Network security is essential for protecting both home and business networks from threats and unauthorized access. Security breaches happen every second globally, causing huge financial losses. Even simple actions like locking network rooms, changing passwords regularly, and securing wireless networks with WEP or WPA can improve basic network protection.
The unit introduces core concepts of network security, including:
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Security principles and tools like firewalls, routers, switches, MD5, SSL, VPN, AES, RSA, DES, and SHA.
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Cryptographic techniques, such as public and private key encryption (e.g., Caesar cipher, IPsec).
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Types of attacks including MITM (man-in-the-middle), DoS, DDoS, phishing, spoofing, DNS attacks, SQL injection, and MAC address spoofing.
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Cloud security models like public, private, hybrid, and community clouds, as well as service models like PaaS and IaaS.
Firewalls and gateways are used for intrusion detection and prevention by monitoring traffic at network boundaries.
By completing the unit, students will:
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Understand and apply different network security protocols and settings.
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Identify and fix network vulnerabilities.
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Develop key skills such as critical thinking, communication, and analytical reasoning, which are important for IT careers.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this unit students will be able to:
LO1 Examine network security principles, protocols and standards
LO2 Design a secure network for a corporate environment
LO3 Configure network security measures for the corporate environment
LO4 Undertake the testing of a network using a Test Plan.
- Teacher: Ashen Chathuranga Gunawardena
- Teacher: Damith Kethaka
- Teacher: Ishani Jayasuriya
- Teacher: Ama Kulathilake