Network Security Metrics for Improving Network Security Management

Abstract

Securing university computer network is more important today than ever before, and thus the status of network security is currently the main area of concern to most universities’ top management. Existing studies and models on network security management are not comprehensively based on network security metrics, and thus hardly show the network security status. The inadequate coverage of network security metrics in the existing models deprives the models of the ability to comprehensively portray network security status at any given time. There is, therefore, a need for a network security management model based on network security metrics that clearly demonstrates instantaneous network security status. This paper aims to develop a university network security management model based on network security metrics. The main objectives are to determine the network security elements, develop network security metrics from the elements and to finally come up with a proposed model based on the metrics useful in monitoring network security status. The results obtained shows that network security features that comprehensively describe computer network security status are: network data security, network malware control, network security policy, and network access control and monitoring. The obtained metrics were further used to develop respective network security elements, which contributes to the proposed model for managing university network security metrics.