A comprehensive introduction to cybersecurity concepts and practices, with expert coverage of essential topics required for entry-level cybersecurity certifications. Learn security and surveillance fundamentals, how to secure and protect remote access, how to identify threats and form an effective defense. 

Cybersecurity Essentials

Preface

The following challenges will provide contextual reference points for the concepts you will learn in Part I. Because you have not yet read the chapters in Part I, the challenges in this chapter are designed to introduce you to the infrastructure security scenarios you’ll face in the real world. In this chapter, you’ll learn to:

Infrastructure Security in the Real World

If you skipped reading the “Introduction,” you might wonder why there’s an entire Part I devoted to infrastructure security. However, as the “Introduction” pointed out, without physical security there is no security. Infrastructure security operation and management is based on three basic types of subsystems: access-control and monitoring systems (covered in this chapter), video surveillance systems (covered in Chapter 3), and intrusion-detection and reporting systems (covered Chapter 4). In this chapter, you’ll learn to:

Understanding Access-Control and Monitoring Systems

Video surveillance systems—the second of the three basic types of subsystems introduced in Chapter 2—are important elements of most commercial security systems. Many organizations include visible cameras in their infrastructure security systems to inhibit unlawful activity and to record events that occur at the perimeter or key interior levels. In this chapter, you’ll learn to:

Understanding Video Surveillance Systems

While preventing unauthorized access is the first line of defense in physical security, layers of additional security measures are crucial to preventing intrusions from escalating into serious events. A closely related second tier of defense is intrusion detection, which enables potential intruders to be detected and removed before they can cause problems. This level of security involves detection devices that are monitored or that can create an alarm. In this chapter, you’ll learn to:

Understanding Intrusion-Detection and Reporting Systems

Review the following summary points before proceeding to the “Review Questions” and “Exam Questions” sections at the end of this chapter to make sure you are comfortable with each concept. After completing the review, answer the review questions to verify your knowledge of the material covered in Part I.

Infrastructure Security: Review Questions and Hands-On Exercises

The following challenges provide contextual reference points for the concepts you will learn in Part II. Because you have not yet read the chapters in Part II, the challenges in this chapter are designed to introduce you to the local host scenarios you’ll face in the real world.

Local Host Security in the Real World

Based on the scenarios in Chapter 6, you can see that protecting standalone Information Technology (IT) assets offers many challenges. Local host (Computing and Intelligent Control Device) security is implemented on multiple levels that include physical denial of use, limited access to system resources, and active protection against individuals and software intent on corrupting or stealing data. In this chapter, you’ll learn to:

Securing Devices

In general, after you get past the outer perimeter defenses, you can think of the inner perimeter as part of the three-level structure illustrated in Figure 8.1. Consider this perimeter as consisting of the operating system and its application programs that form the gateway to the data stored in the interior zone (folders and files).

Protecting the Inner Perimeter

As you learned earlier in Part II, computers do not have to be connected to other computers to be at risk. Although many computers might not be part of a corporate network, almost all modern personal computers at least occasionally get attached to the largest data network in the world: the Internet. As such, these standalone computing and control devices are exposed to corruption and exploitation from remote sources.

Protecting Remote Access

Review the following summary points before proceeding to the “Review Questions” and “Exam Questions” sections at the end of this chapter to make sure you are comfortable with each concept. After completing the review, answer the review questions to verify your knowledge of the material covered in Part II.

Local Host Security: Review Questions and Hands-On Exercises

The following challenges provide you with contextual reference points for the concepts you will learn in Part III. Because you have not yet read the chapters in Part III, the challenges in this chapter are designed to introduce you to the local host scenarios you’ll face in the real world. In this chapter, you’ll learn to:

Securing Local Networks

When only two intelligent devices are connected, simple direct connections can be made using cables, light signals, or radio waves. The interconnected devices only need to speak the same digital language and use an agreed-upon communication control method to manage the flow of information between them. However, when more than two intelligent digital devices are linked together, a network is formed. When a third device is added to the system, additional control methods must be put into place to not only control the conversations between the devices, but to make sure the correct parties on the network receive the information and that information not intended for other parties is kept private. In this chapter, you’ll learn to:

Networking Basics

When more than two computers are involved in the communications pathway, a network is formed and additional controls must be put into place to make certain that information is sent to the correct member of the network. This is in addition to controlling the flow of information on the network connection. These controls are implemented as a set of rules called protocols . In this chapter, you’ll learn to:

Understanding Networking Protocols

Network servers are specialized computers designed to operate efficiently in a multiuser, multiprocessor, multitasking environment. Often they are based on physical configurations that are very different from those of common, consumer computing devices. Typically, they employ multiple processors, use large disk-drive arrays, and are housed in rack mount or pedestal-type cases. These characteristics are critical to providing the expanded computing power needed to support a business network. In this chapter, you’ll learn to:

Understanding Network Servers

All intelligent devices attached to a network must have a network interface adapter capable of physically connecting the device to the network transmission media. These network connectivity devices provide physical connection schemes (such as plugs and jacks) as well as electrical compatibility between the device and the signals traveling across the transmission media (cables or airwaves). The network typically contains other connectivity devices that connect different portions of the network together and perform different network management functions. These connectivity devices are usually switches or routers. In large or complex networks, you might also find devices, called bridges, which are used to interconnect different sections of the network. Although each device provides physical connectivity, each device also features specific methods of operation that make it suitable for use in specific network applications. In some cases, a device with more features might be used to perform the functions of a lower-featured device. In this chapter, you’ll learn to:

Understanding Network Connectivity Devices

Digital data travels from one network device to another across the network communication media. Three general types of transmission media are used to transmit data between networked devices: copper wire, light waves, and wireless radio frequency (RF) signals. In this chapter, you’ll learn to:

Understanding Network Transmission Media Security

Review the following summary points before proceeding to the “Review Questions” and “Exam Questions” sections at the end of this chapter to make sure you are comfortable with every concept. After completing the review, answer the review questions to verify your knowledge of the material covered in Part III.

Local Network Security: Review Questions

The following challenges provide you with contextual reference points for the concepts you will learn in Part IV. Because you have not yet read the chapters in Part IV, the challenges in this chapter are designed to introduce you to the local host scenarios you’ll face in the real world. In this chapter, you’ll learn to:

Perimeter Security in the Real World

At this point in the book, you have learned about security vulnerabilities and solutions at three general levels: Physical Security, Local Host Security, and Local Network Security. These three levels apply to computing devices, network connectivity devices, network servers, and networking media that is controlled by an owner. This chapter is the last general security chapter in this book, and it deals with Internet security. In this chapter, you’ll learn to:

Understanding the Environment

In each of the preceding chapters, security planning was presented as a three-level plan that incorporated different types and levels of security devices, techniques, and policies at each level. Internet security is no different. In this setting, the interior is the local user system or the organization’s local area network. Going forward, we will refer to these structures as private networks . In this chapter, you’ll learn to:

Hiding the Private Network

The second level you need to secure is the inner perimeter, where the private network meets the Internet. What defines a perimeter is the boundary where you have control, versus where you don’t have control. The perimeter is where your private network touches those individuals and companies with which you want to interact. In this chapter, you’ll learn to:

Protecting the Perimeter

As previously discussed, most users and organizations want to use the Internet to interact with different types of people. These interactions can involve activities such as exchanging information through email, social media, FTP transmissions, and other transport mechanisms. They can also involve activities that include sending sensitive personal information, conducting financial activities, or transferring medical information that typically CALLS for heightened security measures. In this chapter, you will learn to:

Protecting Data Moving Through the Internet

Network administrators must be armed with a wide variety of software tools to monitor, diagnose, and control the network around them. In this chapter, you will learn the basic tools of this arsenal. Certain tools are known by slightly different names in different operating systems but essentially accomplish the same tasks. In this chapter, you will learn to:

Tools and Utilities

One of the realities of the modern Internet is that new network vulnerabilities will be discovered almost daily. You can also count on those vulnerabilities being exploited soon after they are discovered. An entire industry is growing and profiting from these discoveries, whether they are used maliciously or used to lead to the prevention of future exploitation. In this chapter, you will learn to:

Identifying and Defending Against Vulnerabilities

Review the summary points before proceeding to the “Review Questions” and “Exam Questions” sections to make sure you are comfortable with each point. After completing the review, answer the review questions that follow to verify your knowledge of the material covered in this chapter.

Community Questions