Title: Module 5 Introduction
Course: CET 2660 Network Security Fundamentals > Section: Module Five - Security Management

Introduction

Sixty percent of data breaches can be attributed to lost or stolen mobile devices. With this in mind, it is critical for organizations to bolster defenses by encrypting data across the board.

Mobile workers — known in some circles as road warriors — increasingly are becoming important players in today’s fast-paced world of business. They are the people who are always on the go — the ones who spend at least half of their workweeks away from their regular offices. Because these women and men are out of the office so often, they have to use laptop computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), and portable memory devices to exchange and transport business-critical data. In many cases, the security of this data hinges on the physical safety of the devices. Simply put, when mobile devices are lost, so is the data.

Today, most laptops and PCs have some sort of antivirus and personal firewall software to prevent data hijacking. But what happens when a computer is stolen or when an overtired road warrior leaves her PDA in a cab? A 2006 global study by market research firm Gartner indicates that while 25 percent of information theft is linked to network intrusion, 60 percent of data breaches can be attributed to lost or stolen mobile devices. With this in mind, it is critical for organizations to bolster defenses by encrypting data across the board.

In this module we will study authentication and the secure management of user accounts and enforces authentication. We will learn how encryption can be used to protect data. Next, you will explore public key infrastructure and key management.

Objectives

Upon completion of this module, the student will be able to:

Describe the three types of authentication credentials
Explain what single sign-on can do
List the account management procedures for securing passwords
Define trusted operating systems

Define cryptography
Describe hash, symmetric, and asymmetric cryptographic algorithms
List the various ways in which cryptography is used

Define digital certificates
List the various types of digital certificates and how they are used
Describe the components of Public Key Infrastructure (PKI)
List the tasks associated with key management
Describe the different transport encryption algorithms

Readings & Resources

Chapter 10: Authentication and Account Management p. 366-388
Chapter 11: Basic Cryptography p. 406-433
Chapter 12: Advanced Cryptography p. 450-475