NETWORK ARCHITECTURE SNHUENERGY INC 1
IT 640-Q5156 Telecommunication/ Networking
NETWORK ARCHITECTURE SNHUENERGY INC 2
Executive Summary
SNHUEnegry Inc, is a medium sized oil and gas company that is
focused on the discovery and drilling of oil-base products. yy The company
wants to grow focused on exploration into a company that also provides the
transportation and refinement of its discoveries. yy This is a big step for the
company, and it wants to make sure the communication infrastructure is ready
to delivery in the next 12 to 18 months. The current network now give
us some concern about impact of losing connectivity between Dallas router and
the Memphis router affect to business, communication between the users. yy The
network loses connectivity means lost dollars and lost business opportunities.
The application may be impact should be: email, Video Conferencing, Payroll,
Accounting and HR. When the router losing connectives the users must waiting
on their network to catch up to the speed at which they are working. They
have to sit and wait for file transfers, applications to open, attachments to
download, and web pages to open. Slow internet causes costly delays in the
company operations and work flow management. The risk of just having a
single router or switch within Memphis office it could shut down the Memphis
site if the router in Memphis down, or switch down. The route traffic takes
among different network providers also affects performance.
In the future, the company will extend these services across the WAN
by using TCP/IP communication processes, because Wide Area Network (WAN)
to connect the two locations. WAN connections vary in bandwidth depending
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on your needs, and may be set up as a direct connection or a virtual
private network (VPN) via the Internet. Either way, connecting your locations
will enable better and more secure communication within your business. yy For
Memphis site we will get extra switch and router for back up, in case the
single switch, and router down. I would consider security when making any
change to company network infrastructure, especially when connecting two sites.
I would consider higher level protection network security when expend the
network.
Current Network Architecture: Network Applications
The company currently uses these applications: Email, Payroll, Accounting,
and Human Resource. yy The network plays a huge role in application
performance management in the company. yy Per Robbie Harrel in journal article:
“Understanding the network application environment” states depending upon server
locations and network geography, the traffic patterns can be significantly
different for different areas of the network. This requires a wide view of the
network in terms of capturing application flows. Therefore we need to
understanding and controlling that traffic is critical, and centralizing computing
facilities for servers can provide greater visibility without the need to
decentralize application traffic capturing capabilities (Harrell, N.D).
Current Network Architecture: OSI Model
The component of the network with the OSI transport layer: switch,
router, firewall, PC work stations, servers, application. yy The device use for
network layer is router. yy Layer 3, the network layer of the OSI model,
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provides an end-to-end logical addressing system so that a packet of data can
be routed across several layer 2 networks (Ethernet, Token Ring, Frame Relay,
etc.). yy Note that network layer addresses can also be referred to as logical
addresses. To make it easier to manage the network and control the flow of
packets, many organizations separate their network layer addressing into smaller
parts known as subnets. Routers use the network or subnet portion of the IP
addressing to route traffic between different networks. Each router must be
configured specifically for the networks or subnets that will be connected to
its interfaces (Simoneau, N.D).
The Firewall device is use in Transport layer of the OSI model, offers
end-to-end communication between end devices through a network. Depending on
the application, the transport layer either offers reliable, connection-oriented or
connectionless, best-effort communications (Simoneau, N.D).
Base on the current network architecture the company use the Internet
Layer to uses the source and destination addresses in order to facilitate the
movement of data between the Network Access layer and the Transport layer;
the data flows from one node on the network to the next node in a path
moving toward the final destination by Achetson defines in the article: “The
seven Layers of Networking”. Per Achetson the two other common protocols
that operate at the TCP/IP Internet layer are derivatives of IP: IP version 4
(IPv4) and IPv6. The devices that typically operate at the Internet layer are
routers. The Internet layer of the TCP/IP model corresponds to the Network
layer (Layer 3) of the OSI model (Achetson, 2014).
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Current network: Physical network devices
Per article: “Exploring the Modern Computer Network: Types, Functions, and
Hardware” the network infrastructure contains three categories of network
components:
• End devices
• Intermediary devices
• Network media
Hardware comprises the components of the network platform that typically are
visible, such as a laptop, PC, switch, router, wireless access point, or the
cabling used to connect the devices. Occasionally, some network components
may not be visible. In the case of wireless media, for example, messages are
transmitted through the air using invisible radio frequency or infrared waves. yy
The physical Computers (work stations, laptops, file servers, web servers)
• Network printers
• VoIP phones
• TelePresence endpoints
• Security cameras
• Mobile handheld devices (such as smartphones, tablets, PDAs, and wireless
debit/credit card readers and barcode scanners) (Exploring the Modern
Computer Network: Types, Functions, and Hardware, 2013).
The physical of the network with the OSI transport layer: switch, router,
firewall, PC work stations, servers, application. yy The device use for network
layer is router. yy Layer 3, the network layer of the OSI model, provides an
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end-to-end logical addressing system so that a packet of data can be routed
across several layer 2 networks (Ethernet, Token Ring, Frame Relay, etc.). Note
that network layer addresses can also be referred to as logical addresses. yy To
make it easier to manage the network and control the flow of packets, many
organizations separate their network layer addressing into smaller parts known as
subnets. Routers use the network or subnet portion of the IP addressing to
route traffic between different networks. Each router must be configured
specifically for the networks or subnets that will be connected to its interfaces
(Simoneau, N.D).
The Firewall device is use in Transport layer of the OSI model, offers
end-to-end communication between end devices through a network. Depending on
the application, the transport layer either offers reliable, connection-oriented or
connectionless, best-effort communications (Simoneau, N.D).
Current network: Critical Traffic Patterns
According article: “7 factors that an impact your network performance”
Annese Team states a network’s limitations are critical areas of concern when
performing capacity and performance management. These limitations primarily
include the following:
Errors: Network errors can generally be categorized into problems with queuing,
latency, and jitter. The data queue can affect network performance in several
ways. For example, larger queues increase the wait time, while smaller queues
increase the probability of dropped data.
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Speed: Pipe size is the amount of data the network can send simultaneously
on a single connection. It's often confused with connection speed, although pipe
size doesn't actually affect the speed at which data travels between nodes.
While hardware capabilities determine the maximum bandwidth that is
theoretically available, software mechanisms typically allocate a lower bandwidth
for each network service.
Memory: Memory is a computing resource that has requirements in both the
data and control planes. The performance of the entire network can degrade
when control plane processes fail, as is the case when routing convergence
requires additional memory.
Distance: Distance can have a dramatic impact on network performance,
especially when the applications haven't been optimized. The maximum speed at
which data can be forward is the speed of light, which is 186,000 miles per
second or 186 miles per millisecond. This packet forwarding delay becomes
significant when an enterprise is running an international client/server application.
Central Processing Unit (CPU): A node's central processing unit (CPU) is
typically used by both the control and data planes. Capacity and performance
management requires a network and its nodes to have insufficient processing
capability at all times. A single node with an inadequate CPU can impact the
entire network due to the high degree of interdependence between the nodes in
the modern network. Insufficient processing can also increase latency if a node's
CPU is unable to keep up with network traffic.
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Applications: Applications can also affect a network's capacity and performance,
with issues such as the amount of data the application is able to transmit
compared to what it needs to transmit. This factor is especially critical for the
performance of Wide Area Networks (WANs). Additional application characteristics
that affect capacity and performance include application keep-alive and window
sizes (Team, 2017).
Management of a network's availability, capacity, and performance is therefore
crucial for achieving an organization's business objectives. It really impact of
losing connectivity between Dallas router and the Memphis router affect to
business, communication between the users. yy The network loses connectivity
means lost dollars and lost business opportunities. The application may be
impact should be: email, Video Conferencing, Payroll, Accounting and HR.
When the router losing connectives the users must waiting on their network to
catch up to the speed at which they are working. They have to sit and wait
for file transfers, applications to open, attachments to download, and web pages
to open. Slow internet causes costly delays in the company operations and
work flow management. According to Pangiotis Vouzis in the article: “Impact
of Packet Loss, Jitter, and Latency on VoIP” the poor VoIP quality because
latency, jilter, and packet loss can never be completely eliminated from real
world networks. (Vouzis, 2016). Telephony is all UDP based, and packets may
not arrive at the destination, or get discarded if they arrive delayed or contain
errors. This results in missing audio information at the destination.
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SQL Server, similar to other enterprise database systems, can place an
extremely large load on an I/O subsystem. In most large database applications,
physical I/O configuration and tuning play a significant role in overall system
performance. yy There are three major I/O performance factors to consider:
• I/O bandwidth: The aggregate bandwidth, typically measured in megabytes
per second that can be sustained to a database device
• I/O latency: The latency, typically measured in milliseconds, between a
request for I/O by the database system and the point where the I/O
request is completed
• CPU cost: The host CPU cost, typically measured in CPU microseconds,
for the database system to complete a single I/O (Description of support
for network database files in SQL Server, 2016).
According from Rene Millman in the article: “What’s slowing down your
network and how to fix it” Network management to watch when network slow
is to see bandwidth as the problem, but with investigation, it is often not
within a LAN environment, where a high amount of bandwidth is available.
More likely, the problem lies within the WAN, where capacity is more finite
and expensive (Millman, N.D).
Current network Architecture: Pattern across the Infrastructure
According Michelle in article:” The Layers of the OSI Model Illustrated”
The organizations have a systems (servers, desktops, laptops, mobile devices,
etc.) available worldwide and connected through LAN and WAN connections in
multiple locations such as the internet, internal networks, perimeter networks, as
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well as across firewalls and other security equipment that need to be managed
and supported centrally, using a systems management tool or solution that has
to be designed, adapted and configured in order to address business and
technical concerns. yy First we need identify network requirement on 2 factors:
Business goals: Focus on how the network can make the business more
successful.
Technical requirements: Focus on how the technology is implemented within the
network
The next one we need characterizing the existing network: Information about
the current network and services is gathered and analyzed. It is necessary to
compare the functionality of the existing network with the defined goals of the
new project. The designer determines whether any existing equipment,
infrastructure, and protocols can be reused, and what new equipment and
protocols are needed to complete the design. yy Then design network topology:
the network applications and service requirements are identified, and then the
network is designed to support them. When the design is complete, a
prototype or proof-of-concept test is performed. This approach ensures that the
new design functions as expected before it is implemented. Routers are small
electronic devices that join multiple computer networks together via either wired
or wireless connections. yy Routers contain a processor (CPU), several kinds of
digital memory, and input-output (I/O) interfaces. They function as when a
network packet leaves the computer, or other networking device, in route to a
destination outside its’ own LAN, some additional information must be attached
NETWORK ARCHITECTURE SNHUENERGY INC 11
to the packet. yy This information would be in the form of a default gateway.
This default gateway would typically be a router. If the router does not
have specific knowledge of where the packet should be delivered, it forwards
the packet upstream to another special-purpose computers, one that does not
require a keyboard or display (Michell, 2017). yy
Network switches are the glue that binds computer communications. yy Your
computer at work typically connects to a network switch. A switch’s job is to
receive packets from a computer, or other networking device, and send them
to the proper place. yy The switch keeps a list of all the devices connected to
it (Aubrett’s non-technical IT dictionary). yy yy In addition, switches share this
information with other switches to which they are linked. yy This way, if
computer A needs to communicate with computer B, the switches know exactly
where computer A and computer B are connected as long as they exist on
the same LAN. yy If computer A and computer B do not exist on the same
LAN, the computer must provide the information of a router, called a default
gateway, which can handle the traffic when it sends the packet.
Firewall: yy A firewall is the gatekeeper between a private network and the rest
of the world. The firewall determines what, if anything, inside the private
network should be accessible from the outside. Firewalls exist in many forms.
Some are hardware appliances which are dedicated solely to performing the
firewall functions. Some firewalls are software components which run on routers
designed to sit at the network edge. Some firewalls are software packages
which run on a server. Most PC operating systems such as Microsoft have a
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built-in firewall to protect local resources (Aubrett’s non-technical IT, dictionary).
The firewall’s job is to examine network packets which are sent to
destinations within the private network to see if they should be allowed to
pass.
Current network Architecture: Performance Issues
It really impact of losing connectivity between Dallas router and the
Memphis router affect to business, communication between the users. yy The
network lose connectivity means lost dollars and lost business opportunities. The
application may be impact should be: email, Video Conferencing, Payroll,
Accounting and HR. When the router losing connectives the users must waiting
on their network to catch up to the speed at which they are working. They
have to sit and wait for file transfers, applications to open, attachments to
download, and web pages to open. Slow internet causes costly delays in the
company operations and work flow management.
The risk of just having a single router or switch within Memphis office
it could shut down the Memphis site if the router in Memphis down, or
switch down. yy The route traffic takes among different network providers also
affects performance.
Current network Architecture: Security issues
A high security communication flow path is not useful when the
network path cannot support capacity and reachability requirements. The
deployment phase in communication network can facilitate an optimal network
path by focusing on both the network performance and the network security at
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the same time. The networking and security industries reflect this dichotomy
with strong security companies and strong networking companies. A firewall is
a network security device that grants or rejects network access to traffic flows
between an untrusted zone (e.g., the Internet) and a trusted zone (e.g., a
private or corporate network). The firewall acts as the demarcation point or
“traffic cop” in the network, as all communication should flow through it and
it is where traffic is granted or rejected access (Singh,N.D). yy A firewall is a
network security device that monitors incoming and outgoing network traffic and
decides whether to allow or block specific traffic based on a defined set of
security rules. Therefore if network down is affect to firewall. yy A firewall is
every bit as critical to security as an anti-virus program. Firewalls stop
malware from spreading to a network and defend against hackers attempting to
infiltrate a targeted system. Disabling a firewall can therefore leave a business
vulnerable to abuse, allowing viruses to infect interconnected devices, and giving
cybercriminals the opportunity to execute malicious code remotely. End-to-end
latency (the delay that happens to a packet end to end from the PC to the
server) and any errors causing re-transmission on the network will also degrade
application performance and slow the network (Millman, N.D).
Future Network: Future Communication Needs
Today network’s components work together is changing and fast. yy
According to article: “A new model for the future network architecture” our
latest infrastructure model harnesses the future architecture evolution to enable
fast problem solving in a more manageable and effective way (NA, 2017). yy
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The future communication is designed for the needs of operators and their
customers, with the option to change and evolve individual sections rather than
changing the entire system. Some of commend for new future communication
network first would be application clouds. yy According to article: “Uncovering
the application cloud” The application cloud model directs resources when and
where they are needed. It becomes even more effective when combined with
the connectivity infrastructure evolution, ready to roll out new innovations across
different industries. yy The application cloud resides on top of the distributed
cloud infrastructure. This distributed cloud infrastructure exposes network assets
from one or several operators. yy The hardware management system becomes
more important than ever, as there are several types of physical sites playing
different roles and with different requirements (2017).
The next step considers should be management and monetization. yy According to
article: “Architecture evolution for automation and network programmability”
recommend full network programmability for a network and its services needs
to consider all the building blocks: how each piece of the network will
evolve; how they will interface; and how they support the structure and
business processes of an operator. But to achieve such levels of flexibility
requires the inter-domain interfaces as well as the domains to evolve. yy
Network functions will no longer be located according to traditional vertical
groupings in single network nodes, but will instead be distributed to provide
connectivity where it is needed (2017). yy As applications like self-driving
vehicles and remotely operated machinery evolve, become more innovative, and
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more widespread, the level of performance that 5G networks need to deliver
will inevitably rise. yy Per article: “Flexibility in 5G transport networks: the key
to meeting the demand for connectivity” the new 5G transport network are
high – providing support for a massive range of services. Industry
transformation, digitalization, the global dependence on mobile broadband, MTC,
the IoT, and the rise of innovative industrial applications all require new
services, which has a considerable impact on the transport network. For
example, a new radio-access model that supports highly scalable video
distribution or massive MTC data uploading might require additional transport
facilities – such as a scalable way to provide multicasting. yy
Per Ryan Rouse it’s important that teams across every step of oil and
gas production, including upstream (hydraulic fracturing, oil field monitoring and
offshore rigs), midstream (pipeline monitoring and pumping stations) and
downstream (refineries and gas stations) applications, use dependable network
components that can withstand harsh industrial conditions for the highest
network reliability and availability. yy Cyber security, for example, is quickly
becoming a big concern for industries everywhere, especially oil and gas
(Rouse, 2017). yy According to Rouse in his article: “Future-Proofing Oil and
Gas Networks: 4 Things to Look For” The biggest step teams can take to
ensure they have a solid communications network is to invest in high-quality,
rugged Ethernet infrastructure designed specifically for use in harsh environments.
In addition, it’s essential to understand when and where to use industrial-grade
components versus those designed for commercial settings (Rouse, 2017). The
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plan for SNHUEnergy, Inc will grow, but we need to ensure their control
rooms and overall communications infrastructure are well-equipped to support
expansion, harsh environments and modern technologies. Success requires the
right combination of switches, cabling, firewalls and wireless components that
deliver on the team’s unique needs, protect against evolving threats and add to
the bottom-line.
Future Network Architecture: Network Architecture
According to Rouse comment when considering how to design the
network, we should look for components that meet the following four
requirements:
Safety and reliability: Remote monitoring solutions offering high network
visibility and control are helpful, in addition to leading industrial security and
firewall products for Layer 2 and Layer 3 networks. yy We look for
components that can withstand the harshest environmental conditions and are
compliant to oil and gas standards, meeting all possible classified types for
each facility site to ensure compliance with UL Class I Division 2 and ATEX
certifications. Solutions that can transmit up to 170km without using active
repeaters in between are ideal for oil and gas applications.
Reduced operational costs: Constant maintenance-related updates, especially
in difficult to reach areas such as deep water shelters below 200-400m of the
surface, are extremely costly. This is not only because of maintenance fees,
but also because of unnecessary downtime. yy Maintenance-free networking
solutions that allow you to remotely and automatically monitor wells and fields
NETWORK ARCHITECTURE SNHUENERGY INC 17
and take preventable measures to help avoid production downtime. Using multi-
Gigabit solutions that offer extended bandwidth and expandability are flexible
and cost-effective tools that can support this initiative.
Minimized installation efforts: Installation can be costly in most industrial
settings – but even more costly in extreme oil and gas settings, which are
often underwater. yy Wide local area network (WLAN) solutions that meet the
ATEX Zone 2 standard for oil and gas applications can help reduce wire line
installation costs and enable teams to get closer to the field level, contributing
to seamless installation. Withstand harsh environments: The biggest step teams
can take to ensure they have a solid communications network is to invest in
high-quality, rugged Ethernet infrastructure designed specifically for use in harsh
environments. In addition, it’s essential to understand when and where to use
industrial-grade components versus those designed for commercial settings.
Identify solutions that withstand the corrosive and extreme elements oil
and gas applications face every day, including water immersion, crushing,
abrasion, UV exposure, oils and solvents, sunlight, extreme temperatures, chemical
exposure, and prolonged vibration and noise. This is foundational to the success
of upstream, midstream and downstream processes (Rouse, 2017).
We will focus on switching and routing, access, signaling and control,
performance and reliability, security, physical design and transport, we incorporate
all important elements of design to plan for future communication network
needs.
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We will extend these services across the WAN by using TCP/IP
communication processes, because Wide Area Network (WAN) to connect the
two locations. WAN connections vary in bandwidth depending on your needs,
and may be set up as a direct connection or a virtual private network (VPN)
via the Internet. Either way, connecting your locations will enable better and
more secure communication within your business. yy For Memphis site we will
get extra switch and router for back up, in case the single switch, and router
down. yy I would consider security when making any change to company
network infrastructure, especially when connecting two sites. I would consider
higher level protection network security when expend the network. I will
consider building network and implement user application network management
policies to overcome congestion and performance issues. yy When building new
network the system can monitor and respond to network security threats in
real time to thwart increasingly sophisticated attacks and intrusions. yy
Planning and Security: Performances and
Security Issues
Today’s networks are congested. In addition to carrying traditional business
application data (e.g., email and file transfer), internal networks are now also
carrying voice traffic and on demand video conferencing. Per Dave Shackleford
in his article: “Monitoring Security and Performance on Converged Traffic
works” states performance and security monitoring are growing closer together
than ever as these new and traditional forms of traffic clog our networks.
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Although the presence of a performance or security issue does not necessarily
indicate the existence of the other, many analysts are realizing the benefits of
behavioral baselines and how a more holistic approach can alleviate the
problems of both congestion and security. For example, large data transfers that
are causing congestion issues could potentially indicate an attacker retrieving
database records. Therefore security is major concern on the network therefore I
must seek a unified way to correlate different alerts from performance and
security monitoring systems. For security keep pace with new attacks on
protocols, such as SIP, which include registration hijacking and eavesdropping?
Increased visibility into network traffic and behavioral baselines is critical to
detect and prevent such attacks (Shackeford, 2008). For many of today’s more
complex attacks, as well as the majority of sophisticated malware, the network
architecture will need to inspect the full content of packets on the network
for application like VoIP, email will need to decode content within RTP
packets with additional tools or inspect specific SIP packets.
Planning and Security: Network Management tool
Per Fed Tech Staff in article: “6 Network Security Tools Every Agency
Needs” states Network management systems, with their monitoring capabilities
and unified views into infrastructure dynamics, give IT organizations a powerful
weapon for fighting cyber threats. To secure today’s distributed networks, IT
teams also must develop defense-in-depth strategies that combine network-enforced
security technologies with best practices (Staff, 2013). yy According to these
authors these tools recommend to use are:
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Instruction detection and prevention systems: These tools help IT staff identify
and protect their wired and wireless networks against several security threat
types. These technologies, like several other categories of network security tools,
are being deployed with greater frequency as networks grow in size and
complexity (Staff, 2013). yy Both tools solutions detect threat activity in the
form of malware, spyware, viruses, worms and other attack types, as well as
threats posed by policy violations. Instruction detection tools passively monitor
and detect suspicious activity; prevention system tools perform active, in-line
monitoring and can prevent attacks by known and unknown sources. Both tool
types can identify and classify attack types (Staff, 2013).
Anti-Malware: this tools help administrators identify, block and remove malware.
They enable the IT department to tailor its anti-malware policies to identify
known and unknown malware sources, for example, or surveil specific users
and groups. I would use this tool for security defenses, operating systems,
browsers, applications and popular targets such as Adobe Flash, Acrobat and
Reader — that they can exploit to fully access a victim’s network.
Network Access control: this tool we use for compliant devices access to
network assets. They handle access authentication and authorization functions and
can even control the data that specific user’s access, based on their ability to
recognize users, their devices and their network roles. yy Another tools I would
consider and use is Next-Generation Firewall, this tools improve on standard
firewall capabilities through application-awareness features (Staff, 2013). yy The last
tool I will use is authentication and authorization, per FedTech Staff the
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traditional directory-based services, such as Active Directory, authenticates users
and grant access based on authorization rules. Newer identity-based security
technologies manage authentication and authorization through such methods as
digital certificates and public key infrastructure solutions (Staff, 2013).
Planning and Security: Security Devices
From a security standpoint, the pieces of hardware that will help provide
security are firewalls and routers. Firewall is the first security device I am
concern. yy yy As the first line of network defense, firewalls provide protection
from outside attacks, but they have no control over attacks from within the
corporate network. Some firewalls also block traffic and services that are
actually legitimate. yy A firewall is designed to protect one network from
another network. yy In the lesson “Understanding the Basic Security Concepts of
Network and System Devices” by Bittlingmeier, and King states network security
is concentrated on configuring the firewall, or at least is built around it, a
compromised firewall can mean a disaster for a network. yy Three basic types
of firewalls are available, in addition to one—the stateful inspection firewall—
that combines the features of the three basic types. Firewall architectures
include the following:
• Packet-filtering firewall
• Circuit-level gateway
• Application-level gateway
• Stateful inspection firewall
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Firewalls act like filters. They help company monitor data traffic between
company’s network and the Internet. yy
For a router, I should make sure it set a password and enable
encryption. Unprotected wireless networks are a bad idea. Most routers have
either Wireless Encryption (WEP) or Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) encryption
options. yy Some have both. WPA is more secure than WEP. Enabling
encryption and choosing a strong router administrator password are two steps
that will help keep company’s network secure.
Planning and Security: Changes to Existing devices
The existing devices the SNHUEnergy Inc, is Firewall. yy I just may
update to use Barracuda Next Generation Firewall. yy According to the website
of Barracuda Firewall, this modern network includes a combination of local
servers, remote devices and cloud-hosted applications. yy Barracuda NextGen
Firewalls are purpose-built for the modern, distributed network in which network
performance and availability is as important as security. Unlike traditional port-
based firewalls, our firewalls are application-aware, enabling you to regulate
application usage and intelligently prioritize network traffic. yy Barracuda NextGen
Firewalls feature advanced security capabilities, including integrated Intrusion
Prevention (IPS), URL filtering and antivirus to identify and block evasion
attempts that would trick traditional systems. Barracuda’s security extends beyond
your network to Barracuda’s Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) cloud for both
statistical and sandboxing analysis of zero-day and targeted threats that routinely
bypass signature-based IPS and antivirus engines (Barracuda.com). yy
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Planning and Security: Challenges
Barracuda next-generation firewalls are fully application and user aware
and, thus, can specifically allow or disallow access to certain applications by
users. yy How we address information security and risk management. The
challenge is that cloud security processes and solutions are still being
developed. yy Managing configuration changes on switches, routers, firewalls,
controllers, and other network devices, at locations across the network, is an
obvious challenge. For example, deploying a new service, which involves wide-
scale configuration changes, could take days or weeks to reliably complete.
According to article: “The Best Free Network Configuration and Change
Management Tools” make me consider must have a reliable way for knowing
when, who, what, and how your device configurations have changed. This will
help you detect out-of-process and rogue changes, reconcile changes to valid
change requests, and ensure that actual changes were properly made. yy Another
challenge we must think by Ranbe in article: “What happen if Firewall
disable” that will affect all data packets to entering and exiting the network
unrestricted. This includes not just expected traffic, but also malicious data --
thereby putting the network at risk. If a software firewall is disabled, it's not
just the associated computer that's in harm's way; worms -- a type of
malware -- for example, can spread across a network connection, infecting all
of the PCs attached to the LAN. Disabling a hardware firewall also impacts
all of the devices that connect to the network (Ranbe, N.D).
Planning and Security: Overall Risk
NETWORK ARCHITECTURE SNHUENERGY INC 24
According to article: “The Increasing Threat to Network Infrastructure
Devices and Recommended Mitigations” the author gives the risk when update
network device. yy According to the author perimeter devices, such as firewalls
and intrusion detection systems, have been the traditional technologies used to
secure the network, but as threats change, so must security strategies.
Organizations can no longer rely on perimeter devices to protect the network
from cyber intrusions; organizations must also be able to contain the
impact/losses within the internal network and infrastructure (N.A, 2016). The risk
is when the network administrator change the network device or upgrade the
software attackers either use the default credentials to log into the device or
obtain weak credentials from other insecure devices or communications. The
implant resides within a modified IOS image and, when loaded, maintains its
persistence in the environment, even after a system reboot. Any further modules
loaded by the attacker will only exist in the router’s volatile memory and will
not be available for use after the device reboots. However, these devices
are rarely or never rebooted (N.A, 2016). yy If the network infrastructure is
compromised, malicious hackers or adversaries can gain full control of the
network infrastructure enabling further compromise of other types of devices and
data and allowing traffic to be redirected, changed, or denied. Possibilities of
manipulation include denial-of-service, data theft, or unauthorized changes to the
data (N.A, 2016).
I’ve learned all the challenge and the risk when network device upgrade I
will consider when I perform the change. yy I learn from the article opening
NETWORK ARCHITECTURE SNHUENERGY INC 25
the firewall does potentially allow malicious traffic to enter through the
applicable port, but businesses can use nonstandard ports, when possible, to
reduce the risk of attack (N.A, 2016). Therefore, when I applying software
updates or installing new programs -- the software firewall must be disabled.
When possible, I should disconnect a computer from the Internet before
disabling the firewall to eliminate the risk of attack.
Conclusions
With the network becoming more important than ever, the three top
reasons for network upgrades are performance, reliability and security that
SNHUEnergy, Inc consider. When we upgrade the network, the clients and
users use multimedia and unified communications over IP such as telephones,
IM and video, it's important that they have a reliable Internet connection and
a high-functioning router. The quality of service on network, video conferencing,
voice are become important too. yy The main thing is security, when we
upgrade network with high security, with the new firewall generation keeps
track of all the operations performed in the network device - who invoked
what operation, on what device at what time and the result of the operation.
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https://www.barracuda.com/products/ngfirewall
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