INTRODUCTION TO NETWORK SECURITY

2 THREATS AND VULNURABILITIES

NETWORK SECURITY DEVICES AND TECHNOLOGIES

NETWORK TRAFFIC ANALYSIS

CRYPTOGRAPHY AND NETWORK SECURITY

NETWORK SECURITY ANALYSIS AND FORENSIC

SECURING WIRELESS NETWORKS

ADVANCED TOPICS IN NETWORK SECURITY

Cloud network security tools and configurations

CLOUD NETWORK SECURITY TOOLS AND CONFIGURATIONS 

 

Cloud network security tools and configurations are essential for protecting the integrity, confidentiality, and availability of resources in a cloud environment. These tools help manage security risks associated with cloud deployments, including protecting data, controlling access, preventing unauthorized intrusions, and ensuring compliance.

1. Firewalls

Cloud Firewalls are designed to protect cloud-based networks from unauthorized access and cyberattacks. They can filter incoming and outgoing traffic based on defined security rules.

  • Next-Generation Firewalls (NGFWs):
    • Provide advanced security features such as deep packet inspection (DPI), intrusion prevention systems (IPS), and application-layer filtering.
    • Cloud Provider Example: AWS Network Firewall, Azure Firewall, and Google Cloud Firewall.
  • Web Application Firewalls (WAFs):
    • Protect web applications from common threats such as SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and DDoS attacks.
    • Cloud Provider Example: AWS WAF, Azure Application Gateway WAF, and Cloudflare WAF.

2. Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)

VPNs are crucial for securing communication between on-premises networks and cloud environments, especially when sensitive data is transmitted over public networks.

  • Site-to-Site VPN: Connects on-premises infrastructure to cloud networks securely.
  • Client VPN: Allows remote users to securely access the cloud network from their devices.
    Cloud Provider Examples:
    • AWS Site-to-Site VPN and Client VPN.
    • Azure VPN Gateway.
    • Google Cloud Cloud VPN.

3. Identity and Access Management (IAM)

IAM tools help manage user identities, roles, and permissions to control who can access specific resources within the cloud.

  • Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): Adds an extra layer of security by requiring users to provide two or more verification factors.
  • Role-Based Access Control (RBAC): Grants permissions based on user roles.
  • Identity Federation: Allows users to access cloud resources using their existing credentials from identity providers (e.g., Microsoft Active Directory or Google Identity).
    Cloud Provider Examples:
    • AWS IAM.
    • Azure Active Directory.
    • Google Cloud IAM.

4. Intrusion Detection and Prevention Systems (IDPS)

IDPS tools monitor network traffic for signs of suspicious activity or potential threats. They can identify, log, and respond to security incidents, helping to detect and prevent attacks in real-time.

  • Network-based IDS/IPS: Monitors cloud network traffic for malicious activity.
  • Host-based IDS/IPS: Detects suspicious activity on individual cloud-hosted virtual machines (VMs).
    Cloud Provider Examples:
    • AWS GuardDuty (threat detection).
    • Azure Security Center (threat protection).
    • Google Cloud Security Command Center.

5. Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) Protection

DDoS protection tools help mitigate large-scale DDoS attacks by absorbing malicious traffic and ensuring availability of services.

  • Cloud DDoS Protection: Cloud providers offer tools to prevent and mitigate DDoS attacks by automatically scaling resources to absorb the traffic and using traffic filtering techniques.
    Cloud Provider Examples:
    • AWS Shield.
    • Azure DDoS Protection.
    • Google Cloud Cloud Armor.