Welcome to the Networking and Mobile module. The Internet was not built to be what it is today. Back in the day, computers took up whole floors. And were so expensive and huge that only universities, big businesses and the government had them. The Internet was designed to connect large computers to share data. However, it became a platform for exchanging ideas, shopping, collaboration, socializing and more. We started to connect our phones, our cars, even our refrigerators, but the quick growth and integration of new devices came at the cost of security. A network is a group of interconnected devices, people, and places that are capable of sharing information with one another. In your work environment, you use a network to connect to corporate resources, email your colleagues, collaborate on projects and access information on the Web. Devices need to talk to each other to share data and send instructions. These instructions include creating and deleting files, installing software and requesting a username and password to control access. Cyber criminals have found many ways to manipulate this communication in order to steal data, take over devices, or deceive users. Vulnerabilities such as these will never completely go away, as they are a byproduct of how we use the Internet. Every year, billions of personal records are at risk due to major security breaches to organizations worldwide. We will discuss how networking works and how we can be more vigilant with the safety of our data. Listed are some basic networking terms. The Internet is a global computer network providing information and communication services. It consists of many interconnected networks. An IP address is a string of numbers that identifies a device on the Internet and allows devices to communicate with one another. Wi-Fi allows devices to connect to the Internet wirelessly within a particular area. A domain is a portion of a network that shares a common naming suffix and is typically controlled by a single organization or individual. An example of a domain is isc2.org. The domain name system or DNS, is what converts a domain URL such as www.isc2.org into its Internet numerical IP address so your computer can find it. An Intranet is a private network that is only accessible internally. It is not available to anyone outside of the company. An Extranet is an Internet that can be partly accessed by authorized external users. It enables businesses to exchange information over the Internet securely. The Cloud is a general term referring to the delivery of hosted services over the Internet. Organizations use the Cloud to offer services without having to build and maintain systems themselves. Voice Over IP or VOIP converts your voice into a digital signal that is sent over the Internet instead of a regular phone line. A firewall is a device that monitors network traffic and decides whether to allow or block specific traffic based on organizationally defined rules. A Virtual Private Network or VPN is a trusted connection which uses encryption to allow communication over a less secure network such as the Internet. There are many types of networks you connect to at home, work, or your favorite café. Networks are categorized by their scope and size. For example, you connect to a cellular network when using your cell phone. The most common types of networks have acronym names, and sometimes look like a group of letters you might seeing floating in alphabet soup. A LAN, or local area network, connects network devices in close proximity. A networked home usually contains a single network or LAN. Your home likely has all your computing and smart devices connected to the same LAN. Your office building may consist of one or more LANs, perhaps one per department. And occasionally a LAN will span a group of nearby buildings. LANs are also typically owned, controlled, and managed by a single person or organization. A VLAN is a Virtual LAN. Using VLAN, an organization can create new segmented LANs without the need for additional equipment. VLANs are typically used when there's a need to separate different networks that have different security requirements. For example, an organization may have stricter controls for their finance staff, than they do for their sales staff. A WLAN is a wireless LAN for two or more devices which uses high frequency radio waves. In your home, your Wi-Fi is an extension of your internal LAN. A WAN, or a wide area network, is a network that spans a large geographic area, such as cities, states, or countries. They can be privately owned so that businesses can connect their offices together, or they can be public such as the Internet to connect smaller networks together. The Internet, which is the world's largest connection of networks, is the most straightforward example of a WAN. This public WAN connects people all over the world to networks large and small. Most WANs, like the web, are not owned by any one group but rather exist under public ownership and are open to anyone. A cellular WAN or a wireless WAN, abbreviated as WWAN, is a form of wireless network. WWANs are offered by wireless service providers using technologies such as 4G, 5G, LTE or GSM. These technologies are delivered over a large area nationwide or even globally. In your home, you likely have one internal network, LAN, that connects to the internet. WAN through a device that was installed by your Internet service provider or ISP. The ISP provides a WAN IP address that all of your computers and devices can use to connect to the Internet. All computers on a home or work network LAN, can communicate directly with devices on the same network. But must go through a central network device, or gateway, to reach the Internet. Wired networks are inherently more secure than wireless networks. However, wireless networks can be just as secure if configured properly. You should secure a wireless network because it uses radio transmissions to carry data to the network. It is easy for someone to sit right outside an office building or in a lobby, and eavesdrop on wireless network communications. This does not happen on a wired network, because the eavesdropper would need to physically plug into the network to gain access. Your IT or security team likely has controls on your corporate devices and can monitor what happens on them. The same is true for your organization's networks, particularly to prevent unauthorized access. However, all it takes is one infected rogue device, that is a device not issued by your organization, to be placed on the corporate network to circumvent all those protections. This could be a cellphone, personal laptop or any other personal smart device. Rogue devices present a serious risk to the organization. If an infected device is placed on the network, the malware could affect everything on the network. Staff may even do this unknowingly by connecting their phone to a corporate device to charge or by simply connecting a fitness tracker to sync. Even when connecting wirelessly, rogue devices can do harm. If the device that is connected is not properly configured, it could allow someone to gain a foothold inside the network. Wi-Fi networks have proven to be risky due to how they work and the number of people who can easily connect to them. Let's discuss some ways to protect yourself. Verify the authenticity of your connection before you connect to a public Wi-Fi network. Secure Wi-Fi networks will require a password and will use WPA or WPA2. Insecure networks will be open and/or use WEP encryption and by connecting, you may be putting yourself at risk. Disable Wi-Fi or Bluetooth if you're not using it. Turn off any file sharing features when connected to a public Wi-Fi, or else cyber criminals can easily access sensitive information stored on your device. Do not check sensitive accounts, such as email, social media, or bank accounts, when using open Wi-Fi. Only access them using a network that you trust. Delete common Wi-Fi names such as those from your local coffee shop. Often hackers will broadcast Wi-Fi networks with the same name, so that your device will automatically connect. If you find yourself traveling frequently, request a mobile hotspot from your cellular service provider as this is more secure than connecting to open wireless networks. Most smart phones allow Internet connection sharing or tethering. Tethering allows you to share your phone's cellular Internet connection with your other devices. A cellular network operates very differently than a Wi-Fi network and is a lot safer than public Wi-Fi. Due to advances in networking and mobile technology, it is now feasible for an organization to use remote workers on a global scale. This saves the company or organization the cost of having to maintain a physical location. However, it also presents many new security challenges. The old approach to network security was like medieval times. Simply dig a moat around the castle and raise the drawbridge. The castle in this example would be the physical location of the company and the moat would be its security perimeter. With a mobile workforce, it's nearly impossible to dig a moat because employees are not in the same physical location. Security teams must, therefore, use technology and work policies to accomplish their goals despite these added challenges. As the technology continues to change, it is up to you to use sound security practices to protect organizational data and devices, no matter where you are located.
