Security and the Internet

Security and the Internet

LANS and WANS

The greatest difference between security on a local area network and on a
wide area network such as the Internet is control. On a LAN the network
administrator, and possibly some system administrators, can exert a great degree
of control over hosts on the network and on the operations and management of the
network. When a local network is connected to the Internet, you become part of a
much larger interconnection of networks over which you have little or no control
at all. Because of this, the security problems you are likely to encounter on a
typical LAN pale in comparison to those that can come from the Internet.

One reason is due to the sheer numbers of computers that are part of the
Internet. It is no longer necessary for a criminal to break into your computer
room and then into a computer. It is no longer necessary for a hacker to try
over and over again to get into your network by trying to get past your modem
security. The Internet means that an attacker can come from potentially almost
any part of the globe to try his tricks.