Layered Security

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What Does Layered Security Mean?

Layered security refers to security systems that use multiple components to protect operations on multiple levels, or layers. This term can also be related to the term defense in depth, which is based on a slightly different idea where multiple strategies and resources are used to slow, block, delay or hinder a threat until it can be completely neutralized.

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Layered security may also be known as layered defense.

Techopedia Explains Layered Security

The central idea behind layered security or defense is that in order to protect systems from a broad range of attacks, using multiple strategies will be more effective. Layered security can involve security protocols at the system or network levels, at the application level, or at the transmission level, where security experts may focus on data in use over data at rest.

Layered security efforts attempt to address problems with different kinds of hacking or phishing, denial of service attacks, and other cyberattacks, as well as worms, viruses, malware, and other kinds of more passive or indirect system invasions.

Antivirus software packages provide layered security for home users by offering firewalls, system and download scanning, and behavioral analysis, as well as tools like ransomware, phishing, and webcam protection.

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Margaret Rouse
Technology Expert
Margaret Rouse
Technology Expert

Margaret is an award-winning technical writer and teacher known for her ability to explain complex technical subjects to a non-technical business audience. Over the past twenty years, her IT definitions have been published by Que in an encyclopedia of technology terms and cited in articles by the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine, and Discovery Magazine. She joined Techopedia in 2011. Margaret's idea of a fun day is helping IT and business professionals learn to speak each other’s highly specialized languages.