Please Look In The Attachments For The Detailed Question

Please Look In The Attachments For The Detailed Question And Expectati

Please look in the attachments for the detailed question and expectations from the professor. The Acme Corporation is a new startup that wishes to sell their new phone to the public called Acmephone, a more secure version of the phone to business organizations, called the Acmephone B+, and highly secure version of the phone, called the Acmephone G+, to the government. Due to the fear of corporate espionage and government security requirements, there are many security concerns that must be addressed. As a security professional, you have been employed to design a network infrastructure for their two campuses located in Atlanta and Cincinnati based upon the following specifications:

1. There needs to be a constant connection between the two locations that can carry at least 50 Mbps of data.

2. Each facility has three floors. The buildings are rectangular with each floor being 350’x350’.

3. There will be 200 network connections on each floor with an additional 100 network connections in the data centers located on the third floor of each building.

4. The primary data center will be located at the Atlanta location.

5. There will be a failover data center at the Cincinnati location.

6. Each location should be protected from intrusions that are not limited to state change attacks.

7. The Atlanta location will house the two secure development teams. As such, it will need the most security. To further complicate the design, there will be database servers and the corporate Web servers housed at that location as well.

8. There will be database servers located at the Cincinnati site.

9. The servers must have redundancy.

10. The solution must have a plan to verify security measures. Your job is to develop a network design to meet the requirements above. You should submit a network drawing listing the network’s topology including any necessary hardware. You should list any recommended cable. You can recommend wiring closets wherever you need them. You should recommend ways to assure that you are not getting attacked. You should build traps to stop attackers. You should recommend any WAN or wireless technologies. You should recommend any technology needed in the data center for high availability. Justify your recommendations.

Paper For Above instruction

Introduction

Designing a secure and resilient network infrastructure for Acme Corporation’s dual-campus operation in Atlanta and Cincinnati requires meticulous planning to meet stringent security, redundancy, and connectivity demands. The critical objectives involve establishing high-speed, reliable communication channels, safeguarding data and systems against cyber threats, and ensuring continuous availability, especially for sensitive data and operations housed at each site. This paper presents a comprehensive network architecture proposal addressing the specified requirements, including topology, hardware, cabling, security measures, and technological solutions to achieve an optimal security posture with high availability.

Network Topology and Hardware Design

The proposed topology employs a hybrid structure combining core, distribution, and access layers, supporting scalability, security, and redundancy. At the core, a redundant high-speed link connects the Atlanta and Cincinnati campuses using fiber optic technology capable of supporting at least 50 Mbps, with provision for future bandwidth expansion. Each campus’s internal network adopts a hierarchical topology with wired connections facilitated by managed switches supporting VLAN segmentation to isolate sensitive areas such as development, databases, and web servers.

In each building, wiring closets are strategically placed on each floor to minimize cable lengths and facilitate maintenance. These closets house rack-mounted switches interconnected via fiber cabling to the core switch in each campus. Data centers on the third floors contain enterprise-grade servers, including database and web servers, with redundant power supplies and cooling systems for high availability. Redundant networking hardware, such as dual core switches and firewalls, ensures continuous operation even during hardware failures.

Wiring and Cabling Recommendations

Given the high data throughput requirements and security considerations, multimode fiber optic cabling is recommended for backbone connections between wiring closets and the core switches, offering high bandwidth over extended distances with minimal interference. For internal connections within wiring closets and to end-user devices, Category 6a twisted-pair copper cabling provides sufficient bandwidth and reliability.

Fiber optic cables should be terminated using SC or LC connectors, depending on equipment compatibility. Proper cable management practices, including labeling and routing, are critical for troubleshooting and future upgrades.

Security Strategies and Intrusion Prevention

Security measures include deploying multi-layered defenses such as firewalls, intrusion detection/prevention systems (IDS/IPS), and network behavior analysis tools. The perimeter is secured via next-generation firewalls configured with deep packet inspection, application awareness, and strict access controls. Segmentation of the network ensures that sensitive assets such as development environments and databases are isolated from general user access, reducing attack surfaces.

State change attack mitigation is achieved through implementing stateful inspection and session awareness in firewalls, combined with anomaly detection mechanisms. Additionally, deploying VPNs with strong encryption protocols (e.g., AES-256) secures remote access, and multi-factor authentication enhances user validation.

Wireless security employs WPA3 encryption, hidden SSIDs, and RADIUS server integration for centralized authentication, preventing unauthorized access. Regular vulnerability assessments and penetration testing validate the security posture and discover potential weaknesses.

Building Traps and Attack Prevention Techniques

Honeypots and deception technologies are strategically placed within the network to divert attackers and gather intelligence on threat patterns. Deploying network-based honeypots can trap activity from potential intruders, while decoy servers mimic real assets to identify malicious behaviors.

Anomaly detection systems monitor traffic patterns for unusual activities, enabling swift responses. Traffic shaping and rate limiting prevent denial-of-service attacks, whereas deploying static and dynamic honeypots conform with security best practices to trap and analyze malicious actors effectively.

WAN and Wireless Technologies

For the campus-to-campus connection, MPLS (Multiprotocol Label Switching) with redundant fiber links ensures reliable and scalable WAN connectivity, supporting the minimum 50 Mbps data transfer requirement with room for growth. Redundant connections with automatic failover support continuity during link failures.

Wireless networks for internal mobility are recommended to use Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) standards, offering high throughput, low latency, and improved security features. For secure access, enterprise-grade access points with integrated security features, including WPA3 and VLAN segmentation, are deployed.

Data Center High-Availability Technologies

Data centers employ virtualization and clustering technologies such as VMware HA, fault-tolerant hardware power supplies, and redundant network interfaces in servers. Storage solutions incorporate SAN (Storage Area Network) setups with dual controllers to prevent data loss.

Implementing high-availability load balancers for web and database servers enables continuous operation during server outages. Regular backups, replication, and disaster recovery planning ensure data integrity and quick recovery capabilities.

Justification of Recommendations

The proposed hardware and technology choices align with industry best practices for security and high availability. Fiber optic cabling facilitates high-speed, secure backhaul communication, essential for sensitive and high-volume data transfer. Segmentation via VLANs reduces attack surfaces, while layered security controls prevent intrusion.

Redundant data paths and hardware components ensure minimal downtime, aligning with Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery standards. Honeypots and anomaly detection proactively identify and mitigate threats, reducing the risk of successful attacks. Choosing advanced wireless standards improves mobility security and performance within the campuses.

Overall, integrating these strategies creates a resilient, secure, and scalable network infrastructure capable of supporting Acme Corporation’s operational needs, security commitments, and future growth.

Conclusion

Developing a robust network for Acme Corporation demands an integrated approach combining strategic topology design, robust security measures, redundancy, and technological innovation. Implementing fiber optic backbone connectivity, layered security defenses, high-availability data center components, and secure wireless and WAN technologies provides a comprehensive solution that meets all specified requirements. Continuous security verification and proactive threat trapping further bolster the network’s resilience, ensuring operational continuity and data integrity in a dynamic threat landscape.

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