How do engineers make networks safer?

In the modern world, an enormous amount of critical information is stored in digital form and connected to the internet. This connectivity that affords effortless and instant transfer of data, also leaves that information vulnerable to exploitation. This is true for individuals and institutions alike. Most businesses are completely reliant on networks to conduct their daily operations, as are government entities. Due to the risks associated with sending high priority information across networks, ensuring network security is paramount. Engineers are crucial in this endeavor. Using a variety of methods, engineers design and build networks with security and resilience as a priority.

One crucial aspect of engineering a secure network is the implementation of firewalls. Firewalls protect networks by monitoring and controlling the traffic that enters it. Firewalls are programmed with a set of rules to facilitate detection of information from a malicious source. If incoming information doesn’t comport with these rules, the firewall prevents it from entering the network.

Another important feature of a secure network is strong authentication and access control protocols. These help prevent unauthorized access to information. Authentication requires the user to prove who they are before accessing data they’re authorized to see. Access control protocols organize and limit who has access to which information. Smaller organizations will typically use what is referred to as Discretionary Access Control. DAC assigns specific levels of access to individual users. With larger companies where individual based rules aren’t viable, Role Based Access Control is used. RBAC assigns specific levels of access to roles that the company then assigns to employees. This allows efficient distribution of access to a large number of people. Systems engineers will implement robust authentication infrastructure as a network security measure.

Engineers can also design disaster recovery policies to ensure the continuation of business in the event of a breach. How quickly and effectively an institution responds to a successful cyberattack is also critical aspect of security. One way an engineer can contribute to this is by creating a system of backups, often multiple in multiple locations. This makes critical data available even if compromised in the attack.  

Reference:

https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/definition/access-control