LESSON 7

Network Fundamentals

Learning objective: Understand basic networking concepts for security.

Understand

Knowing how networks work helps you protect them.

Devices communicate using IP addresses and ports. A firewall filters traffic, and HTTPS encrypts data in transit. Public Wi-Fi is risky because others may see unencrypted traffic — prefer HTTPS sites and trusted networks.

Analogy: A network is like a postal system: addresses route messages, and encryption is a sealed envelope.

See It in Action

Safer versus riskier connections:

https://bank.com   - encrypted (padlock)
http://random-wifi  - unencrypted, avoid for logins
How it works: The https padlock means traffic is encrypted; plain http can be read by others on the network.

Try It Yourself

  1. Check for the padlock on sites you log into.
  2. Note when you last used public Wi-Fi.
  3. Prefer HTTPS-only sites for sensitive tasks.

Quick Quiz

What does HTTPS provide?

Challenge

Explain why you should avoid logging into sensitive accounts on open public Wi-Fi.

Success condition: You can explain the risk of unencrypted connections.