Network Security Model (NSM)

Network Security Model (NSM)

The Open Systems Interconnection model (OSI), developed in 1983 by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), has been used as a framework to teach networking basics and troubleshoot networking issues for the last 25 years. It has been so influential in network development and architecture that even most of the network communication protocols in use today have a structure that is based on it. But just as the OSI model never fails us, we find that we are lacking a standard that all network security professionals can adhere to, a Network Security Model (NSM). Today’s sophisticated and complex networks provide the fundamental need for the NSM.

 

The proposed Network Security Model (NSM) is a seven layer model that divides the daunting task of securing a network infrastructure into seven manageable sections. The model is generic and can apply to all security implementation and devices. The development of the NSM is important because unity is needed in securing networks, just as unity was needed in the architecture of networks with the development of the OSI model. When an attack on a network has succeeded it is much easier to locate the underlying issue and fix it with the use of the NSM.

The NSM will provide a way to teach and implement basic network security measures and devices as well as locate underlying issues that may have allowed an attack to succeed. Traditionally we work from the bottom up to determine which layer has failed on the OSI model, but on the NSM we will work from the top down to determine which layer has failed.

Why do we need a Network Security Model?

A well structured NSM will give the security community a way to study, implement, and maintain network security that can be applied to any network. In study, it can be used as a tool to breakdown network security into seven simple layers with a logical process. Traditional books have always presented network security in an unorganized fashion where some books cover issues that other books may completely neglect. In implementation, it can be used by network architects to insure that they are not missing any important security details while designing a network. In maintaining existing networks it can be used to develop maintenance schedules and lifecycles for the security of the existing network. It can also be used to detect where breaches have occurred so that an attack can be mitigated.

The NSM is beneficial to all types of professionals. Let us not forget professionals who are transitioning into positions previously held by other network security professionals. Currently, learning what security techniques are implemented on a network and which ones have not can be a daunting task when the basic security structure of the network is unclear. The NSM provides that basic structure. It provides the new professional with the knowledge to discover what has been implemented and what has not been implemented from a security standpoint. Without an NSM, the network security community faces potential chaos as professionals continue to implement their own versions of secure networks without adequate structure.