Chapter 25: Assessing the Security of a Network

Part VI

Planning and Performing Security Assessments and Incident Responses

Chapter 25

Assessing the Security of a Network

By now, you have vigilantly implemented security measures and deployed security updates. But how do you know if your network is really secure? If you have not yet asked yourself this question, now is a good time to do so. Security trickles down through organizations, from executives to IT managers, and eventually to you, the network administrator. Unlike many IT implementations, where clear, tangible indicators of success exist and direct proof of this question can be delivered, no network is 100 percent secure.

For example, if you deploy a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) infrastructure, you can see when it is functioning properly. If the DHCP infrastructure is not functioning properly, users will be quick to recognize the symptoms and notify the help desk. Similarly, over time, you can prove the success of the DHCP infrastructure through the number of support incidents received by the help desk and the uptime of the DHCP services.

Often the first indicator of a security malfunction is the compromise of the network. Even good security can become susceptible to compromise when a new vulnerability is exposed or a tool is published to exploit a previously little-known, difficult-to-execute vulnerability. In truth, at any point in time, your organization is secure only to the best of your knowledge. By conducting security assessments, you can provide executives and managers with some evidence of how secure the network is, as well as give yourself some peace of mind.