Understanding Computer Network Security - Threats, Defences & Real-World Risks

Introduction

In this short, practical webinar, expert speaker Dr Stephen Hill explores the fundamentals of how computer networks operate, how attackers exploit them and the essential security measures organisations and individuals can use to protect systems and data.

Bridging theory and practice, this webinar demonstrates how modern network-security principles apply not only to enterprise environments but also to everyday digital activities such as online banking, cloud services and social media.

What You Will Learn

This webinar will cover the following:

• Foundations of Computer Networks
  • The hybrid reality: the shift from traditional office LANs to remote work, cloud services and IoT
  • How data moves: a simplified explanation of the request-response cycle
• The Modern Threat Landscape
  • Social Engineering 2.0
    • Beyond phishing: deepfake audio/video and AI-generated lures
  • Ransomware & Malware
    • ‘Living off the land’ attacks that misuse built-in system tools
  • DDoS & Network Bottlenecks
    • Why denial-of-service attacks increasingly target API endpoints
  • Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) Attacks
    • Public Wi-Fi risks and ‘evil twin’ hotspots
• Defending Your Network
  • Best-practice strategies and tools for strengthening security, including:
    • Encryption - protecting data in transit and at rest
    • Authentication and access Control - strong passwords, MFA and least-privilege access
    • Firewalls and network segmentation - controlling and isolating traffic
    • Endpoint protection - antivirus, EDR and secure system configuration
• Network Security in Everyday Life
  • Real-world scenarios that bring network-security concepts to life:
    • Online banking - secure connections and fraud prevention
    • E-commerce - safe transactions and trusted platforms
    • Social media - privacy, account protection and misinformation
    • Cloud computing - shared responsibility and secure access
  • Zero trust - the shift from ‘trust but verify’ to ‘never trust, always verify’