Design A Secure Network For Lincoln Partners Law Firm

Design a Secure Network for Lincoln Partners Law Firm Including VPN and Security Controls

A law firm has hired you as a Network Security Consultant to help its operations by providing a secure network to support its growth. The firm has offices in Philadelphia, Cherry Hill, Wilmington, Harrisburg, and Princeton, with the Philadelphia office serving as the main hub and IT support center. The existing infrastructure includes various servers, desktops, laptops, network devices, and outsourced services, which need to be integrated into a secure and manageable network environment. Key concerns include protecting client confidentiality, preventing client-stealing, monitoring remote locations, reducing IT costs through consolidation, and ensuring privacy for client information. Your task is to design a comprehensive, secure network infrastructure that addresses these needs, including network topology, IP addressing scheme, VPN implementation for remote access, security controls, firewall policies, and the placement of servers including the new database system. In addition, you must diagram the network, establish proper security configurations, and ensure secure remote access for attorneys working from home.

Paper For Above instruction

Developing a secure network infrastructure for Lincoln Partners Law Firm requires careful planning to address the unique operational and security requirements. The primary goals are to protect confidential client data, prevent business theft by associates and paralegals, enable remote access for attorneys, unify the network architecture, and apply adequate security controls. This paper discusses the design of a robust network including topology, IP scheme, VPN setup, security strategies, firewall policies, DMZ placement, and the secure integration of servers, particularly the new client database system.

Network Topology and Design

The network topology for Lincoln Partners must be scalable, secure, and manageable, encompassing all office locations, including the main Philadelphia office and remote offices in Cherry Hill, Wilmington, Harrisburg, and Princeton. A hub-and-spoke topology suits this architecture well, with the main Philadelphia site acting as the central hub connecting to remote offices via secure VPN links. Each site will have its local LAN, with internal switches connecting desktops, laptops, printers, and servers. The Philadelphia office will house core network infrastructure, including routers, switches, firewalls, and servers.

Each office will establish a site-to-site VPN to enable secure communication over the internet, employing IPsec protocols for encryption. The networking devices should be managed centrally, preferably through the main office, to streamline policy enforcement and monitoring.

IP Address Scheme

To facilitate management and security, an IP addressing scheme should be implemented using private IP ranges such as 10.0.0.0/8 or 172.16.0.0/12. For simplicity and scalability, a /24 subnet per office will be used. For example:

  • Philadelphia Office: 10.0.1.0/24
  • Cherry Hill Office: 10.0.2.0/24
  • Wilmington Office: 10.0.3.0/24
  • Harrisburg Office: 10.0.4.0/24
  • Princeton Office: 10.0.5.0/24

This scheme simplifies routing, management, and segmentation of different locations and user groups. Additionally, specific subnets should be allocated for servers and management interfaces, ensuring proper isolation of sensitive systems such as the client database and VPN gateways.

VPN and Remote Work Enablement

To support attorneys working from home, a remote access VPN must be implemented using secure protocols such as SSL/TLS or IPsec. VPN gateways will be configured at the Philadelphia office, providing secure tunnels to authorized remote users. Multi-factor authentication (MFA) should be enforced to ensure only legitimate users gain access, thereby addressing concerns about unauthorized client or business data access.

Remote attorneys will connect via VPN clients installed on their laptops, granting them access to internal resources as if they were within the office LAN. Specific access policies will restrict remote users from accessing only necessary systems—namely, the client database server, internal email, and shared files—while maintaining encryption and strong authentication to prevent breaches.

Server Access and Security Controls

All servers, including the new client database and attorney time-tracking system, will be positioned within a Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) to isolate them from the core internal network. The DMZ acts as an additional security layer, allowing external access (e.g., web-based database interface) without exposing the internal network. Firewalls should be configured to permit only necessary traffic to these servers, with rules limiting access to authorized IPs and VPN users.

Security controls include implementing ACLs on routers and switches, deploying intrusion detection and prevention systems (IDS/IPS), and enabling logging and monitoring for suspicious activities. Data encryption at rest and in transit, along with regular security audits, will safeguard sensitive client and law firm data.

Firewall Configuration and Security Policies

Firewalls will be placed between the external internet, DMZ, and internal network segments. Policies must enforce strict access controls, blocking all unnecessary inbound and outbound traffic. Only specific services, such as HTTPS for web access to the database system, email services, and remote VPN connections, will be permitted. Internal firewalls between LAN segments will prevent lateral movement of threats, limiting access to sensitive systems like the client database to authorized personnel only.

DMZ Placement and Network Segments

The DMZ will host the client database server, web servers, and email gateways, isolated from core internal resources. Internal servers such as file shares, internal email servers, and administrative systems should be behind additional firewalls, with access only granted through controlled, authenticated sessions. Network diagrams should illustrate server placement in the DMZ, protected by firewalls and VLAN configurations.

Conclusion

Designing a secure, scalable network for Lincoln Partners Law Firm involves integrating multiple security layers, remote access capabilities, and centralized management. The use of VPNs and segmentation via DMZs enhances confidentiality and reduces the risk of unauthorized access or data breaches. Proper security policies, firewall configurations, and monitoring are essential to protect client information, facilitate remote work, and streamline IT costs through consolidation. This comprehensive approach ensures the firm is well-equipped to support its growth securely whilst maintaining the privacy and integrity of sensitive legal data.

References

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