Data is transferred within a network using a lofty term called packets. The packets are like ordering merchandise and having it delivered in separate boxes to be reassembled at its destination. Most network security tools revolve around the careful watch over the data packets because this is where the data resides within the packets when it is most vulnerable to interception. The processes of splitting up the data into packets for transmission and reassembling it upon its arrival is called the protocol.
There are different protocols and with patience a data thief can read the protocols unravel the packets and retrieve the data. Network activities that are making attempts to break the protocols are detectable. A system administrator can monitor this continuously with network security tools.
What most people who entrust their data to networks don’t know is that many of the network security tools are also dangerous tools if turned against a network with malicious intent. It is paradoxical that we have to think like hackers to outsmart them, but it is how network security tools work best. Since there does seem to be that shady potential to it all, the fact is not well publicized. It is, however, in your best interest.