In our discussion this week, review the three business scenarios below and then offer firewall recommendations for them based on their needs. You may choose any firewall configuration, combination of firewalls, or even suggestions outside our readings, such as software (host-based) firewalls. Be sure to explain why.

Be sure to justify your recommendations and be prepared to defend them. Make your posts EARLY in the week. Return often throughout the week to reply and respond to at least two of your classmates.

Scenarios

The Telecommuter

1. Sam has worked for a project-based firm for five years. After being assigned to a high profile special project, he realized that he needed a quiet environment that was free from distractions to finalize project files on a daily basis. His project supervisor agreed and approved for Sam to telecommute from his home. The organization furnished Sam with a standard PC laptop and upgrades to the business class DSL modem. Sam must upload all completed project files to a secured server at the end of each business day, plus maintain a backup copy on his tower unit.

Discussion Question 1

1. What firewall configuration would you recommend for Sam's home-based office/network? Justify your response.

Designers On the Go

1. The partners of a small architectural firm are constantly busy with evolving client requirements. To meet the needs of their clients, the architects must visit several job sites per day. To share and send sensitive project/client information back to the office or with clients, the employees dial into the IPSec-based VPN remotely. For classified proprietary information, two separate extranets were set up with partners in the engineering firm on a server housed inside the office.

Discussion Question 2

1. What firewall setup would provide the firm both flexibility and security? Justify your response.

The E-Commerce Retailer

1. Retail companies have been rising in the market at remarkable speeds. Sims Retail, a multi-national e-commerce retailer, hosts its web site and its customer database in-house. The database contains client personal and credit card information as it collects, organizes and stores relevant customer data on a continuous basis. The web servers tie into the database on a more secure back-end of the network. Internal users on the private network can access the customer database but must first validate their identities.

Discussion Question 3:

1. Which firewall technologies should be deployed (a) to secure the internet-facing web servers; (b) to protect the link between the web servers and customer database; (c) to protect the link between internal users and the customer database? Justify your response.