Data Security Over Computer Networks
When designing a network, data security must be included in the design plan because protecting data while it is transmitted is very important especially if is is sensitive data. Additionally, authenticating users when trying to open protexted pages is also very important to avoid storing data. Finally receiver must assure that the data is received as transmitted. The previous points are explained below separately.
When transmitting data across a network, many attackers exist that can intercept the data and read it. The data are transmitted in the form of binary signals. Any one having a detector can read this pulses on the line. The data transmitted can be very sensitive especially in military applications.
The solution to the above problem is to scramble the data before transmitting them according to some rules. On the receiver, these rules must be known in order to extract the original data from the scrambled data. This process of scrambling is called encryption. Encrypting data involves replacing each block of data with different block or shifting a block to the place of another block.
Another issue for network security is user authentication. When some one opens a protected page on a site or download a protected file, he must provide the server first with the username and password. This is done to know that the person who attempting to open the page or download the file is a known person who is allowed to do so. This process is called authentication. Generally, authentication involves matching the user credentials with a set of credentials stored on the server.
The last issue concerned with data security over a computer network is integrity. Integrity involves assuring that data is received as transmitted without being altered. This is because that an attacker can intercept the data, modify it and re-transmit it. This will deceive the receiver because he receives the wrong data. To avoid this attack, a signature must be inserted along with the data before transmission. The signature is function of the bits forming the data. At the receiver, this signature is calculated and if it is the same, the data is received as transmitted.
Youssef Edward is an electrical engineer and he is the owner of tips-made-easy.info site
Learn much more about network security below.
Network Security Basics [http://tips-made-easy.info/computer/tips10/The_Basics_of_Computer_Network_Security.html]
Improve Network Security [http://tips-made-easy.info/computer/tips36/How_to_Improve_Network_Security.html]
Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Youssef_Edward/284358
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/4529161