Network Security - Designing a network

Original
Lab 4:

• 1 Projector
• 1 Projector Screen
• 30 Computers
• 1 Switch
• 1 Printer
• 1 WiFi
• 2 CCTV

Lecturer Room 1:

• 8 Computers
• 1 Switch
• 2 CCTV
• 1 WiFi

Lecturer Room 2:

• 4 Computers
• 1 Switch
• 1 CCTV
• 1 WiFi

Theater Room:

• 1 Projector
• 1 Projector Screen
• 1 WiFi
• 2 CCTV

Classroom 2:

• 1 Projector
• 1 Projector Screen
• 2 CCTV
• 1 Computer 

Lab 7:

• 1 WiFi
• 31 PC
• 1 Projector
• 1 Projector Screen
• 1 Printer
• 1 Switch
• 3 CCTV

The diagram above:

Classroom 2:

• 1 Projector
• 1 Projector Screen
• 12 Tables
• 1 Computer
• 1 Switch
• 2 CCTV

Lab 7:

• 5 Computers
• 1 Projector 
• 1 Projector Screen
• 1 Printer
• 1 Wireless hub
• 1 Router
• 1 Switch
• 3 CCTV

Lab 4:

• 5 Computers
• 1 Printer
• 1 Wireless hub
• 1 Projector
• 1 Projector Screen
• 2 CCTV
• 1 Switch
• 1 Router

Lecturer Room 1:

• 6 Computers
• 1 Wireless hub
• 1 Router
• 1 Switch
• 1 Telephone 
• Pantry

Lecturer Room 2:

• 4 Computers
• 1 Telephone
• 1 Router
• 1 Switch
• 1 Wireless hub

Theater Room:

• 12 Tables
• 1 Projector
• 1 Projector Screen
• 1 Wireless hub
• 1 Router
• 1 Switch
• 2 CCTV

TV Room

Network Security Devices:

• Anti-virus
• Router VPN
• Firewall
• Email Security

Business Intelligence - System and Technologies

Explain each system and include the features, advantages and disadvantages. Identify in which level does it operate. Provide diagram where necessary.

Transaction Processing Systems (TPS)

• It is an information processing system for business transaction that involves the collection, modification, and retrieval of transaction data
• Characteristics, include performance, reliability, and consistency
• Example: Credit card transactions

Characteristics:

• Reliability 

Failure rates must be low

If failure occurs, the recovery must be quick

• Controlled processing

Support the organization's operations

TPS should maintain the requirements of the roles and responsibility's operation

Management Information System (MIS)

• It is a computer system consists of hardware and software serves as the backbone of an organization's operation
• Gathers and collect data from multiple online systems, analyzes information, and reports the data to aid in the management decision making

Features:

• Flexible

Should allow to analyze and evaluate the data from the multiple sources as needed 

• Easy to use

• Collaborative

Using MIS should facilitate the communication between managers and staff throughout the organization

• Versatile

Should be able to support the different skills and knowledge

Decision Support Systems (DSS)

• It is a computer program application that analyzes the business data and presents it for the users that can make business decision easily
• An informational application 
• May present the information graphically and may include an expert system or artificial intelligence (AI)
• Aimed at business executives or some other group of knowledge workers.
• Example: Process loan application

Characteristics:

• Designed to facilitate decision processes
• Should support automate decision making
• Should be able to respond fast to the changing the need to decision makers

1. Facilitation. DSS facilitate and support specific decision-making activities and/or decision processes.



2. Interaction. DSS are computer-based systems designed for interactive use by decision makers or staff users who control the sequence of interaction and the operations performed.



3. Ancillary. DSS can support decision makers at any level in an organization. They are NOT intended to replace decision makers.



4. Repeated Use. DSS are intended for repeated use. A specific DSS may be used routinely or used as needed for ad hoc decision support tasks.



5. Task-oriented. DSS provide specific capabilities that support one or more tasks related to decision-making, including: intelligence and data analysis; identification and design of alternatives; choice among alternatives; and decision implementation.



6. Identifiable. DSS may be independent systems that collect or replicate data from other information systems OR subsystems of a larger, more integrated information system.



7. Decision Impact. DSS are intended to improve the accuracy, timeliness, quality and overall effectiveness of a specific decision or a set of related decisions.

Expert Systems (ES)

• It is a computer program designed to emulate and mimic the human intelligence, skills or behavior. 
• Developed by using artificial intelligence concepts, tools, and technologies, and possess expert knowledge in a specific field, topic, or skill.

Characteristics:

• Good reliability - must be as reliable as a human expert
• Understandable - able to explain the steps of reasoning while executing. Should have an explanation capability that is similar to the ability of human experts

 



References:

Techopedia.com. (2019). What is a Transaction Process System (TPS)? - Definition from Techopedia. [online] Available at: https://www.techopedia.com/definition/707/transaction-process-system-tps [Accessed 4 Nov. 2019].

Coursehero.com. (2019). Advantages and Disadvantages Transaction Processing System TPS Advantages Batch | Course Hero . [online] Available at: https://www.coursehero.com/file/p25bp0d/Advantages-and-Disadvantages-Transaction-Processing-System-TPS-Advantages-Batch/ [Accessed 4 Nov. 2019].

Shopify. (2019). Management Information Systems (MIS) Definition - What is Management Information Systems (MIS). [online] Available at: https://www.shopify.com/encyclopedia/management-information-systems-mis [Accessed 4 Nov. 2019].

SearchCIO. (2019). What is decision support system (DSS)? - Definition from WhatIs.com. [online] Available at: https://searchcio.techtarget.com/definition/decision-support-system [Accessed 4 Nov. 2019].

Techopedia.com. (2019). What is an Expert System? - Definition from Techopedia. [online] Available at: https://www.techopedia.com/definition/613/expert-system [Accessed 7 Nov. 2019].

Guru99.com. (2019). Types of Information System: TPS, DSS & Pyramid Diagram. [online] Available at: https://www.guru99.com/mis-types-information-system.html [Accessed 7 Nov. 2019].

Sites.google.com. (2019). 1. Characteristics of transaction processing systems - Transaction&processingsystems. [online] Available at: https://sites.google.com/site/transactionprocessingsystems/1-characteristics-of-transaction-processing-systems [Accessed 7 Nov. 2019].

Bizfluent.com. (2019). [online] Available at: https://bizfluent.com/info-8024187-management-information-system-features.html [Accessed 7 Nov. 2019].

Daniel J. Power, P. (2019). Ask Dan! about DSS - What are characteristics of a decision support system?. [online] Dssresources.com. Available at: http://dssresources.com/faq/index.php?action=artikel&id=13 [Accessed 7 Nov. 2019].

System, C. (2019). Characteristics of an Expert System. [online] BrainKart. Available at: https://www.brainkart.com/article/Characteristics-of-an-Expert-System_8929/ [Accessed 7 Nov. 2019].

Network Planning - Proof of Concept

How to design a secured network (methods)

1. Identify the network assets (hardware, software, employee)
2. Analyze the security risks (hackers)
3. Analyze the security requirements (backup)
4. Develop a security plan (plan if any of the security risk happen)
5. Define a security policy (rules of the security, example do not change the settings of the computer)
6. Develop the procedure for applying the security policies
7. Develop a technical implementation strategy
8. Train the users, managers, and technical staff
9. Implement the technical strategy and security procedures
10. Test the security and update it if any problems are found
11. Maintain security

The different types of network security designs that will aid good network security
Antivirus and Anti malware Software

• Both of these, antivirus and anti malware can only detect viruses or malware, and then it will removes the threat and fixes the damage.

Application Security

• It is the software to secure the loopholes of our application from the perpetrators. 
• It tracks the procedure of finding our application's vulnerabilities, after then it fixes and preventing them from any cyber attack.
• Uses software, hardware, and processes to keep the assets intact.

Data Loss Prevention (DLP)

• It is a technology, responsible to secure the communication network of an organization.
• To protect the sensitive data.
• Nowadays, employees in an organization are prohibited to upload, forward, or print critical information in an unprotected manner. 

Email Security

• Popular medium to spread threats such as the malware, spams, and phishing attack.
• Social engineering methodologies make these threats appear genuine and sophisticated.
• Email application security is used to secure the access and the data of an email account by blocking the incoming attacks and controls the outbound messages.

Firewalls

• Monitor the incoming and outgoing traffic that are based on a set of predefined rules
• Is a barrier that separates the trusted networks from the untrusted.
• Can be a hardware or a software.

Network Access Control (NAC)

• Strengthen the network by controlling its access,
• By blocking the non compliant endpoint devices, it can save the network from any potential security breaches.

Wireless Security

• It is become another channel for security breaches.
• With wireless security makes it very challenging for any of the unauthorized access to the damage of the data that is stored in any devices.

References:

EC-Council Official Blog. (2019). What Is Network Security? Types of Network Security - EC-Council Official Blog. [online] Available at: https://blog.eccouncil.org/what-is-network-security-types-of-network-security/ [Accessed 1 Nov. 2019].

Oppenheimer, P. (2019). Developing Network Security Strategies > Network Security Design. [online] Ciscopress.com. Available at: http://www.ciscopress.com/articles/article.asp?p=1626588 [Accessed 1 Nov. 2019].

Network Security Protocols and Technologies

SMTP
DHCP
DNS
MD5

Choose four (4) protocols and discuss its details and importance in network security. Research how they aid network security.

SMTP

• Simple Mail Transfer Protocol
• Used to send and receive email
• Due to its ability to queue the messages at the receiving end, this protocols usually used with one of two other protocols: Post Office Protocol (POP3), and Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP). These will let the user to save messages in a server mailbox and download them periodically
• Typically, users use a program that uses SMTP to send email, and POP3 or IMAP use to receive email.

How it works?

Importance:

It verifies the configuration of the computer from the email that is being sent and grants the permission for the process. It sends out the message and follow the successful delivery of the email. 

DHCP 

• Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol
• It is a network management protocol that is used to assign an IP address to any of the new node entering the network
• It permits the node to be configured automatically, and it avoid the necessity of involvement by a network administrator
• DHCP is also known as RFC 2131
• It does:

1. Manages the provision of the added nodes or even dropped by the network
2. Maintains the IP address of the host by using the DHCP server

How it works?

Importance:

The DHCP reduces the amount of work that is required for the large network administration by eliminating the need to individually configure, and manage the IP address for every machine. And the administration is done in a single point

DNS

• Domain Name System
• It connects the URLs with their IP address
• With DNS, it is possible to type the words rather than a string of numbers into a browser
• When a user search for a domain names in the browser, it will sends a query to the internet to match the domain with the corresponding IP. 
• Once it is already matches, it uses the IP to retrieve the content of the website

How it works?

Importance:
Can increase the internet security, especially for organizations where hacking can always occur because they are handling with sensitive data for the clients. The organizations need proper security controls to protect the data, they can use DNS servers. 

MD5

• Known as cryptographic has algorithm 
• Produces hash value in a hexadecimal format
• Competes with other designs where hash functions take certain data and change it to provide a value that will be used in the place of the original value

How it works?

Importance:

References:

WhatIs.com. (2019). What is SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol)? - Definition from WhatIs.com. [online] Available at: https://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/SMTP-Simple-Mail-Transfer-Protocol [Accessed 23 Oct. 2019].

Techopedia.com. (2019). What is DHCP? - Definition from Techopedia. [online] Available at: https://www.techopedia.com/definition/11337/dynamic-host-configuration-protocol-dhcp [Accessed 23 Oct. 2019].

Namecheap.com. (2019). What is DNS? | DNS Definition | Namecheap . [online] Available at: https://www.namecheap.com/dns/what-is-dns-domain-name-system-definition/ [Accessed 23 Oct. 2019].

Webdevelopersnotes.com. (2019). What is SMTP - definition, function, importance and usage. [online] Available at: https://www.webdevelopersnotes.com/what-is-smtp [Accessed 23 Oct. 2019].

Techopedia.com. (2019). What is MD5? - Definition from Techopedia. [online] Available at: https://www.techopedia.com/definition/4022/md5 [Accessed 28 Oct. 2019].

TinyDNS.org. (2019). DNS Server: What Are They? Why Are They Used? Why Are They Important? - TinyDNS.org. [online] Available at: https://tinydns.org/dns-server/ [Accessed 28 Oct. 2019].

Slideshare.net. (2019). E-DHCP. [online] Available at: https://www.slideshare.net/ahmadtaweel2/edhcp [Accessed 29 Oct. 2019].

Business Intelligence

Create a table of comparisons for operational data, data warehouse, and data mart

Describe the purpose of 3 tools and explain how it works. Include the advantages and disadvantages.

Spreadsheets

• It is a file that has rows and columns
• Helps to sort the data, easy to arrange data, calculate the numerical data
• It has the ability to calculate values using mathematical formulas and the data in cells
• Mostly used in banks to calculate the bank balance

Advantages:

1. Easy to create instant calculations
2. Easy to change the data
3. It keeps the data organized efficiently
4. Can create multiple spreadsheets in one file

Disadvantages:

1. Take time to learn the formulas
2. Calculation error may be not recognized by the software or app
3. Take time to enter the data into each cell
4. Some of the files may be incompatible

Data Mining

• Process of analyzing the hidden patterns of data that are according to the different perspectives to categorize the data into a useful information
• The data is collected and assembled in common areas (data warehouse) for the efficient analysis, data mining algorithms, facilitating the business decision making and other information requirements to cut costs and increase revenue

Advantages:

1. Contribute in the strategic decision making by discovering the information
2. Discover information that was not expected to be obtained
3. Huge database can be analyzed 
4. Can offer the customers of the products or services that they need

Disadvantages:

1. Difficulty of collecting the data 
2. Depending on the amount of the database that it can take some time to process the information
3. Lack of appropriate security system that can be a risk in the privacy of the user's information
4. Not a perfect process if the information is inaccurate, can affect the outcome of the decision making process

Operational Dashboard

• Focusing on the performance of monitoring and measure the important metrics for any user
• Contain a set of well defined business metrics (KPIs and KRIs)
• The information is updated in real time
• Allowing the employee to monitor closely the efficiency and effectiveness of the operations

Advantages:

1. Manage the delivery of roll-up reporting to assist the measurement of corporate KPIs
2. Consistent, corporate

Disadvantages:

1. Costly to assure the executive, management, and operational needs are met
2. The impact leans heavily on maintaining the consistency 

Research the role of business processes within an organization and their function at different levels.

References:

Your Article Library. (2013). Decisions Making: Strategic, Tactical and Operational Decisions | Business Management. [online] Available at: http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/information-technology/decisions-making-strategic-tactical-and-operational-decisions-business-management/10271 [Accessed 26 Oct. 2019].

JReport Blog. (2014). 5 Types of Business Intelligence Technologies Explained - JReport Blog. [online] Available at: https://www.jinfonet.com/blog/5-types-of-business-intelligence-technologies-explained/ [Accessed 26 Oct. 2019].

Techopedia.com. (2019). What is a Data Mart? - Definition from Techopedia. [online] Available at: https://www.techopedia.com/definition/134/data-mart [Accessed 26 Oct. 2019].

Definitions, S. and Hope, C. (2019). What is a Spreadsheet?. [online] Computerhope.com. Available at: https://www.computerhope.com/jargon/s/spreadsheet.htm [Accessed 26 Oct. 2019].

Gaille, B. (2016). 11 Pros and Cons of Spreadsheets. [online] BrandonGaille.com. Available at: https://brandongaille.com/11-pros-and-cons-of-spreadsheets/ [Accessed 26 Oct. 2019].

Techopedia.com. (2019). What is Data Mining? - Definition from Techopedia. [online] Available at: https://www.techopedia.com/definition/1181/data-mining [Accessed 26 Oct. 2019].

LORECENTRAL. (2018). Advantages and disadvantages of data mining ~ LORECENTRAL. [online] Available at: https://www.lorecentral.org/2018/12/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-data-mining.html [Accessed 26 Oct. 2019].

Dundas.com. (2014). Types of Dashboards: The Operational Dashboard. [online] Available at: https://www.dundas.com/resources/dundas-data-visualization-blog/types-of-dashboards-the-operational-dashboard [Accessed 26 Oct. 2019].

MashMetrics. (2019). Pros and Cons of Dashboards, Custom Reports and Performance Monitoring | MashMetrics. [online] Available at: https://mashmetrics.com/marketing-reports-dashboards-performance-alerts-pros-cons-of-each/ [Accessed 26 Oct. 2019].

Business Intelligence

Analyse and compare the systems and technologies associated with business intelligence.
For example:
Data warehouses

• It is a system, can be used for data to analysis or with a reporting software. 
• We can use data warehouse to integrate data from one or more disparate sources, creating a central repository of data
• Maintains a copy of the information from the source transaction systems, we only need a single query engine in order to view the data that we need
• It is useful to keep historical data, to improve the quality of the data (to be more consistent, less bad data), to combine all of the data from different sources into single data model
• Main goal is to combine the data form different sources and types of the data source
• Main benefit all of the associated data that can be used in disparate applications or in a singular application

Executive information systems

• It is a decision support system that is used to assist the senior executives for decision making process
• This is done by providing easier access to the important data that are needed in order to achieve the goals in an organization
• Usually features the graphical displays on the easy-to-use interface
• Can be used in many different types of organization to monitor the enterprise performance and to identify the opportunities and the problems 

Online analytical processing (OLAP)

• It is a category of software allowing the users to analyze the information from multiple database systems at the same time
• A technology that enables the analysts to extract and view the business data from different point of view
• With OLAP, the data can be pre-calculated and pre-aggregated and this make the analysis faster
• OLAP database are divided into one or more cubes, and the cubes are then designed in a way that creating and viewing reports become easy

References:

JReport Blog. (2014). 5 Types of Business Intelligence Technologies Explained - JReport Blog. [online] Available at: https://www.jinfonet.com/blog/5-types-of-business-intelligence-technologies-explained/ [Accessed 21 Oct. 2019].

Techopedia.com. (2019). What is an Executive Information System (EIS)? - Definition from Techopedia. [online] Available at: https://www.techopedia.com/definition/1016/executive-information-system-eis [Accessed 24 Oct. 2019].

Guru99.com. (2019). What is OLAP (Online Analytical Processing): Cube, Operations & Types. [online] Available at: https://www.guru99.com/online-analytical-processing.html [Accessed 24 Oct. 2019].

Network Security - Devices

Discuss the different types of network security devices
Explain how they are used to provide network security
Explain their advantages
Provide diagrams on how each device is used with justifications

Secure modem

• To transmit the signals that are digital over analog telephone lines
• The digital signals are converted into analog signals with different frequencies and then transmitted to the modem at the receiving locations. The receiving modem will reverse the transformation and will provide the digital output to the connected device to the mode, (computer)
• There are many telephone companies offer DSL services and many computers cable use modems as their end terminals for the use of identification and recognition of home and personal users

Advantage for wireless modem:

1. The internet connection is always on 
2. The modem provide fast internet connection
3. Offer a secure network with the flexibility and convenience of a wireless internet connection

Intrusion Prevention System (IPS)

• It is a form of the network security to prevent any identified threats. This IPS is monitoring the network continuously, this is to look for any possible malicious incidents in the network
• It is a network security prevention technology that will examine the traffic flows in the network and any vulnerability exploits, which usually comes in the form of malicious inputs to a service where the attackers use to interrupt and gain access to the application.
• IPS does scanning the network traffic as it will go across the network, this is to prevent from malicious events from happening. 
• This IPS will be sitting between your firewall and the other of your network to stop the malicious traffic from entering the network. Same concept for security guard. When any of the unknown event is detected, the packet will then be rejected.

Advantages/Benefits:

• Less security incidents

While the connected devices does not notice any changes, this IPS is making sure the disruption is less for the systems and reducing the numbers of security incidents

• Selective Logging

It only records the network activity if there is any action, maintaining the privacy of the network users

• Privacy Protection

An IPS is also protecting the privacy of the information that are available in the network

Wireless Intrusion Prevention and Detection System (WIDPS)

• Used to protect any wireless network or in any other cases a wired network, from any unauthorized users (WIPS)
• System sensors used in order to monitor the network in case if there is any intrusion of any unauthorized devices (WIDS)

References

Blog.netwrix.com. (2019). Network Devices Explained. [online] Available at: https://blog.netwrix.com/2019/01/08/network-devices-explained/ [Accessed 18 Oct. 2019].

Forcepoint. (2019). What is an Intrusion Prevention System (IPS)?. [online] Available at: https://www.forcepoint.com/cyber-edu/intrusion-prevention-system-ips [Accessed 16 Oct. 2019].

Paloaltonetworks.com. (2019). What is an Intrusion Prevention System? - Palo Alto Networks. [online] Available at: https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/cyberpedia/what-is-an-intrusion-prevention-system-ips [Accessed 16 Oct. 2019].

Wilkins, S. (2019). Basic Intrusion Prevention System (IPS) Concepts and Configuration > Basic Intrusion Prevention System (IPS) Concepts and Configuration. [online] Ciscopress.com. Available at: http://www.ciscopress.com/articles/article.asp?p=1722559 [Accessed 16 Oct. 2019].

Lewis, T. (2019). IDS and IPS 101: How Each System Works and Why You Need Them. [online] LBMC Family of Companies. Available at: https://www.lbmc.com/blog/ids-and-ips-101/ [Accessed 16 Oct. 2019].

Its.umich.edu. (2019). Intrusion Prevention System Benefits / U-M Information and Technology Services. [online] Available at: https://its.umich.edu/enterprise/wifi-networks/network-security/ips/benefits [Accessed 18 Oct. 2019].

Reuters.com. (2019). Wireless Intrusion Detection and Prevention Systems (WIPDS) Market – Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2018 – 2025 - Reuters. [online] Available at: https://www.reuters.com/brandfeatures/venture-capital/article?id=50395 [Accessed 22 Oct. 2019].