Understand the 5 Network Security Principles You Must Follow

Your responsibility for maintaining device security isn’t limited to installing a network security system. You must also understand network security principles to manage the security system effectively. These principles form the foundation for identifying cyberattacks and implementing appropriate solutions.

What Are the Principles of Computer Network Security?

The goal of computer network security is to anticipate risks in the form of cyber threats that could endanger our devices. To achieve this goal, network security systems are built based on five principles. The following are the key principles that must be applied when building your device’s security.

1. Confidentiality

Confidentiality means that data, messages, or system devices may only be accessed by authorized individuals. Additionally, the information within the system is confidential. The confidentiality principle in your network security is compromised if unauthorized individuals can access the data.

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This system is widely implemented in the banking and financial sectors. Essentially, you must protect confidential and sensitive information—such as usernames, passwords, account balances, and even OTP codes—whether as a user or a company. The credibility of a banking institution is called into question if a hacker successfully breaches the system and obtains the information within.

2. Authentication (Authentication)

The principle of authentication serves to verify the legitimacy of a user seeking to access data or a computer system. Initially, authentication relied solely on usernames and passwords. Over time, authentication models have evolved into more complex systems, ranging from tokens, PINs, OTP codes, biometrics, to multi-factor authentication.

The simplest example is social media or entertainment websites. You must enter the correct username and password as an authentication step to log into your account. The system immediately denies access if there is an error in the entered username and password combination.

3. Integrity

Network security should maintain the integrity of data within computer systems. Data within an information system can only be modified by authorized individuals who have access to that data. An integrity issue occurs if the data changes without the knowledge of the authorized party.

For example, you have an account at a bank with a certain balance. The bank, which has a verified identity, only grants you the right to modify the data within it, such as transferring or withdrawing funds. If the account balance changes without your knowledge, the bank’s integrity is questionable because it has failed to implement this particular network security principle.

4. Availability (Data Availability)

Data must be available. This means that data on a server must be accessible whenever and wherever the user needs it. What if users cannot access the data due to issues with the service or application? Such issues indicate that the company cannot maintain its network security.

An example of availability is illustrated here: As a customer of Bank X, you want to check your balance via the m-banking service. Unfortunately, the service has been inaccessible for three consecutive days due to technical issues. In this case, the principle of availability is disregarded because customers cannot access their data as needed.

5. Access Control

This final principle means that access to data or network systems is granted only to specific individuals. In short, access is strictly limited to specific individuals with defined roles and departments within an organization or institution. Those without authorized access cannot view the data, let alone external parties.

A simple example is illustrated as follows: A company’s sales data is accessible only to the marketing department. However, the finance department needs to access this sales data to prepare a cash flow report.

Therefore, access control is implemented so that the data can only be accessed by those two departments.

This network security principle can be found in FileBox Cloud Storage from Cloudmatika. Although FileBox can be accessed by an unlimited number of users, each user is granted Security Access, ensuring that the data within remains secure. Want to learn more about this feature? Contact Cloudmatika immediately to implement this network security principle in your company.