A company wants to protect its computer network from external threats. The diagram shows the company's network security setup. (a) Explain the role of the f...

(a) The firewall sits between the internet and the company's internal network. It monitors all incoming and outgoing network traffic [1] and blocks unauthorised access by filtering data packets according to predefined security rules, while allowing legitimate traffic to pass through. [1]

(b) Two other security measures the company should implement are:

• Install anti-virus and anti-malware software on all computers to detect and remove malicious programs before they can cause damage. [1]
• Enforce strong passwords and user authentication policies so that only authorised personnel can access the network and its resources. [1]

(c) The company should use encryption when sending data over the internet because encryption converts data into an unreadable coded form during transmission. [1] If the data is intercepted by an attacker while travelling across the internet, they will not be able to read or make use of the information, protecting sensitive business and customer data. [1]

(d) One physical security measure is to keep the server in a locked, dedicated server room with access restricted to authorised IT staff only, controlled by key cards or biometric locks. [1] This prevents unauthorised individuals from physically accessing, tampering with, or stealing the server hardware and the data stored on it. [1]