Jamie

A username is assigned by the network administrator to all authorised users of the network. The username usually is identifiable as belonging to a particular person and can be easily remembered. Usernames are uniquely assigned to users. Passwords are set by the user and should be known only to that user. To maintain high levels of security, user passwords should: - Be at least eight digits long - Include non-alphabetical characters - Not be easily guessed - Be changed every month Some network policies force passwords to be changed on a regular basis, and do not allow passwords to be repeated.

A firewall is a server and software combination that filters the information coming through an Internet connection into an organisation’s internal network. Any packet of data that is flagged by the filters as unwanted is not allowed through. The filters used by a firewall include examining the IP address of computers that request information from an internal server, blocking all access to certain domain names, banning certain protocols from accessing particular servers, and certain words and phrases included in packets of information. A firewall can also be used to restrict employee’s access to sensitive information. For example, a firewall can be used to stop some personnel from accessing the payroll database. Most firewalls use two separate NICs; one is connected to the internal network and the other to the outside world. Material can only move from one card to the other though the CPU of the server computer that is acting as the firewall. While the data or information us being checked for authenticity, it is also examined for viruses and other malicious codes. If it was not specifically requested by someone from inside the network, it is immediately considered dangerous. In an organisation that relies on computers and on the internal networks running, it is bad practise to allow material in that could, potentially, prevent the network from working or allow hostile outsiders to steal data.

Malware refers to malicious software and includes spyware, adware, Trojan Horses, worms and viruses. Spyware and adware use cookies to track the Internet sites that a user might visit. Trojan Horses can leave your computer open to others to read your personal information by creating backdoor access to your system. Viruses and worms can hijack your system to send multiple emails to others or perform other acts of mischief. Both can use up essential system resources, which may result in the computer freezing. Network administrator usually requires workstations to run virus protection software. The anti-virus software is often updated automatically via the network. A firewall is also useful to block malware from sending personal information over the internet. Anti-adware programs should also be run on workstation.

Encryption is the process of translating data into a secret code that can only be read by authorised users. To read an encrypted file, you must have access to a secret key that you use to decrypt the data. Important data such as credit card details, bank records and medical information should always be stored in encrypted format to protect it from hackers. Wi-Fi protected access (WPA or WPA2) is a security protocol for use by wireless LANs. It provides security by encrypting data sent over radio waves so that it is protected during transmission from the sending device to the receiving device. WPA is designed to provide the same level of security to wireless environments as that of a wired network.