Develop Wireless Transmission Technology

Develops Wireless Transmission Technology

Develops Wireless Transmission Technology

Your company, Patrician LLC, develops wireless transmission technology, and has decided to relocate its headquarters and primary operations to Tucson, Arizona, while establishing a disaster recovery site in Cheyenne, Wyoming. Both sites are identical in structure, each being a three-story building with approximately 150,000 square feet, and are intended to support the company's various divisions including headquarters/administration, sales/customer support, research and development, and information technology. The R&D unit, focused on developing secure microburst technology for military applications, involves personnel who will not relocate to Tucson, necessitating remote connectivity options. The Cheyenne site serves as a hot site for disaster recovery, requiring continuous, high-throughput connectivity to ensure operational resilience.

The network design must facilitate at least 32 Mbps throughput between the two sites, provide high availability for all servers and network devices, support extensive internal connectivity with 100 connections per floor, and ensure security both physically and logically to protect sensitive R&D data. Each site will house data centers on the third floor, containing file servers, database servers, corporate webservers, and external sales webservers. All servers must feature redundancy and high availability, with plans to monitor security measures actively and implement logical traps to detect and prevent attacks.

Paper For Above instruction

The network infrastructure for Patrician LLC's dual-site setup requires a comprehensive approach combining robust physical connectivity, layered security, and resilience strategies to meet operational and security requirements. This paper discusses the recommended cabling, wiring infrastructure, wireless and WAN technologies, security measures, attack prevention, and logical traps, providing a justified blueprint aligned with business continuity and security needs.

Physical Infrastructure and Cabling

Given the size and requirements of the buildings, the primary cabling for internal connectivity should employ high-quality Category 6A twisted pair copper cabling to support gigabit Ethernet speeds up to 10 Gbps over reasonable distances. For the backbone connecting wiring closets and data centers, fiber optic cabling, such as multimode fiber, provides the high bandwidth, low latency, and physical security advantages necessary for high-availability applications. Strategic placement of wiring closets on each floor minimizes cable runs and simplifies maintenance, with an optimal location near core network elements like switches and wireless access points.

Fiber backbone cables would connect the wiring closets with the data centers, enabling robust data transfer and redundancy. Copper cabling would be used for subordinate connections within wiring closets, access points, and edge devices. The cabling infrastructure supports future scalability and resilience against physical damage, ensuring high availability and performance.

Wireless and WAN Technologies

Wireless connectivity within each building can utilize 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6) technology, providing high throughput, improved density, and better security features. Wireless access points should be strategically placed in wired wiring closets, ensuring comprehensive coverage and redundancy. For the inter-site connection, a dedicated point-to-point microwave or millimeter-wave link is recommended to guarantee the constant, secure, and high-bandwidth connection of at least 32 Mbps. Alternatively, a leased dark fiber link could be employed for ultimate security, performance, and reliability.

For the wide area network (WAN), a secure MPLS VPN or leased fiber service can support critical business and security traffic, segregated from general internet traffic. Redundant WAN links should be established to safeguard against link failure, with automatic failover capabilities managed by dynamic routing protocols such as BGP or OSPF.

Security Measures and Attack Prevention

Security at both physical and logical levels must be prioritized. Physical security involves controlled access to wiring closets, server rooms, and network devices using biometric or badge-based access controls, surveillance cameras, and alarm systems. Logical security entails the deployment of firewalls, intrusion detection/prevention systems (IDPS), VPNs, and network segmentation to isolate sensitive R&D networks from less critical systems.

To protect against attacks, implementing multi-layered defenses such as network firewalls, endpoint security, antivirus, and anti-malware solutions is essential. Regular vulnerability assessments and penetration testing should be scheduled to identify and remediate weaknesses. Anomaly detection systems can monitor traffic patterns for unusual activity indicative of attacks, alerting security personnel promptly.

For attack deterrence, deploying logical traps—such as honeypots and decoy systems—can lure attackers into controlled environments, revealing their tactics and origins without risking core network assets. Implementing honeynets, which simulate vulnerable systems, encourages attackers to reveal their presence and motives, enabling preemptive countermeasures.

Redundancy, High Availability, and Data Security

All critical servers—file servers, database servers, and webservers—must utilize redundancy configurations, including dual power supplies, RAID arrays, and clustering solutions such as Microsoft Failover Clustering or LVS (Linux Virtual Server), to ensure continuous operation despite hardware failures. Geographic redundancy is achieved through data replication between the primary and disaster recovery sites, utilizing data synchronization tools like Microsoft DFS-R or SAN replication protocols with encryption.

The data centers should incorporate uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) and backup generators to maintain operation during power outages. Physical security measures such as biometric access controls, video surveillance, and environmental controls (fire suppression, climate control) mitigate risk from physical threats.

Security Verification and Monitoring

An ongoing security verification plan involves automated vulnerability scanning, periodic penetration testing, configuration audits, and security information and event management (SIEM) systems monitoring logs for suspicious activity. Regular audits ensure compliance with best practices and standards such as ISO/IEC 27001 or NIST SP 800-53. Incident response procedures should be formalized, with the security team trained to respond swiftly to detected threats, accompanied by systematic review of intrusion alerts and forensic analysis.

Justification of Recommendations

The choice of high-quality Category 6A cabling and fiber optic backbone ensures high-speed, reliable connectivity capable of supporting current and future bandwidth needs. Wireless standards like Wi-Fi 6 enable flexibility and mobility within the secure environment, reducing cable clutter and accommodating mobile devices. Dedicated point-to-point wireless or fiber links for inter-site connections provide the security and performance confidentiality essential for sensitive R&D operations, especially microburst technology development.

Implementing layered security controls—physical controls, firewalls, IDPS, VPNs, and honeypots—addresses multiple attack vectors, reducing the risk of breaches. Regular security audits and continuous monitoring serve as proactive measures to detect anomalies early, preventing damage and data loss. Redundancy and high-availability configurations are justified by the need for uninterrupted operations, critical in disaster recovery scenarios and maintaining business continuity.

Overall, these strategies forge a resilient, secure, and scalable network infrastructure that aligns with the operational and security objectives of Patrician LLC, supporting its technological advances and safeguarding its sensitive research efforts.

References

  • Kaufman, C., Perlman, R., & Speciner, M. (2016). Network Security: Private Communication in a Public World. Prentice Hall.
  • Stallings, W. (2018). Network Security Essentials. Pearson.
  • Cisco Systems. (2021). Wireless LAN Design. Cisco White Paper. https://www.cisco.com
  • Chen, L., & Phadke, A. (2019). Fiber Optic Communications. Springer.
  • NIST. (2018). Framework for Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity. NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5.
  • ISO. (2013). ISO/IEC 27001:2013 Information security management systems — Requirements.
  • Higgins, B., & Cutter, A. (2020). Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Planning for IT Professionals. CRC Press.
  • Rouse, M. (2020). Honeypots and Honeynets: A Guide to Security Traps. TechTarget.
  • Grouch, J. (2022). High Availability and Clustering Technologies. IEEE Communications Magazine.
  • Chen, Y., & Lee, T. (2021). Secure Wireless Communication in Industrial Networks. IEEE Transactions on Industrial Informatics.