Networking and Security

By Keith Sacco

The networking and security course provides students with insights on the different types of networks existent today, the various ways data and information is transferred from one device to another, and wired and wireless types of networks. The course also investigates aspects of security, and why security should be put in place when a network is set up. Students taking up this course ask (1) is networking only about wired and wireless networking, and why is this important in the business and workplace today? and (2) when career path would I follow if I study networking? Networking and Security are the fundamentals of connectivity in business today. Using wired or wireless technologies, devices from smartphones to laptops, or any other connected devices – connect to the wider networked world and the internet. All businesses use some sort of wired or wireless devices in their organisations. Everyone today makes use of a smartphone or connected devices to the internet. Therefore, be it gaming, medical, financial, public sector, social media or any other area in the working world; all are connected to the wider internet, all need to have security in place to protect their operation, and all make use of devices that are connected. This means that there is the need for experienced and knowledgeable people to manage such networks, wired/wireless devices, or specialists in security / cyber-security so as to ensure that; such network is running efficiently, security and ensure the only authenticated devices allow access, networked devices are set up to ensure full throughput and speed, and the network and business domain has the necessary cyber security systems in place to protect against malicious activity. These are all areas covered in the course. The networking/security student should not only see networks and security from a curricular perspective but from a job and career path perspective networking and security open ones opportunities to work as Network Engineers, Network Architects, and Cyber Security Specialists to mention a few.