What are the primary objectives of network security?

The primary objectives of network security center around ensuring the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of network data and resources, commonly referred to as the CIA triad. Confidentiality ensures that sensitive information is accessed only by authorized users, protecting it from unauthorized disclosure. Integrity involves maintaining the accuracy and consistency of data, ensuring that it cannot be altered by unauthorized parties. Availability guarantees that authorized users have access to network resources and data when they need them, preventing disruptions that could affect operations.

While maximizing network performance, minimizing costs, increasing user accessibility, and ensuring compliance with government regulations are important aspects of network management and governance, they do not encapsulate the fundamental goals of network security. These aspects might support the overall functioning of a network but do not specifically address protecting the network against threats and vulnerabilities, which is essential for maintaining trust and functionality in any organization’s digital environment. The core aim of network security is to safeguard against unauthorized access, data breaches, and other security threats, which is captured perfectly in the concept of confidentiality, integrity, and availability.