There are many different ways that Network Security works. The first is through the use of firewalls. Firewalls protect your computer from unwarranted access. You can see them as a physical firewall, a wall that protects the city from fire spreading. The fire, or dangerous stuff on the Internet, can only come as far as the firewall lets it, but it then stops the fire from spreading any more. A firewall for computers is the same. It stops dangerous things from getting within your network.
A second thing way that network security works is virus protection. Companies, from a small one-man operation to giant corporations, should employ the use of virus protection software. The virus removal programs search your computers on a daily basis for the definitions of viruses that are known to them and then eliminate them from the computer, keeping them from spreading and destroying valuable information.
The third avenue that network security uses is data recovery programs. Data recovery software backs up your data on a weekly or daily basis so that if something happens to your information, you can recover easily.
A fourth method of network security is electrical protection for your computer or network. This can be as simple as a surge protector, which protects your computer from electronic surges, which will disable your computer or destroy hardware. This can also be a larger battery backup for your server or individual computer.
The fifth way can be the employment of an individual devoted to protecting the security of your information systems. Smaller companies may have the “computer guy” who will support all Information Technology processes by working physically on the hardware as well as working with the software that protects the network. Larger companies may have a team of people that are devoted to just the security of the information. They may have college degrees in computer science or may go all the way up to having their CISSP certificate which shows a large competency for network security.