Network security is one of the main jobs of a cyber engineer. A network can be a small network connecting 2 or 3 computers in an office and a printer, as well as a huge 1500+ computer system that sends data to a single server. All of these require a network engineer’s constant attention and monitoring to ensure network safety. One of the most important components to network safety is the network’s firewall. A firewall is can be either a hardware or software layer that monitors and analyzes traffic and can exclude certain traffic patterns based on the network engineer’s rule list. Rule lists are a set of parameters that tell the firewall which pieces of network traffic to allow and which to block. This can be complicated to establish so a knowledgeable network engineer is crucial for this step. This is the first layer of defense in a network and can often stop problems before they even reach the network.

Network security can also be strengthened by adherence to what I call “Good cybersecurity hygiene”, meaning updating base systems, ensuring antivirus and antimalware software is installed and up to date, correct permissions are set to the appropriate parts of the network, users are authenticated and only allowed access to parts of the network they are permitted to access by the cyber engineer, and periodic changing of passwords. Frequent backups can ensure that data lost from an attack on a network can be quickly and easily restored in order to prevent downtime. Doing all of these things will greatly strengthen the network. Even if a threat makes it through the firewall, having measures like this in place will greatly reduce any kind of damage that can be done.

What is the overlap between criminal justice and cybercrime?

Criminal justice is the system that oversees and enforces laws and regulations within the legal system. It is responsible for ensuring criminals are investigated and justice is served to the communities that are effected. As technology finds it way into more and more parts of our lives, such as through communication, payments, and sending of personal data, cybercrime has risen. Due to this, more resources need to be put into research and investigation of cybercrime. Cyberattacks often tread into illegal territory, and methods of detection and investigation from experienced cybercrime researchers exist in order to help seek justice and enforce order within the community.