Step 1: Enterprise Network Diagram

In this project, you will research and learn about types of networks and their secure constructs that may be used in an organization to accomplish the functions of the organization’s mission.

You will propose a local area network (LAN) and a wide area network (WAN) for the organization, define the systems environment, and incorporate this information in a network diagram. You will discuss the security benefits of your chosen network design.

Read the following resources about some of the computing platforms available for networks and discuss how these platforms could be implemented in your organization:

• common computing platforms

• cloud computing

• distributed computing

• centralized computing

• secure programming fundamentals

Include the rationale for each of the platforms you choose to include in your network design.

Step 2: Enterprise Threats

Review the OIG report on the OPM breach that you were asked to research and read about at the beginning of the project. The OIG report includes many security deficiencies that likely left OPM networks vulnerable to being breached.

In addition to those external threats, the report describes the ways OPM was vulnerable to insider threats. The information about the breach could be classified as threat intelligence. Define threat intelligence and explain what kind of threat intelligence is known about the OPM breach.

You just provided detailed background information on your organization. Next, you’ll describe threats to your organization’s system. Before you get started, select and explore the contents of the following link: insider threats (also known as internal threats). As you’re reading, take note of which insider threats are a risk to your organization.

Now, differentiate between the external threats to the system and the insider threats. Identify where these threats can occur in the previously created diagrams. Relate the OPM threat intelligence to your organization. How likely is it that a similar attack will occur at your organization?

Professionals in the Field

The OPM breach is a matter of historical fact. Your scholarly research into this matter can and should inform your approach to cybersecurity. Your ability to fluently converse on past cyber breaches is one way of demonstrating to potential employers that you have the necessary knowledge, skills, and attitudes to be a valuable addition to their team.

Take notes as you read about this breach—feel free to search for other major breaches—and pay attention to the mistakes that were made that and what actions were taken afterward. As a part of the interview process, you might be asked to apply this knowledge to a new situation.

Step 3: Scan the Network

You will now investigate network traffic and the security of the network and information system infrastructure overall. Past network data has been logged and stored, as collected by a network analyzer tool such as Wireshark. Explore the tutorials and user guides to learn more about the tools to monitor and analyze network activities you will use.

You will perform a network analysis of the Wireshark files provided to you in Workspace and assess the network posture and any vulnerability or suspicious information you are able to obtain. You will identify any suspicious activities on the network through port scanning and other techniques. Include this information in your SAR.

In order to validate the assets and devices on the organization’s network, you should run scans using security and vulnerability assessment analysis tools such as OpenVAS, Nmap, or Nessus, depending on the operating systems of your organization’s networks. Live network traffic can also be sampled and scanned using Wireshark on either the Linux or Windows systems. Wireshark allows you to inspect all OSI layers of traffic information. Further analyze the packet capture for network performance, behavior, and any suspicious source and destination addresses on the networks.

Hackers frequently scan the internet for computers or networks to exploit. An effective firewall can prevent hackers from detecting the existence of networks. Hackers continue to scan ports, but if the hacker finds there is no response from the port and no connection, the hacker will move on. The firewall can block unwanted traffic and Nmap can be used to self-scan to test the responsiveness of the organization’s network to would-be hackers.

In the existing Wireshark files, identify whether any databases have been accessed. What are the IP addresses associated with that activity? Include this information in your SAR.

Step 4: Identify Security Issues

You have a suite of security tools, techniques, and procedures that can be used to assess the security posture of your organization’s network in a SAR.

Now it’s time to identify the security issues in your organization’s networks. You have previously learned about password-cracking tools; in this step, provide an analysis of the strength of passwords used by the employees in your organization. Are weak passwords a security issue for your organization?

Step 5: Firewalls and Encryption

Next, examine these resources on firewalls and auditing related to the use of the Relational Database Management System (RDBMS), the database system and data. Also review these resources related to access control.

Determine the role of firewalls, encryption, and auditing for RDBMS in protecting information and monitoring the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the information in the information systems.

Reflect any weaknesses found in the network and information system diagrams previously created, as well as in your developing SAR.

Step 6: Threat Identification

Now that you know the weaknesses in your organization’s network and information system, you will determine various known threats to the organization’s network architecture and IT assets.

Get acquainted with the following types of threats and attack techniques. Which are a risk to your organization?

• IP address spoofing/cache poisoning attacks

• denial-of-service attacks (DoS)

• packet analysis/sniffing

DETAILED ASSIGNMENT

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