Getting a Networking Job For Dummies

Chapter 4

Networking Concepts and Trends

In This Chapter

• Understanding access control technologies and processes
• Becoming familiar with telecommunications and networking technologies
• Deciphering cryptography and understanding how it is used and managed
• Getting the basics of computers, virtualization, and cloud computing
• Protecting equipment and facilities

To successfully begin and navigate a career in networking, you need to understand a great deal about how various aspects of computing and networking technologies work. You don't need to understand everything in this chapter on day one, but the more you do know about the concepts behind the technologies, the easier it will be to learning more and do more as you increase your expertise and advance in networking.

Access Control

At its heart, access control is all about who (or what) is allowed to access something. In business, users are required to identify themselves — and prove their identity — before they can use workstations and applications. This section explains the concepts behind access control.

Basic concepts in access control

The basics of access control can be divided into two major categories:

• Authentication: the technology that facilitates access to systems, data, and workspaces
• Business processes used to manage access

Common terms in access control

access review

accumulation of privileges

authentication

biometrics

FTP, FTPS, and SFTP

hashing

key logger

multifactor authentication

password

password quality