As your company grows and changes your network environment will need to change to meet your business, internal and external threats are also evolving to counter the security protocols you have in place. You will need to update and change with the times. By securing your network with software, appropriate adjustments to strengthen them and equipment is called is called "network hardening." True hardening must be done on the inside as well as the outside. Remember, many attacks occur internally so equal consideration must be given to that possibility.
At the heart of the network hardening concept is the need to be consistent in evaluating your network layout and configuration. Consistency also implies staying ahead of the curve so to speak. Ensuring that you're never in a position where you're struggling to keep up with current security trends or technologies. Security threats thrive on exploiting the vulnerabilities of environments with out-of-date hardware, software, and security protocols.
The proper evaluation of your current network requires detailed research and a sense of urgency. You must be purpose-driven and methodical as you determine which components and/or practices need to be "hardened." It would not be cost effective to use a shotgun approach and upgrade everything at once. This approach would not only be inefficient but extremely risky as proper testing is essential before you implement new components or practices into your environment. A botched upgrade could actually weaken security rather than harden it. Don't be hasty and skip the testing phase! Since the concept of network hardening calls for consistent and frequent evaluation, it would be beneficial to setup a test environment where you can properly evaluate planned network upgrades and modifications.

In today network we are now faced with a greater degree of scrutiny than ever before. The