Network security has become increasingly important with the growth in the number and importance of networks Network security issues include protecting data from unauthorized access, protecting data from damage and development, and implementing policies and procedures for recovery from breaches and data losses. Network security is expensive. It is also very important. An institution network would possibly be subject to more stringent security requirements than a similarly-sized corporate network, because of its likelihood of storing personal and confidential information of network users, the danger of which can be compounded if any network users are minors. A great deal of attention must be paid to network services to ensure all network content is appropriate for the network community it serves.
To understand the types of threats to security that exist, we need to have a definition of security requirements. Computer and network security address four requirements:
1. Confidentiality : Requires that data only be accessible by authorized parties. This type of access includes printing, displaying, and other forms of disclosure, including simply revealing the existence of an object.
2. Integrity : Requires that only authorized parties can modify data. Modification includes writing, changing, changing status, deleting, and creating.
3. Availability : Requires that data are available to authorized parties.
4. Authenticity : Requires that a host or service be able to verify the identity of a user.