Network security encompasses strategies and practices designed to safeguard computer networks and their assets from unauthorized access, misuse, disruption, or modification. It involves deploying various technologies, policies, and procedures to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of network data and resources.

The primary goal of network security is to block unauthorized access to network systems, protect sensitive information from interception or alteration, and defend against malicious activities like malware attacks, unauthorized network access attempts, and distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks.