The Sustainable Network

Chapter 34. Protect the Net

Now we know! And knowing is half the battle!

—Animated G.I. Joe Public Service Announcements on U.S. television for children, 1985–1986

We know that the sustainable network is connecting people all over the world, and we would like to concentrate on the infinite realm of opportunities it provides, but as you know, not everyone uses the network's tools and information for good. Just as in the physical world, there are individuals motivated by personal gain, greed, power, ideologies, or other nefarious ends.

This is a circumstance of human nature and not the sustainable network, and it runs so deep that the connections and information sharing we conduct over the network must be protected. There are plenty of precautions and measures that we can take to maintain the integrity and privacy of the data flowing through the network and its global communications infrastructure, but the question is, how much do you want to know about it? How stuff works can be boring at times. It takes your undivided attention and, as with all things in network engineering, it suffers from an overuse of acronyms. But if you are aware of how someone could infiltrate your laptop, find your online banking passwords, and play havoc with your hard-earned money, you can at least make it difficult for attackers to do.

There are dozens of different technologies that individuals, businesses, ...