SF101 Network Isolation - ITPro

Network Isolation Definition

• [i] Network Isolation) - (definition:: The process of dividing a network into discrete, logically separated segments or subnetworks) - (subject:: Cybersecurity

This allows organizations to apply specific security controls and policies to each isolated Network segment, enhancing overall security performance.

Types of Network Communication

There are three main types of network communications:

1. Unicast: One-to-one communication, such as a client connecting to a web server.
2. Broadcast: One-to-many communication, where a message is sent to all devices in the network segment.
3. Multicast: One-to-many communication, where a message is sent to a specific group of devices.

Broadcast communications can be problematic, as they consume network resources and expose sensitive information to unauthorized devices in the same broadcast domain.

Techniques for Network Isolation

Organizations can use several techniques to isolate network traffic and create secure network segments:

1. Virtual Local Area Networks (VLANs): Logically separating a single physical network switch into multiple broadcast domains.
2. Subnetting: Dividing a larger network into smaller, more manageable subnetworks using IP addressing and routing
3. Routers: Devices that filter and control the flow of traffic between network segments, effectively isolating broadcast domains.
4. Network Address Translation (NAT): Translating internal private IP addresses to public IP addresses, helping to hide the internal network structure.
5. Perimeter Networks (DMZ): Isolating publically accessible resources, like web servers, from the internal network.
6. Remediation Networks: Isolating devices that do not meet security policies until they are brought into compliance.
7. Server/Domain Isolation: Restricting communication between specific servers or domains using IPSec policies.

These will help reduce unnecessary broadcast traffic, improve network performance, and implement granular security controls to protect sensitive resources.

Secure Remote Communications

When communicating over the public internet, organizations can use Virtual Private Network (VPN) technologies to create secure, isolate communication channels. VPNs use tunneling and encryption protocols to establish point-to-point connections between remote sites or users, effectively isolating the communication from the public network.