Network Security Threats for ASDI - 1242 Words

New and Rapidly Advancing Threats One of the biggest threats to network security in 2014 is the end of support for the Windows XP operating system (OS). On April 8th 2014, Microsoft will discontinue support for the aging OS. What this means for users of Windows XP is that as new vulnerabilities and exploits are discovered, they will not be fixed – the vulnerabilities will only continue to grow. For any business environment that is still using Windows XP beyond April 8th, the machines running the OS will become the organization’s biggest security flaw. It is highly likely that hackers are holding back on using known zero-day exploits for Windows XP until after April 8th because they know that beyond that date, the exploit will not be†¦show more content†¦An exploit kit such as Blackhole can pose a threat to ASDI in two ways. The first threat is to the one hundred workstations. These workstations could potentially fall victim to a driveby download if they are use d to visit a compromised website. The other way ASDI could be harmed by an exploit kit is if one or both of its web servers become compromised, and an exploit kit is installed, the servers would then install malicious software on the company’s customer’s computers when they visit the site. Countermeasures and Prevention In order to ensure that ASDI’s network is as secure as it can be, it is important to ensure that the logical structure is appropriate to facilitate a secure network. The company’s two web servers need to be sectioned off from the internal subnets. This is best accomplished through the use of a demilitarized zone (DMZ), which places a firewall between the web servers and the intranet, and another firewall between the web servers and the Internet. If the outer firewall is breached, the web servers may become compromised, but the intranet would still be protected by an additional firewall. The student workstations should reside on a student subnet which has no connectivity to the employee subnet. The employee and student subnets will each have a file server connected, and the company’s email server will be connected to the employee subnet. There are already two WiFi access points (AP) at ASDI – one will be