Understanding network maps.
Network maps in cybersecurity are.
Network topology graphs that describe the physical and or logical relationship and configuration between
links, which is communication connections and nodes, which is devices in the network.
To better understand the concept, consider road maps or maps in Atlas.
These describe physical locations, geographic features, political borders and the natural landscape.
Information about roads, which is these are the links.
So these their name, orientation length and intersections between other roads.
And these can be used to navigate between different locations, which is nodes.
Now, let's consider the following hypothetical scenario.
Imagine you live in a world where roads and buildings spontaneously appear or vanish in the blink of
an eye.
Gpes exists and you have the coordinates of where you are and where you want to go.
But you must try to get there by following a bewildering network of constantly changing roads.
Fortunately, navigational features, which is routers, are placed at every crossroads to help travelers
like you find their way.
These routers are constantly calling their neighboring routers to learn what routes and locations are
open so they can update their routing table and kept on a clipboard.
You must stop at every intersection and ask the router for directions to the next corner by showing
them your travel card, which has your intended destination coded in the GPS coordinates.
The router checks their clipboard for currently open routes while making some calculations.
Quickly points you in a direction stamps your travel card with a router's address hole punches your
travel card to track the number of routes you have checked in within your journey and sends you off
to the next router.
You repeat this process until you reach your destination.
Now imagine this world's cartographers who would have likely given up on producing accurate maps, unable
to keep up with the ever changing network.
These mapmakers would have to be satisfied with a labeling key landmarks and points of interest, with
generic names and routing through the lines between these points to indicate that the path of some sort
of exists between them.
This hypothetical situation is in fact what exists in cyberspace, and it's why network maps are not
as accurate and their maintenance is not as prioritized as it should be.
The lack of high quality, comprehensive network maps is a recognized challenge for cyber security organizations.
If an organization has a map at all, it's typically provided to the security Operations Center As or
C to illustrate where sensors or security devices are in the flow of data and to better understand packet
captures, firewall rules, alerts and system logs.
However, it's probably also abstract, describing only basic features such as boundaries for the internet,
perimeter network and intranet.
The general location of edge routers or firewalls and unspecified network boundaries and conceptual
arrangements indicated by cloudly bubbles.
An example of underdeveloped yet common network map available to cyber security and IT professionals.
You can see here on the screen.