CSC 470C Secure Network Administration

Instructor: Janis Rose, email: jrose2@uis.edu

Catalog Description: Introduction to Network Security course focuses on overall security processes with particular emphasis on security policy design & management. This course also provides a survey of security technologies, products & solutions. Hands-on skill labs focus on firewall design, the installation, configuration and maintenance of routers and firewall and AAA implementation. Virtual Private Networks implemented with routers and firewalls are also introduced.

Educational Objectives: As a result of taking this course, students will develop a working knowledge of:

• Security terminology, the purpose and goals of network security policies and various security threats and vulnerabilities;
• Different types of authentication, including Kerberos, CHAP, digital certificates, tokens, biometrics, mutual authentication and multi-factor authentication;
• Major types of attacks and malicious codes that commonly affect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of networks;
• The business impact of security breaches with countermeasures and best practices to prevent or mitigate their effect;
• Concepts and practices of remote access, including VPNs, RADIUS authentication, TACACS+, Layer 2 and point-to-point Tunneling Protocols, IPSec and Secure Shell
• Email vulnerabilities and methods to safeguard against them, along with the benefits of PGP and S/MIME;
• Protocols including those commonly exploited by attackers on the Internet such as SSL/TLC, HTTPS, Buffer Overflow, ActiveX and SMTP;
• Centralized services such as LPDA;
• FPNs and RAS technology;
• Best practices to protect network media from corruption, theft and catastrophic loss;
• DMZs, NAT, FLANs and tunneling for securing network topologies;
• Intrusion detection systems for both host-based and network-based systems;
• Security baselines and operating system hardening practices;
• Basics of algorithms and how they are used in modern cryptography, including the differences between asymmetric and symmetric algorithms and the basics of cryptography (PKI certificates);
• Physical security such as where data storage systems are located within an organization, biometrics, and fire safety;
• Disaster recovery planning, its process and procedures;
• Risk identification and documentation.

Outline of Topics to be Covered: This course will cover the following topics:

• Defining security objectives, developing a security plan and responding to incidents
• Basic Router and Switch Security
• Network Vulnerabilities, Threats and Attacks
• Security Configuration Tools
• Router ACLs (including lock & key, reflective, time-based and Turbo)
• Algorithms: DES, AES and RC4
• CBAC (including alerts, audit trails, timeouts and thresholds, half-open connection limits and inspection rules);
• Router AAA Security including TACACS+ and Radius
• Cisco Secure ACS
• Router Intrusion Detection, Monitoring and Management (Cisco IOS Firewall Intrusion Detection)
• Router Site-to-Site VPNs
• Cryptosystem including symmetrical and asymmetrical encryption, Diffie-Hellman, HMAC, and Digital Certificates
• Router Remote Access VPNs
• IPSec and IKE
• Router MC workflow and tasks
• Physical Layer Security
• Operating System Security
• Verifying user and host identify
• Hardening the operating system
• Ensuring network confidentiality
• Trends that affect network security

Textbooks:

• Fundamentals of Network Security Companion Guide (Cisco Networking Academy Program) Cisco Systems, Inc., Cisco Networking Academy Program ISBN: 1587131226 $72.00
• Fundamentals of Network Security Lab Companion and Workbook (Cisco Networking Academy Program) Cisco Systems, Inc., Cisco Networking Academy Program ISBN: 1587131234 $31.46

Assignments: Course requirements include oral presentations, written research assignments, completion of hands-on labs and a comprehensive semester project. There is a mid-term and final exam as well.