Securing Your Digital Fortress: Understanding and Protecting Network Components

Virtual Network (VNet)

A Virtual Network (VNet) is a logically isolated network within a cloud environment, like Azure or AWS. It allows you to securely connect and manage your resources, such as virtual machines (VMs), within the cloud1. VNets can be used to create private networks for your applications, ensuring secure communication between resources.

Virtual Machine (VM)

A Virtual Machine (VM) is a software emulation of a physical computer. It runs an operating system and applications just like a physical machine but is hosted on a physical server2. VMs are used for various purposes, including testing environments, running applications, and hosting websites.

Subnet

A Subnet (Subnetwork) is a smaller network within a larger network. It is created by dividing an IP network into multiple segments, each with its own range of IP addresses3. Subnets help improve network performance and security by reducing broadcast traffic and isolating network segments.

Port Number

A Port Number is a numerical identifier used to distinguish different services or applications running on a single device. For example, web servers typically use port 80 for HTTP traffic and port 443 for HTTPS traffic2. Port numbers help ensure that data is directed to the correct application.

Network Security Group (NSG)

A Network Security Group (NSG) is a set of security rules that control inbound and outbound traffic to resources within a virtual network. NSGs can be used to allow or deny traffic based on IP addresses, port numbers, and protocols, helping to protect your resources from unauthorized access.

Denial of Service (DoS)

A Denial of Service (DoS) attack is an attempt to overwhelm a system, service, or network with traffic, rendering it unavailable to users. DoS attacks can be mitigated by using firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and other security measures.

Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS)

A Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack is similar to a DoS attack but is launched from multiple sources, making it more difficult to defend against. DDoS attacks can be mitigated by using specialized DDoS protection services and implementing robust network security measures.

Firewall

A Firewall is a network security device that monitors and controls incoming and outgoing network traffic based on predetermined security rules. Firewalls can be hardware-based, software-based, or a combination of both, and they help protect your network from unauthorized access and cyber threats.