Integrated Network Access Control Solutions

With many elements in cyberspace threatening the security and the very survival of businesses and organizations, security measures need to be enforced to safeguard different networks. One of these measures is network access control (NAC), which is a form of computer network security that unifies endpoint security technologies. Also known as network admission control, NAC encompasses user and system authentication and network security enforcement.

The NAC system restricts the type of data each user can access. For instance, the traditional network access server (NAS), a component of NAC, performs authentication and authorization functions by verifying password login information. Companies that offer NAC solutions can build upon the client’s existing security network infrastructure to reduce the need for additional hardware or firmware. The NAC’s enterprise management solution ensures that employees can log on to secure networks without having to remember or even type complicated or rudimentary passwords.

Efficient NAC solutions combine password management software and card management with secure smartcard technology. This improved solution easily integrates into existing networks, and requires no backend server modification. Unlike other security products which force managers to modify their network control policies to adhere to the security product's architecture, improved NAC solutions can be easily configured to comply with the company's network access authentication policies.

Improved NAC solutions can be used to log in to access points, such as network servers VPN, intranet and extranet, and the Windows OS logon active directory. Improved NAC solutions also reinforce security despite the challenges posed by virtual servers. 

Protective Measures against Data Breach

Any business that deals with clients and customers on a daily basis must step up their game when it comes to data protection. If any organization is found to be guilty of exposing client or customer data, whether intentionally or unintentionally, will most likely be held liable for data breach. When this happens, they will not only be ordered to pay huge fines but are also likely to lose credibility in the industry, which can eventually lead to loss of customers or clients.

A good way to protect data is to apply password security systems. However, there are times when passwords are easily figured out by hackers and cybercriminals, especially when the passwords were weak to begin with. Thus, employees can be encouraged to strengthen their passwords by using a combination of at least eight alphanumeric characters; they can also be encouraged to change their passwords on a weekly or monthly basis.

There are times, however, when employees tend to forget their passwords, and since they are discouraged from writing these passwords down on their notebooks, retrieving them becomes difficult, opening up an opportunity for hackers to step in and log on to the employees' e-mail accounts. An effective way to reduce these risks is to use a password management software to store these passwords so they can be easily retrieved as needed; this software typically features an encryption key that makes it hard for cybercriminals to penetrate.

A Quick Look at Corporate Identity Theft

Many people are by now aware of the growing incidents of identity theft, which have brought financial woes to unsuspecting victims. Identity theft, however, is not just confined to individuals; businesses of any size can also fall victim to corporate identity theft. Just as in personal identity theft cases, corporate identity thieves can assume a company's identity and use it to transact business, such as making purchases using the company's finances and/or credit lines. There are also corporate identity thieves whose intentions are to sabotage a company by maligning its reputation or destroying its data.

Authorities who have investigated cases of corporate identity theft said that most of these thefts were facilitated by the growing use of the Internet in businesses. One can easily find identifying information about a company through the Internet, including logos, patents, trademarks, and web domains. Phishing is a technique where fraudsters send a virus to a company's employee through emails. When the virus is activated, the phishers are allowed a “back entry” into the company's system.

Other more sophisticated hacking techniques have recently been developed by fraudsters, which gives them entry into a company's data systems without resorting to phishing. One of these techniques is keylogging, which allows hackers to track the keys struck by a user, including their email and company network passwords.

Securing Your Network From Crackers

Not all hackers are bad guys; some are just very curious individuals who simply have to know how secure a site really is. A good example is Adrian Lamo, who succeeded in hacking the sites of major companies such as Yahoo!, Google, and The New York Times. It turned out Lamo was actually a good Samaritan who informed his victims—at no cost—about the weaknesses in their networks' security systems.

However, there are hackers who try to get into companies' and individuals' computing systems with malice in mind. Strictly speaking, these people should be called “crackers,” a term used to distinguish them from the less harmful “hackers”. Crackers get into systems primarily to extract information that may be used against the owners and users of these systems. The most common crime associated with crackers recently is identity theft, which can be committed against both businesses and individuals.

Sometimes, all it takes to hack into a system is to crack the password of a single user in a network. Once a hacker gets into this user's account, they can enter the entire network and access the system's database. This is why securing passwords is very important both in business and personal computing systems. What may seem to be the most secure password can still be cracked by a determined hacker, making innovative password protection systems necessary.