Defending against internal and external network attacks in IT infrastructure

¶ … IT Infrastructure

Seven domains can be found in a typical IT infrastructure. They are as follows: User Domain, Workstation Domain, LAN Domain, LAN-to-WAN Domain, Remote Access Domain, WAN Domain, and System/Application Domain. Each of these domains is viewed as portals for attackers if countermeasures are missing or fail. It is very imperative for businesses to protect each of these seven domains. It only takes one unprotected domain for an attacker to gain access to private data.

The User Domain is comprised of individuals that are often not aware of the tricks of attackers. For example, networks usually have strong passwords that one must know in order to gain access to the Internet. Nevertheless, social engineers can persuade individuals to give out personal information such as passwords and other types of private information. By giving out such information can cause computer viruses and infections executed by social engineers. Another way in which the User Domain can fall susceptible to attackers is the activities carried out by individuals on the computer. Visiting dangerous websites, downloading malicious files, and installing infected programs all give invitations to attackers to hack computer systems. In addition, inserting infected jump drives into computers can cause an entire computer network to become infected.

Malware can infect a computer if measures aren't taken to keep its workstation updated. Without applying security updates to the workstation, there is no way in which the system will be able to protect itself from malicious software. The absence of an antivirus program can also cause a computer's workstation to become infected with malware. Not only can malware affect a single computer but also can infect the whole network. If a computer does have an antivirus program, it must keep its definitions updated simply because new malware can come into existence. By having an antivirus program that is regularly updated can greatly decrease the likelihood of the workstation becoming infected with malware.

Inside the firewall is an area known as the LAN Domain. The LAN Domain can either consist of many computers connected together or a few computers connected together. If measures aren't taken to protect the LAN Domain, attackers will easily gain access to the system. The computer systems are all connected by hubs, switches, and routers. Computer systems connected by hubs contribute to sniffing attacks. Switches that are used to connect systems together can reduce the likelihood of sniffing attacks.

The LAN Domain and the WAN Domain is connected by what is known as the LAN-to-WAN Domain. The LAN Domain is a trusted zone and the WAN Domain is an untrusted zone. Therefore, strict security is necessary to keep the system safe from attacks. If measures aren't taken to reinforce high security, security breaches are bound to occur. High security prevents hackers from gaining access to sensitive data and information.

Remote Access can be gained through a VPN connection. Since VPN connections uses the Internet, Remote Access Domains are targets for attackers since the Internet consist of harmful attackers. As a result, Remote Access Domains are weakened by the susceptibility of the VPN connection. To prevent attackers from gaining access to the Remote Access Domain, data that is sent over the Internet must be protected. If the data is left unprotected, attackers will have the potential to attack the system.