Term Paper Project: Designing a Secure Network

This term paper involves putting together the various concepts learned throughout this course. You are tasked with designing the most secure network possible, keeping in mind your goal of supporting three IT services: email, file transfer (centralized), and VPN. Your first step is to design a single network capable of supporting there three different services. Once you have fully designed your network, you will need to provide three workflow diagrams explaining how your designed network handles the three different transactions. The first is an internal user sending an email using his / her corporate email address to a user on the Yahoo domain with an arbitrary address of user534@yahoo.com. The second workflow diagram should show a user initiating an FTP session from inside your network to the arbitrary site of ftp.netneering.com. The third workflow is an externally located employee initiating a VPN session to corporate in order to access files on the Windows desktop computer, DT-Corp534-HellenS, at work.

Write a ten to fifteen page paper in which you complete the following three Parts. Note: Please use the following page breakdown to complete your assignment:

• Overall network diagram: One page
• Datapath diagrams: Three pages (one for each diagram)
• Write-up: six to ten pages

Part 1

• Using Microsoft Visio or its open source alternative, create a diagram showing the overall network you've designed from the user or endpoint device to the Internet cloud, and everything in between, in which you:

o Follow the access, core, distribution layer model.
o Include at a minimum:

- Authentication server (i.e. Microsoft Active Directory)
- Routers
- Switches (and / or hubs)
- Local users
- Remote users
- Workstations
- Files share (i.e. CIFS)
- Mail server
- Web servers (both internal and external)
- Firewalls
- Internet cloud
- Web proxy
- Email proxy
- FTP server (for internal-to-external transport)

• Explain each network device's function and your specific configuration of each networking device.
• Design and label the bandwidth availability or capacity for each wired connection.

Part 2

• Using Microsoft Visio or its open source alternative, create a Datapath Diagram for the following scenario:

o Local user sends email to a Yahoo recipient. Local (corporate) user having email address jonny.hill@Corp534.com sends an email to user534@yahoo.com.

- Document and label the diagram showing protocols and path of the data flow as data traverses through your network from source to destination.

- Include path lines with arrows showing directions and layer 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 (OSI) protocols that are used for each flow.

- Show user authentication when necessary.

• Using Microsoft Visio or its open source alternative, create a Datapath Diagram for the following scenario:

o Local user, Jonny Hill, transfers file using ftp through the Internet to another company's site (ftp.netneering.com). He has to access the secure shell using his active directory credentials to authenticate to the ftp server (linux running Redhat) on the DMZ. He needs to transfer files from his desktop across the Internet to ftp.netneering.com.

- Document and label the diagram showing protocols and path of the data flow as data traverses through your network from source to destination.

- Include path lines with arrows showing directions and layer 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 (OSI) protocols that are used for each flow.

- Show user authentication when necessary.

• Using Microsoft Visio or its open source alternative, create a Datapath Diagram for the following scenario:

o Remote user, Hellen Stover, connects via VPN from home through the Internet to her corporate desktop, DT-Corp534-HellenS. Hellen uses a browser to initiate her VPN connection. By browsing to https://VPNaccess.corp534.com, she arrives at a login page where she needs to authenticate using her Active Directory credentials before the VPN tunnel is built.

• Document and label the diagram showing protocols and path of the data flow as data traverses through your network from source to destination.

• Include path lines with arrows showing directions and layer 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 (OSI) protocols that are used for each flow.

• Show user authentication when necessary.

• Explain how your overall design protects the organization from both inside and outside attacks. Give examples.

• Explain how your layered design compensates for possible device failures or breaches in network security.

• Determine whether any possible bottlenecks exist in your design.

• Explain how to make the file transfer process more secure.

Part 3

• Use at least three quality resources in this assignment. Note: Wikipedia and similar Websites do not qualify as quality resources.

Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

• Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format.

• Include charts or diagrams created in Visio or an equivalent such as Dia. The completed diagrams / charts must be imported into the Word document before the paper is submitted.

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

• Explain the essentials of Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol (TCP / IP) behavior and applications used in IP networking.
• Identify network security tools and discuss techniques for network protection
• Describe the foundational concepts of VPNs.
• Design a secure network to address a business problem.
• Use technology and information resources to research issues in network security design.
• Write clearly and concisely about Advanced Network Security Design topics using proper writing mechanics and technical style conventions.