Network admins often find themselves torn trying to juggle between optimizing configurations and meeting compliance requirements. With growing network complexity, achieving and sustaining CIS Benchmarks compliance can feel like an endless battle. However, it doesn’t have to be so daunting. While the CIS Benchmarks offer vital best practices for securing against evolving threats, manually enforcing […]
What is Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE)? Use Cases, How it is Used etc
At its core, Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) is a type of Network Access Control Solution that uses policy-based decision making to determine if a device is allowed access to the network and, if allowed, what level of access this device is given. Cisco ISE is a complex and feature packed Security Application that controls […]
What is QUIC – This Modern Internet Protocol Makes Firewalls Blind
QUIC (Quick UDP Internet Connections) is a new generation Internet protocol that speeds online web applications that are susceptible to delay, such as searching, video streaming etc., by reducing the round-trip time (RTT) needed to connect to a server. By replacing TCP with UDP and encrypting most of its payload, QUIC reduces the time it […]
5 Best Practices to Keep Rogue Devices at Bay
How do you know when a rogue device is on your network? With the advent of technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT) and the increasing reliance on wireless connectivity, the risk of rogue devices infiltrating networks has become a pressing concern. These rogue devices, whether intentionally introduced by malicious actors or inadvertently connected […]
Cisco Talos Year in Review – Top Cyber Security Threats in 2023 and Beyond
Cisco Talos, an effective threat intelligence organization, released a report reviewing major adversaries and key cybersecurity trends for the past year and predictions for the next year. Dave Liebenberg, head of Strategic Analysis for Cisco Talos, emphasizes the value of retrospective analysis to contextualize changes and forecast future threats in cybersecurity. The key takeaway from […]
How to Scan an IP Network Range with NMAP (and Zenmap)
This tutorial marks the beginning of a series of network security and penetration testing articles that I will be posting on this website. The purpose of this article is to describe how to perform a simple NMAP scan of an IP range/subnet on a network. There are hundreds of scan options with NMAP but I […]
What is Cisco Umbrella Security Service? Discussion – Use Cases – Features
In recent years Cisco have been focused on building their cloud and software defined networking portfolio through the acquisition of smaller companies such as Viptela and OpenDNS among others. In this article we will focus on Cisco Umbrella, explain what it is, discuss how it can protect your network etc. A Brief History of Cisco […]
7 Types of Firewalls Technologies (Software/Hardware) Explained
The firewall is the cornerstone of security in computer networks and I.T in general. In this website I have been talking extensively about the Cisco ASA firewall which is a classic example of a hardware network firewall. However, there are some other types of firewalls used in large enterprises, SMB or even home networks. Some […]
10 Best Hardware Firewalls for Home and Small Business Networks
On this website I have written tens of articles about enterprise level firewalls (especially Cisco ASA) but many people are interested to learn about the best hardware firewalls for home or small business networks, so this is what I’ll focus in this article. Firewalls are designed to monitor incoming and outgoing traffic, helping to keep […]
12 Best Open Source Firewalls Comparable to Commercial Solutions
Usually, in the world of network security, when we talk about Firewalls we mean the devices that help protect your computer systems and networks from attacks and provide a “wall” in front of servers and IT resources. The above concept of a “Firewall” refers to the classic network hardware firewall such as the Cisco ASA, […]
Network based Firewall vs Host based Firewall-Discussion and Comparison
A “Firewall” is one of the most popular computer and network security devices that professionals use to protect their enterprise IT assets and networks. Just like a fire-resistant door in buildings which protects rooms from a possible fire and stops the spreading of flames within the building, the security firewall has a similar function to […]
Comparison and Differences Between IPS vs IDS vs Firewall vs WAF
There are so many acronyms in the networking and security field that can drive you crazy. The terms IPS, IDS, WAF etc might be known acronyms in the field of network security but many beginner professionals sometimes have difficulty to understand the concept behind these technologies, how they compare etc. In this article I’ll do […]
What Are the Biggest Cybersecurity Threats in 2021? (And How Can You Deal With Them?)
The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) of the FBI has reported that the cost of cybercrimes doubled last year to a whopping $2.7 billion. What’s more? The IC3 reported that most of the complaints included personal data breaches, extortion, non-payment/non-delivery scams, and romance or confidence fraud. What does that mean for your business? With cybersecurity […]