Some tools are used by network administrators to conduct network assessments. These products are referred to as network evaluation software or network monitoring software. It is how today’s network evaluation exercises are carried out. The next section will explain what a network assessment is. You’ll also understand the significance of network evaluation exercises.

What Is Network Assessment?

Let’s start by talking about computer networks to see how network assessment activities might help you. A computer network is a collection of computers that share information. Computer networks come in a variety of shapes and sizes:

LAN (Local Area Network) MAN (Metropolitan Area Network) WAN (Wide Area Network) PAN (Personal Area Network) CAN (Campus Area Network) GAN (Global Area Network) Internet (International Network) Intranet (Internal Network) Extranet (External Network) VPN (Virtual Private Network) Client/Server Network Workgroup Network

We won’t go into great depth about each network type here. Remember that a computer network is a collection of two or more connected computers that share data. The terms “assessment” and “evaluation” are interchangeable. The definitions of “network” and “assessment” provide some insight into what network assessment entails. The appraisal of one’s computer network or system is known as network assessment. This is also known as a network assessment exercise. How might network assessment exercises benefit your company? In the next section, you’ll learn why network assessments are so important.

The Importance Of Doing A Network Assessment

A network assessment exercise is a procedure for determining the present state of your network. Neglecting your computer network’s existing state is akin to inviting a threat. A network assessment exercise should be performed on a regular basis. Here are a few examples of how network evaluation activities might help you:

How Network Assessment Exercises Will Help You #1

A network assessment exercise will help you figure out whether equipment is still functional. This is a critical action to do. This will reveal which parts of your network need to be repaired or maintained. We’re talking about the computer’s hardware here.

How Network Assessment Exercises Will Help You #2

A network assessment might help you figure out what’s slowing down your network. A misconfigured router or a bandwidth-hogging programme could be to blame. Network administrators are continuously looking for the best settings for their network. In the first place, no one wants a slow internet connection.

How Network Assessment Exercises Will Help You #3

When performing a network evaluation, you may come across outdated programmes. This is critical since security vulnerabilities are caused by obsolete software. Security breaches can be avoided by keeping your applications up to date. Your programmes will stay up to date if you use a good patch management system.

How Network Assessment Exercises Will Help You #4

You can determine which hardware and software components need to be configured properly. Conducting a network evaluation exercise reveals the system’s misconfigurations. A security breach occurs if this is not addressed. By taking advantage of these system flaws, an attacker can get access to your network.

How Network Assessment Exercises Will Help You #5

Performing a network assessment will assist you in adhering to security standards. This will reveal which security policies require more attention or a remedy. The issue might sometimes be found in the application of the security policy. This is also where human error can occur.

How Network Assessment Exercises Will Help You #6

A network evaluation can help you discover your system’s vulnerabilities. Vulnerability is a symptom of vulnerability. These flaws can be used by cybercriminals to their advantage. Knowing about these flaws ahead of time takes you one step ahead of them.

How Network Assessment Exercises Will Help You #7

You can determine which department in your network requires additional resources. A network assessment will reveal where more system resources should be allocated. You can check if one department requires more internet connectivity than the rest. You can also make specific programmes more accessible to them than others.

Conclusion

A network assessment is now something you’re familiar with. You now have a better understanding of how network evaluation exercises might assist you.