3.1.16+Evaluate+methods+of+security

=Firewalls=

Advantages
Relatively inexpensive or free for personal use. New releases are becoming user friendly. Some firewalls but not all can detect viruses, worms, Trojan horses, or data collectors. A firewall blocks evil packets from being permitted to reach a place where they can do harm.

Disadvantages
Firewalls evolve due to cracker's ability to circumvent the increases. Firewalls cannot protect you from internal sabotage within a network or from allowing other user’s access to your PC. Firewalls offer weak defense from viruses. http://www.pinktec.ca/articles/firewalls_advantages.htm

Physical Security

Encryption =MAC address=

Advantages
The advantage to MAC filtering is that there is no attachment cost to devices that connect to the network. The policy is set on a router or switch, and the equipment attached either is permitted or it is not. The person attaching the equipment has nothing to do.

Disadvantage
The disadvantage to MAC filtering is that it is easy to spoof. Because of the broadcast nature of Ethernet, and particularly wireless Ethernet, an advisory can sit on the wire and just listen to traffic to and from permitted MAC addresses. Then, the advisory can change his MAC address to a permitted one, and in most cases obtain access to the network. http://www.justanswer.com/mac-computers/34syh-advantages-disadvantage-using-mac-address.html

=Authentication:=

One factor authentication
This has both several advantages and disadvantages. For example, this is something that the user knows, such as a password. One advantage of this is that the access is unique, as only you know it. Also, this is a very easy way for you to access the network, since all you do is input a password.

Although, there are several disadvantages for this. The major one is that generally people do use stupid passwords which are quite easy to guess/bruteforce. Also, a lot of people have their unhashed passwords saved on their website, meaning that it is quite easy to obtain them.

Two factor authentication
A second authentication factor enhances security by introducing an independent type of ID, one only the original person should be able to provide, such as a thumb print or a swipe card. This means that hackers must also provide physical proof to verify identity or they are denied access, even if they have accessed through a password.

Two factor authentication requires something you have and something you know. Without your password, the other form of authentication is useless, and vice versa. This means that if one of them is stolen you can still rely on being protected by the other one.

Although, there are also several disadvantages to this. For example, two factor authentication relies on you having both your password and the physical authentication model. This means that if you lose one of these, you are not able to access since you are missing one of the factors required.



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Three factor authentication
An advantage to three factor authentication is that it is obviously going to be more secure to any of the other two factor authentications, mainly because you require or two more authentication methods to be granted access. This means that it is much harder for someone to access your account, mainly because if they have gotten your password they still need physical verification, as well as something you are, such as a fingerprint or eye scan, and those are extremely hard to obtain.

Although there are also bigger disadvantages to this than two factor authentication, mainly because you have to make sure you have your physical verification, password and something you are (eye scan, fingerprint scan) with you anytime you want to acquire, although you will probably always have the thing you are with you. This means that if you do not have access to one of these you are unable to gain access.

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