1. Segmentation Policies: Define access rules based on user roles, devices, or data sensitivity. Example: Restricting access to financial data servers to specific teams.
2. Firewalls: Enforce segmentation by controlling traffic flow between network segments.
   Features:
   Stateful inspection
   Application layer filtering
3. Virtual LANs (VLANs): Logical segmentation within the same physical network, separating traffic by devices or groups.
4. Access Control Lists (ACLs): Rules that specify permitted or denied traffic flows between devices or subnets.
5. Microsegmentation: Fine-grained segmentation at the workload or application level to provide maximum control and security.
6. Network Access Control : Enforces authentication and compliance checks before granting access to network segments.
7. Monitoring and Logging : Provides visibility into segments’ traffic patterns, access attempts, and security incidents.

1. Enhanced Security: Limits the spread of malware, ransomware, and other threats by isolating infected segments.
2. Improved Compliance: Meets regulatory requirements for protecting sensitive data through strict access controls.
3. Reduced Attack Surface: Minimizes the exposure of critical systems and data to unauthorized access.
4. Operational Continuity: Maintains uninterrupted operations by isolating disruptions to specific segments.
5. Granular Visibility: Provides detailed insights into network traffic and user behavior within segments.
6. Scalable Management: Simplifies network management for large-scale or complex infrastructures.

1. Critical Infrastructure: Isolates OT systems (e.g., SCADA) from IT networks to protect industrial control systems from cyber threats.
2. Healthcare: Separates medical devices from administrative networks to safeguard patient data and device integrity.
3. Financial Services: Segments customer data, transaction systems, and administrative networks for compliance and security.
4. Enterprise IT: Implements microsegmentation to protect sensitive applications and cloud workloads.
5. Manufacturing: Divide production networks from corporate systems to prevent disruptions to industrial processes.
6. Retail : Isolates payment processing systems from general Wi-Fi networks to protect against cardholder data breaches.

Network segmentation and security are fundamental to modern cybersecurity strategies, offering strong protection against internal and external threats. By isolating network segments, organizations can enhance security, maintain compliance, and improve operational efficiency. Leveraging technologies such as firewalls, network access control (NAC), and micro-segmentation, this approach safeguards critical assets while ensuring seamless network performance.