Defenses

Defenses

Physical Security - servers must be kept in a secure, limited access, controlled and monitored environment.
Authentication - determining whether something or someone is who or what it is declared to be. (passwords/PINs/tokens).
Authorization - determining whether something or someone can access an application, device, or file (access control lists).
Encryption - hiding the content by transfering the content into a format that is not readily understood by unauthorized persons.
Intrusion Detection Systems
- Host based - software that monitors a system or log files and responds with an alarm or a countermeasure when authorized access is attempted.
- Network based - software that monitors network traffic and responds when a traffic pattern indicates some form of attack (scanning attempt, DoS) is attempted.
Firewalls - system that enforces access control policy between networks.
Active Content Monitoring / Filtering - tools that examine data entering a computer or network for potentially damaging content.
Certificate Authority - organization that issues and manages security credentials and public keys for message encryption/decryption.
Virtual Private Network (VPN) - allows secure communications over the Internet
Vulnerability Scanners - tools that check the settings of computer/network systems to determine whether they are consistent with security policies.