Data protection is an integral part of any network system. Care should be taken to ensure that system data remains protected during all the times under all the circumstances.  In this article you will learn about data protection in two scenarios. The first one is protecting your data on internet using Internet Security Protocol such as IPsec. Secondly, you will learn how to protect your data during transit. 

Using IPsec to Protect Your Data

IPsec, also known as the Internet Security Protocol, is a collection of protocols that can be used to offer secure communications via the Internet on the network layer. Some of the services which IPsec can offer include the authentication of data sources, data integrity, shielding against replay attacks, and confidentiality.

There are a number of components which make up IPsec as well. To undersand the importance of IPsec, it is first important to understand Network security. First off, the security of communications via networks, both public and private, has been an issue of concern for quite some time.

As e-commerce continues to play a larger role in the world economy, a high demand has grown when it comes to the outsourcing of specific services, and this includes web hosting. In addition to this, the increased adoption of Application Service Providers has also increased for high levels of security which are ubiquitous.

Much of the network traffic that flows through the Internet and Intranet today are dependent on TCP/IP. At the same time, the standard Internet Protocol has not successfully established security structures, so the implementations for application layers, like SSL or S-HTTP for instance, have been utilized to offer data security.

SSL will generate the secure connection among the server and the client, and through this connection, a large amount of encrypted data can be transferred. The Web pages that need the SSL connection will begin their URLs with the https designation, rather than the standard http that is used for most sites. At the same time, these implementations will need the sending and the receiving stations to process the necessary application software, as well as the Web browser, and only the data that is transferred back and forth to the web server will be secure.

IPsec Network Layer Security

Unlike S-HTTP or SSL, IPsec is one of the Internet Engineering Task Force standards. It can actually give you security at the network layer. This can also give more flexibility during its implementation. IPsec will allow both secure and private communication to be made over the Internet, and it does not matter what higher level protocols are used. Some of the other characteristics which are connected to IPsec include its ability to authenticate the receivers and transmitters of information, and it can conceal the data that is sent via encryption.

Because the data can be encrypted, this means that data integrity is maintained. This also means that it can work well with any application that is IP based. Some of the data which Ipsec can protect includes human resources information, medical data, payroll data, and any information which is deemed as being sensitive.

IPsec can conceal this information whether it is sent via the Internet or a corporate Intranet. It can ensure that the information which is transferred is only seen by those who are authorized to see it. At the same time, IPsec will not provide security for certain applications which are currently being used.

Examples of this include applications that utilize SSL, PGP, or the Secure Electronics Transactions, which will typically be used when handling credit card information. There are a number of things that can be done to define the components which make up IPsec.

IPsec has a suite which makes use of cryptography, and this includes ESP, or the Encapsulating Security Payload, and the AH, or Authentication Header. Some other important components which make up IPsect are the Internet Security Association, as well as the Key Management Protocol.

 IP Transaction Header Extensions Modes

There are two standard modes that are used for the implementation of header extensions, and these are the transport mode and the tunnel mode. The transport mode will provide support for communications which are either client to server or client to client. It will not make use of any security gateways which intervene.

The tunnel mode will provide support for the remote access, along with secured communications that are site-to-site. The ESP header can also be useful in keeping your data secure. It provides encryption and data origin authentication.

In addition to this, ESP also offers authentication for the data origin, as well as data integrity and anti-replay services. ESP will function at either the transport or network layer, and ESP can also be used for securing the FTP session, and it does this by encrypting every bit of data which is transmitted during a session.

ESP will typically provide security against replay attacks by offering the sequence number inside the header. The sequence number is a distinct value which is placed inside the header via the sender, and will decide whether the packet is the duplicate that must be dropped.

How to Protect Data When Its in Transit

While there are many methods you can use to physically protect your electronic devices, whether it be laptops, PDAs, or any portable device, you are still not guaranteed that it won't be stolen. This should be obvious, since portable devices can easily be transported. While the theft by itself is frustrating, annoying, and very unnerving, this is only the start of your problems. The next you have to worry about is the vulnerability of information which is confidential. In addition to this, if your device can connect to the Internet, it is vulnerable to network attacks.

There are a number of things you can do to protect your devices from being stolen by others. The first is to make sure you use passwords in the proper manner. When you attempt to access certain types of information on your PDA, laptop, or other portable devices, you will often need to enter passwords. This is security that you should take advantage of. For your portable devices, it is wise to avoid having your computer remember certain passwords, since if the device falls into the wrong hands, it is easy for criminals to access your information.

It is also important to avoid picking passwords that the typical thief could easily decipher. One common mistake that many people make is using the same password for different programs. Sure, it is convenient, but if your device is compromised, it is also convenient for criminals to gain access to all your personal information. You will often find that there are additional authentication methods that you can use with your programs, and I would advise you to make use of them for extra security. It is wise to take all the security precautions necessary for your portable devices.

Storing Personal Data on Portable Devices

One of the biggest mistakes that many people make is storing personal information on their portable devices. Unless this information is heavily encrypted, you are asking for trouble. Even when the information is encrypted, if your device is stolen, and the person who gets it is determined and technically savvy, it will only be a matter of time before they break through your encryption.

The best way to avoid having your personal information compromised is to avoid storing it on your portable devices altogether.  Avoid putting credit card numbers, social security numbers, your address, or any other piece of personal information on your portable device. That way, if it is stolen, while you will be frustrated and annoyed, you will not have to worry about being victimized further by someone using your personal information.

There is a wide variety of storage media available on the market, and this includes zip disks, DVDs, floppy diks, and thumb drives, just to name a few. By placing your sensitive data on a media which is removable, and keeping it away from your portable devices, you will be protected.

Even then, you will want to make sure you keep the removable storage in a safe place so that it also is not easy to access, but removable media is just as easily transportable as portable devices, if not more so. Another thing that you will want to consider is encrypting your files.

Through the encryption of files, you will be sure that others cannot see your data, even when they are able to access it physically. One type of encryption that you will want to think about is full disk encryption, which can prevent the thief from even starting your laptop if they do not have the proper passphrase.

Installing Anti Virus and Fire Wall Program

Viruses can be just as destructive to your system as thieves, and the reason for this is because they can cause your system to crash, corrupt sensitive files, and even erase data. It is also important to keep the virus definitions up to date. It is also important to install a firewall on your system and maintain it.

While it is important to control the amount of traffic from entering and leaving your system, firewalls become extremely important when you are traveling and making use of various networks. Firewalls can stop unwanted outsiders for accessing your system.

It is also important to make sure you back up your data. This data should be backed up to either a DVD-ROM CD-ROM, or even a network. This is important so that you can still have access to critical information should your computer or portable device become compromised.

However, it would also be helpful if you could identify the information that a thief would be likely to access. In today's mobile world, one cannot afford to take the precautions which are necessary to protect their portable devices. Due to the rampant increase of identify theft, not taking the proper precautions can lead to highly undesirable consequences.