Network Tools

Part 1

As the use of wireless devices continues to expand, the need to secure these connections must follow suit. Cell phones now have the capability to create "hot spots," and many fast-food restaurants, hotels, and stores offer free wireless Internet connections.

• Research and discuss a best practice list that an end user should take into consideration when connecting to a wireless access point.

As handheld devices continue to gain in popularity, the topic of wireless security continues to expand. It is now commonplace for companies to market a free Internet connection.

• Research and discuss the security concerns that these free hot spots can create for the end user.

Part 2

The CEO of your company has recently contemplated introducing a wireless element to the network, as well as a virtual private network (VPN) server for the salespeople and individuals telecommuting from remote locations. Although this seems like a good idea, the CEO is requesting more information because he is worried that this may create a security issue and network congestion and response time.

• Prepare a 4–5-page narrative to the CEO explaining what you would do to secure the new VPN to include an explanation of the VPN pre-shared key.
• Discuss selection of wireless encryption methods, and compare and contrast WEP, WPA, and WPA2 to include an explanation of the bit strength for each.
• Explain the concepts of war driving and the pros and cons of broadcasting the wireless SSID.
• Research packet capture tools, and explain how they can be used for network management and resource balancing as well as their use to analyze a virus in the process of propagating across your network in real time.
  • Explain how the tool works and what information it is capable of capturing.
• Select 3 types of information that could be captured from a packet capture tool, and explain how you would use it to either identify a security violation or an opportunity for performance optimization.