Access/entry points—The network extends a computer
system beyond the box into the world. The network
provides the ability to extend the system to users across
geographical boundaries, resulting in conveniences and
efficiencies otherwise impossible. Conversely, the same
network provides the feasibility for access to the system
from anywhere. A single weak point in the network can
make all the information assets in the network vulnerable to
intruders. The network can provide many points of entry for
intruders, interceptors and malicious code-like viruses,
worms and Trojan horses. The ability of the network to
enable access to a system from anywhere is the most serious
of a network’s vulnerabilities. Given the fact that a major
benefit of a network is its ability to provide access from
elsewhere, the task at hand becomes discovering how best to
devise controls around this access.