Representing our Networks

In theory, IT professionals use network diagrams throughout the information security lifecycle. When building a new system, we build diagrams that describe the overall architecture, how servers communicate, and wide-area-network (WAN) connectivity. When we assess systems, we use network diagrams to quickly understand the network design and to locate critical assets. And when an incident occurs, a diagram serves as the roadmap, identifying areas to monitor and isolating the attack ... at least, in theory.