Security Fundamentals

Learn Networking and Security Basics

These articles are designed to familiarize you with essential network security components and concepts. Articles are added regularly. Check back for more Security Fundamentals and expand your security expertise with every visit.


Internet Protocol for Beginners

Before you can learn about basics of network attacks and how certain network security controls can help, you must understand the foundations of TCP/IP networking. This quick primer introduces networking neophytes to how digital traffic gets routed and delivered over computer networks. Read on...

Understanding IP Addresses and Binary

Perhaps you already know that IP addresses represent or identify individual computers on your network. But do you understand how your computer sees an IP addresses? If not, you may have trouble understanding TCP/IP network subnets. This article introduces you to just enough binary math and IP addressing detail to grasp how subnetting works later. Read on...

What Is a Port? (and Why Should I Block It?)

Next generation firewalls (NGFW) offer many mechanisms to define security policies, but in the beginning firewall policy all came down to TCP/IP ports and services. This quick primer helps you understand what TCP/IP ports are, and how they help define network services. Once you know that, you can create stronger firewall policies that help protect your network from attack. Read on...

Understanding IPv4 Subnetting (Part 1)

In order to setup any network appliance, including a WatchGuard Firebox, you’ll need to understand how the industry splits up our limited IPv4 network address space, and how we define individual network segments. This all relies on something called subnetting. Part one of this two part article series introduces you to subnetting and why the industry moved from a classful to classless Internet subnet routing system. Read on...

Understanding IPv4 Subnetting (Part 2)

Part one of this series taught you about subnets, and the differences between legacy classful and modern classless subnetting. Return for the second part of the series to learn how subnet masks work, and can allow you to break your networks into any sizes you like. Read on...