Network foundations · Lesson 2 of 5
Give your network some boundaries
A network boundary limits which systems may communicate. Segmentation groups systems into zones so that one compromised device does not automatically get a clear path to everything else.
Keep the database behind a boundary
Example: a three-tier storefront. Arrows show only required application traffic.
- Public web tier
Receives visitor requests.
- Application tier
Handles approved business logic.
- Database zone
Accepts only the required application connections.
Read the visualShould guest Wi-Fi also have a direct route to the database?
Not without a justified need. Restrict unnecessary paths and verify the enforced rules.
Map the necessary conversations
Identify which application components really need to communicate.
Allow specific flows
Enforce rules appropriate to those needs instead of allowing every zone to reach every other zone.
Check the boundary
A diagram is not enforcement. Review the actual rules and test approved connections safely.
Put it in context
A fictional storefront needs a public web tier, an application tier, and a database. Visitors need the storefront, not direct access to the database. The design should reflect those different needs.
Separate systems by purpose, then explicitly control the traffic between them.
Read the sources
Make it stick.
Try one short question to check your understanding and save this lesson to your progress.