What is the primary goal of network security?

The primary goal of network security is to protect network data from unauthorized access and attacks. This encompasses a wide range of practices and technologies that are designed to safeguard the integrity, confidentiality, and availability of data as it travels across or rests within a network. By implementing various security measures—such as firewalls, encryption, intrusion detection systems, and access controls—network security aims to prevent data breaches, ensuring that sensitive information remains confidential and is only accessible to authorized users.

While ensuring maximum uptime of services is important for an organization's operational resilience, it is a secondary aspect of security. Improving network performance can enhance user experience and productivity, but it does not directly address the protection of data itself. Facilitating seamless user access is necessary for usability but should be balanced with security to ensure that unauthorized individuals do not gain access to critical data or services. Therefore, while all these aspects are relevant in network management, the fundamental aim of network security remains the protection of network data from threats.