Network Security Concepts and Essentials: A University Overview

How many computers would a university have? Estimate the number of users? A very large number is the answer, probably in the 10's of thousands and possibly higher. Do all these users authenticate with appropriate encryption techniques? How do users understand Internet security awareness? What does this all mean? And imagine no perimeter firewall and intrusion detection system in place - it's an attacker's dream place to commence creating havoc amongst the university community. And this can all be done from the convenience of your next-door neighbour's home computer. Now think from the inside for a moment. What level access do your employees have? Could they potentially do damage to your company? Who is to stop them? And who chooses your staff's passwords? Are they i) strong enough; ii) encrypted well enough; iii) accessible by others? Using my experience from working at an Australian university, this paper addresses how the number of internal and external threats is increasing and providing intruders with a vast array of ways to compromise university machines.