Network security refers to the various policies adopted by an organization or network administrator to monitor and prevent unauthorized access, this access can result in the misuse or tampering of data, or a disruption of the network. With the increase in the number of users preferring an on-the-go network, virtualized data centers, and services based on cloud computing, it is becoming challenging to manage a network. Therefore, a structured approach is required for the effective management of a network's security.

The ultimate objective of network security is to protect an organization's critical and sensitive data from unauthorized access and destruction while ensuring its availability and integrity. There are many options available, so organizations can choose the one that best suits their network and business requirements. One example is the Cisco Security Manager, which helps in managing the entire deployed network. However, before understanding the various other aspects of network management, it is important to know about security policies and their components.

In this chapter, we will cover the following topics:

• Security policy
• Technologies to implement secure management network
• Planning considerations for secure management
• Log messaging implementation for security