Most organisations primary concern over connecting to the Internet
is the issue of security, they are correct in assuming this to
be such an issue. Connecting to the internet takes a network away
from being safe in its closed state to being open to problems such
as malicious code attack, in the form of computer viruses, and
also to data theft and damage through industrial espionage or hacker
attack.
All concerns can be addressed if an organisation
implements and follows a strict security policy. In fact if all
measures are taken to limit risks, the Internet connection will
no longer be the weakest point on a network. The weak link will
again be data theft by individuals within an organisation. The
individual who walks out with some data will be the weakest link
in your security policy.
There are many areas in the Internet security world. Below is
a brief outline of a couple of solutions you will need.
Firewall:
The firewall stops unauthorised access to an organisations network
through the application of a company security policy, a well-configured
firewall is the single most important piece of equipment in the
security solution.
Virtual Private Networks (VPN's)
Encryption standards, and firewall technology can dramatically
reduce office to office communications be replacing leased line
and frame relay connections with cheap, and safe VPN solutions.