Reference no: EM132411345

Assignment - Network Security

Review questions -

1. What is information security? Why is it important?

2. What are vulnerabilities? Give some examples.

3. What are threats? Give some examples.

4. What are controls? Give some examples.

5. What is confidentiality? Give some examples showing a violation of confidentiality.

6. What is integrity? Give some examples showing a violation of integrity.

7. What is availability? Give some examples showing a violation of availability.

8. What is network security? Why is it important?

9. What controls can be used to ensure confidentiality from incoming threats?

10. How does authorization offer additional protection after authentication?

11. What controls can be used to ensure integrity in the presence of incoming threats?

12. What is a demilitarized zone? What are some of the network services offered in the demilitarized zone? What network services are not recommended to be offered in the demilitarized zone?

13. Recall your visit to a store that also includes a pharmacy. Describe how the organization of the store is similar to the two-tier firewall architecture used in network security.

14. What is a firewall? What are the capabilities of firewalls?

15. What are the major limitations of firewalls?

16. What controls can be used to ensure availability in the presence of incoming threats?

17. How are viruses different from worms? Give an example of a well-known virus and a well-known worm.

18. What are denial-of-service attacks? What can you do to reduce the losses from denial-of-service attacks on your network?

19. What controls can be used to ensure confidentiality of outgoing information?

20. What is encryption? What is an encryption algorithm? What is an encryption key?

21. What are the advantages and limitations of symmetric key encryption?

22. What are the advantages and limitations of asymmetric key encryption? What is the most popular asymmetric-key-encryption technology?

23. Briefly describe how you can use asymmetric key encryption to ensure the confidentiality of outgoing information. Clearly show the sender, receiver, and how the two keys are used to provide confidentiality.

24. Briefly describe how you can use asymmetric key encryption to ensure the integrity of outgoing information. Clearly show the sender, receiver, and how the two keys are used to provide confidentiality.

25. What controls can be used to ensure availability of outgoing information?

Hands-on exercise -

1. Why is SSL useful?

2. Use Wikipedia or other information resources to write a brief summary of the evolution of SSL and TLS.

3. What is the port number used by the remote web server for SSL connections?

4. Right-click on a packet sent using SSL and select "Follow TCP Stream." Show the screenshot of the TCP stream.

Critical thinking exercise -

1. Consider the typical office worker shown in the figure. List as many information security threats as possible involving this worker. These include threats faced by the worker from working in the organization, as well as threats faced by the organization as a result of the actions of this worker. Specify any assumptions you make about the worker's qualifications, personal situation and the employer.

IT infrastructure design exercise -

1. How can a firewall help TrendyWidgets? Update your network diagram from Chapter 10 to include a firewall at TrendyWidgets's gateway to the Internet.

2. How can VPNs help TrendyWidgets in securing traffic that flows through its WAN? The router located in Tampa has hardware capabilities to perform the required encryption for VPN service over the Internet connection. Update your infrastructure diagram to reflect the VPN capabilities of the Tampa router (it is enough to update the label for the Tampa router, reflecting its VPN capability).

3. What encryption technology will you use to secure the wireless traffic in Amsterdam? Update your network diagram to reflect the encryption technology used in the wireless network.

Example case questions -

1. Read the 10-K statement filed by T. J. Maxx on March 28, 2007, with the SEC. Use the section on "Computer intrusion" to list the major events related to the security breach at the company and the dates on which they occurred. (An easy way is to use Yahoo finance, search for TJX, and follow the link to all filings on EDGAR. On the resulting page, all filings made by TJX are listed in reverse chronological order).

2. Read the 8-K statement filed by TJX in connection with the intrusion (January 18, 2007). What information did the company report in the filing? What is an 8-K statement?

3. What legal actions were initiated against TJX as a result of the computer intrusion (the 10-K statement for 2007 filed by TJX will be useful)?

4. What are some best practices to secure wireless networks?

5. What is a SQL injection attack?

6. Compare the sales at T. J. Maxx in its latest financial year and in 2007. Discuss any trends.

7. What does Heartland Payment Systems (NYSE: HPY) do? How does its financial performance compare to its competitors? (Yahoo Finance and Wolfram Αlpha are good sites for such comparisons.)

8. What offense is defined by 18 USC, section 371? (Search online.)

9. Read the indictment against Albert Gonzalez filed in the District Court of New Jersey (available at the companion website or at many places online). What evidence is provided in the indictment to support the charge of conspiracy?