SECURING NETWORKS IN THE INFORMATION AGE - Cyberwar-Netwar: Security in the Information Age - page 61

Chapter 4

SECURING NETWORKS IN THE INFORMATION AGE

Mert Uneri 1 , Bilge Karabacak 2
1 Chief Researcher, National Research Institute of Electronics and Cryptology (UEKAE), Scientific and Technical
Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK), 2 Senior Researcher, National Research Institute of Electronics and
Cryptology (UEKAE), Scientific and Technical Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK), PO Box 74, 41470 Gebze-
Kocaeli, Turkey

Abstract: Internet and IT devices are being used for business and entertainment more frequently. The Internet has
become a vital part of social fabric. Threats to the Internet and other complex commercial networks are
solid and growing. Globalization and the need for interoperability complicates the security of IT
networks and the Internet. Cyber threats have an important potential damage capacity. Proactive
security methodologies are needed to protect valuable information. In accordance with this situation, our
purpose is to examine the current trends in network security and to propose a roadmap for protecting
information from cyber threats. The roadmap consists of three phases: Analysis, Design and Operation

Key words: Internet, network security, cyber threats, security methodologies

1. INTRODUCTION

As of 2003, the Internet connected an estimated 100 million computers in more than
200 countries in every continent. The Internet is not a single network, but a worldwide
collection of loosely-connected networks that are accessible by individual computer hosts
in a variety of ways, including gateways, routers, dial-up connections and Internet service
providers. The Internet is easily accessible to anyone with a computer and a network
connection. Individuals and organizations worldwide can reach any point on the network
without regard to national or geographic boundaries or time of day.
However, along with the convenience and easy access to information come new risks.
Among them are the risks that valuable information will be lost, stolen, corrupted, or
misused and that the computer systems will be corrupted. If information is recorded
electronically and is available on networked computers, it is more vulnerable than if the
same information is printed on paper and locked in a filing cabinet. Intruders do not need
to enter an office or home, and may not even be in the same country. They can steal or
tamper with information without touching a piece of paper or a photocopier. They can
create new electronic files, run their own programmes and hide evidence of their
unauthorized activity.
Today, information technologies have been used widely in almost every commercial,
official and educational organization. Most of the organizations today are connected to
Internet, which is the largest wide-area network composed of a number of computers,
routers, servers, ISP's, gateways, etc. Every day, new information technology products
have been produced for all types of business and offered for the use of citizens and
organizations.
Among these information technology products, security tools have an important place.
This is so because, even two computers, which are connected to each other, expose new
security risks. The largest wide-area network, the Internet, is the most dangerous