ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity (CC)Network SecurityMedium
A healthcare organization is designing its network infrastructure and must ensure that patient records (PHI) are strictly isolated from the general administrative network and guest Wi-Fi. Access to PHI must be restricted to authorized medical personnel only. Which network design principle is most critical for achieving this separation and access control?
- ALoad Balancing
- BRedundant Network Links
- CFlat Network Topology
- DNetwork Segmentation
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: D. Network Segmentation
Network segmentation involves dividing a network into smaller, isolated sub-networks. This is crucial for isolating sensitive data like PHI, restricting access, and containing potential breaches, directly addressing the stated requirements.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Load balancing distributes traffic for performance and availability, not for data isolation or security segmentation.
- B. Redundant network links enhance availability but do not provide logical separation or access control for data.
- C. A flat network topology has no segmentation, making it unsuitable for isolating sensitive data.
Network Segmentation
The practice of dividing a computer network into multiple smaller network segments or subnets, each acting as its own small network, to improve security, performance, and manageability.
- Isolates sensitive data and systems.
- Limits the scope of security breaches.
- Enforces granular access control policies.
- Can be implemented with VLANs, firewalls, or physical separation.
Memory trick: Network segmentation is like building 'secure rooms' within a big building, each with its own access rules.