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Lock It Down

How to keep a network secure: finding weaknesses through penetration testing and ethical hacking, and protecting against attack with access control, physical security and firewalls.

⏱️ 15 min 🎯 13 activities Teachers Not yet rated Students Not yet rated

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What you'll cover

Keeping the network safe 🔒

Every network is a target. Keeping one safe takes two steps: first **find the weaknesses**, then **protect against attacks**. In this module you will meet the ways experts test a network for weaknesses, and the methods used to lock attackers out. The key skill is telling the two apart.

The key words 🔑

Four terms run through network security:

Find it, then protect it ⚖️

Network security has two different jobs. Exam questions often ask for one or the other.

Match each method 🔗

  • Penetration testing
  • Ethical hacking
  • Access control
  • Firewall
  • An authorised, simulated attack to find weaknesses
  • Hacking a system with permission to find and fix flaws
  • Usernames, passwords and permissions that decide who gets in
  • Monitors and blocks unauthorised network traffic

What is penetration testing? 🎯

What is penetration testing?

  • An authorised, simulated attack to find a system's weaknesses
  • A real criminal attack on a system
  • Installing the latest software updates
  • Making a backup copy of important files

Which protect the network? ✅

Select the TWO methods used to PROTECT a network from attack, rather than to find weaknesses.

  • A firewall
  • Access control with passwords
  • Penetration testing
  • Ethical hacking

Walls, doors and firewalls 🛡️

Not every threat comes down the wire. **Physical security** protects the hardware itself: locking server rooms, using keycards or biometric locks, and CCTV, so no one can simply walk in and steal or damage equipment. A **firewall** sits between a network and the outside world, such as the internet. It monitors the traffic and blocks anything that is not allowed.

Network security in words 🧱

A weakness in a system that an attacker could exploit is called a _____. To find these safely, a company can carry out _____ testing or hire an ethical _____. To keep attackers out, a _____ blocks unauthorised network traffic, and access _____ uses passwords to decide who can get in.

vulnerability penetration hacker firewall control strength compression virus router backup

Find or protect? 🖍️

An interactive activity.

Secure the network 🪜

An interactive activity.

What does a firewall do? 🔥

What is the job of a firewall?

  • It monitors and blocks unauthorised network traffic
  • It finds weaknesses by attacking the system
  • It makes files smaller to save space
  • It creates a backup copy of data

Advise the company 🧭

An interactive activity.

Secure the business ✍️

An interactive activity.