Network defense

This section describes in general terms the means by which attackers can attempt to compromise your network and steps you can take to protect it. The goal of an attack can be as complex as gaining access to your network and the privileged information it contains, or as simple as preventing customers from accessing your web server. Even allowing a virus onto your network can cause damage, so you need to protect against viruses and malware even if they are not specifically targeted at your network.

The following topics are included in this section:

• Monitoring
• Blocking external probes
• Defending against DoS attacks

Monitoring

Monitoring, in the form of logging, alert email, and SNMP, does not directly protect your network. But monitoring allows you to review the progress of an attack, whether afterwards or while in progress. How the attack unfolds may reveal weaknesses in your preparations. The packet archive and sniffer policy logs can reveal more details about the attack. Depending on the detail in your logs, you may be able to determine the attackers location and identity.

While log information is valuable, you must balance the log information with the resources required to collect and store it.