As a network administrator, this chapter will ruin your sleep. It is sobering to
ID: 3691402 • Letter: A
Question
As a network administrator, this chapter will ruin your sleep. It is sobering to know that there are so many weapons aimed at your network, ready to strike at any time. Pretend that you are the IT Director for a network of 5000 computers. MAKE A LIST OF THE FIRST 10 THINGS YOU WOULD DO TO SECURE YOUR VULNERABLE NETWORK AND WHY? Remember that a totally secure network would be each machine disconnected from all others with no way of importing data, like flash drives. Productivity would be at an all time low. Sharing anything would be taboo! In this case, you wouldn't even need anti-virus protection. But, of course, you would get fired or tarred and feathers by your fellow employees. So keep that in mind as you plan your actions.
Explanation / Answer
Responsibilities of the Network Administrator
As a network administrator, your tasks generally fall into the following areas:
Designing and planning the network
Setting up the network
Maintaining the network
Expanding the network
Each task area corresponds to a phase in the continuing life cycle of a network. You might be responsible for all the phases, or you might ultimately specialize in a particular area, for example, network maintenance.
Designing the Network
The first phase in the life cycle of a network involves creating its design, a task not usually performed by new network administrators. Designing a network involves making decisions about the type of network that best suits the needs of your organization. In larger sites this task is performed by a senior network architect: an experienced network administrator familiar with both network software and hardware.
Setting Up the Network
After the new network is designed, the second phase of network administration begins, which involves setting up and configuring the network. This consists of installing the hardware that makes up the physical part of the network, and configuring the files or databases, hosts, routers, and network configuration servers.
The tasks involved in this phase are a major responsibility for network administrators. You should expect to perform these tasks unless your organization is very large, with an adequate network structure already in place.
Maintaining the Network
The third phase of network administration consists of ongoing tasks that typically constitute the bulk of your responsibilities. They might include:
Adding new host machines to the network
Administering network security
Administering network services, such as NFSTM services, name services, and electronic mail
Troubleshooting network problems
1. Do you need to be connected to the internet all the time?
The answer to this for me (and I suspect more and more people) is a resounding “yes!”, but if you have a computer running for long periods of time and you don’t need to be connected to the internet, then it’s probably quite prudent to switch your internet router off. Hackers tend to prefer to exploit “always on” connections, and if your internet connection is more sporadic, you’ll be less attractive to them.
However, for most people this just isn’t going to be practical. More and more of the stuff we do these days requires an internet connection. With Windows 8 coming later this year and new versions of the Mac operating system, our computers will be demanding “always on” connections. It’s not just computers either- it’s our digital TV boxes and even our fridges and dishwashers (assuming you have an internet ready one!). If this is the case, you’ll need to ensure that you protect your connection to the internet at it’s entry point- usually your router.
2. Make sure your router has a decent firewall
A firewall is a piece of software or hardware that (simply speaking) lets the good stuff in and the bad stuff out. Most internet service providers offer a free router and modem when you sign up with them. Make sure that it has a decent firewall. If you are a tech-savvy person then you can even upgrade the firmware (using the likes of Tomato or DD-WRT) on many routers to improve the security amongst other things. This Lifehacker article gives some good tips on how to do this.
3. Make sure your Computer or Device has a decent firewall
Most computers these days have an intergrated firewall built in to the operating system. Windows has the imaginatively titled “Windows Firewall” and Mac OS X has an intergrated one too (see here for more information on how to enable the Mac OS X firewall in Snow Leopard). For Linux, it depends on your flavour, but this article from Tech Radar gives a list of decent firewalls you could consider.
4. Install Decent Anti-virus Software
I know some people believe the conspiracy theory that some of the software houses that produce anti-virus applications actually generate the viruses in the first place. The thought is that they do this in order to whip up some hysteria so that more people will buy their product. Although it’s tempting to believe this, I don’t think there is much truth in it. This article from Computer Hope gives some excellent points against the view. There are some people that say having anti-virus software is a waste of time as long as your careful and that all they do is slow down your computer.
The truth is, anti-virus software is a must for almost everyone. Yes, they will slow down your computer a little, but I think that is a pill worth swallowing as opposed to being infected by a virus. You don’t need to spend any money on it either. One of the best anti-virus applications for PCs is Microsoft’s own Security Essentials which will be built in for the first time to the forthcoming Windows 8.
It’s a complete myth that Mac users are exempt from viruses as the recent Mac Flashback virus outbreak shows. There aren’t many free anti-virus applications for the Mac, as this article from the Guardian recommends, you could always try ClamXav.
Finally, anti-virus applications have to be updated regularly- I’d recommend at least twice a day. Make sure you check the settings. Also if you use USB thumb drives or external hard drives, do scan them for viruses- particularly if the drive belongs to someone else. I know of many friends whose computers have been infected by using an infected drive belonging to a friend.
5. Keep Your Computer Up to Date!
I know it’s annoying, but make sure you check your computer for updates! I’ve seen so many cases of computers that have never had any updates done to the operating system. Both Microsoft and Apple roll out updates regularly to their operating systems. These can be important security patches and you may be compromised if you don’t install them!
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