Networking Fundamentals for Aspiring Cybersecurity Professionals - Part 2: Network Protocols and Ports
Part 2: Understanding Protocols, Ports, and Security Risks In the world of cybersecurity, networking knowledge is non-negotiable . It's the backbone of how systems communicate, how data flows, and how attackers exploit vulnerabilities. Whether you're aiming to become a SOC analyst, penetration tester, or security engineer, a solid understanding of core networking protocols and services is essential. Let’s explore the foundational components: HTTP, DNS, SMTP, FTP, Telnet , and common port numbers —along with their use cases and associated security concerns . CyberDefenders | Need Cybersecurity experience? 1. HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol) Purpose : Used for transferring web content such as HTML pages between browsers and web servers. Port : 80 (HTTP), 443 (HTTPS – secured) Usage : Every time you browse a website (e.g., http://example.com ), your browser initiates an HTTP request to retrieve data from a web server. Security Issues : HTTP transmits data in pl...