STP Limited Networking Project: Security and Business Continuity

This project report analyzes the networking needs of STP Limited, a company expanding its operations across multiple locations. The project focuses on improving network security and communication channels to support business growth. It outlines the project's scope, objectives, and strategic alignment, emphasizing customer-centric goals and technical feasibility. Key areas addressed include network security and management, with recommendations for security solutions in branch offices, including VPNs, firewalls, and content filtering. Data security measures such as VPNs, firewalls, and attack protection are detailed, along with strategies for securing mobile devices through fingerprinting and network access controls. The report also covers hardware purchases, business continuity planning, and risk management, providing a comprehensive overview of the networking project for STP Limited.

STP Limited
Networking Project
10/9/2017

STP Limited
Table of Contents
Overview.....................................................................................................................................................3
Project Introduction.....................................................................................................................................3
Scope Statement......................................................................................................................................3
Project Objectives....................................................................................................................................4
Strategic Alignment.................................................................................................................................4
Network Security & Management...............................................................................................................5
Security Solutions Recommended for the Branch Office........................................................................6
Data Security...........................................................................................................................................7
Security of Mobile Devices.....................................................................................................................8
Plan Followed for Hardware Purchases.......................................................................................................8
Business continuity......................................................................................................................................9
Risk Handling & Management....................................................................................................................9
Risk Management Strategy....................................................................................................................10
Identification of the Risks..................................................................................................................10
Responsibilities of the Risks..............................................................................................................10
Assessment of the Risks....................................................................................................................10
Response to the Risks........................................................................................................................10
Mitigation of the Risks......................................................................................................................10
Tracking and Reporting of the Risks.................................................................................................10
Conclusions...............................................................................................................................................11
Recommendations & Evaluations..............................................................................................................11
References.................................................................................................................................................13
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STP Limited
Overview
STP Limited is a company that is located in Wollongong and the head office of the company is
also located in Wollongong. The primary product in which the organization deals in is cabinets.
The business is now expanding to other regions. With the increase in the revenues and sales, the
organization has bought new offices in different locations and a lot of new equipment as well.
Currently, STP Limited has its offices located in four locations and each of these four locations
is equipped with hardware and tools necessary for the execution of the operations. It has become
required for the company to improve and maintain its networking architecture and the same has
emerged as a primary area of concern as well.
Project Introduction
STP Limited is making sure that there are newer forms of tools and concepts that are used and
implemented in the area of networking and associated technology. There are also networking
equipment and gadgets that have been made available in the organization. Every organization is
connected to the Internet using ADSL. There are also permissions granted to the members of the
staff to carry their personal devices at work.
An effective communication channel is required to be present in the organizations. It is because
of the reason that with the aid of communication and networking, the stakeholders and
employees are provided with updated information and there are no ambiguities involved. Sharing
and transmission of the information also gets easier. The networking channel that is going to be
developed will make it possible to achieve these benefits and the sharing, transmission and
passage of information and files will become smoother and easier. The relationship and
engagement with the customers will also improve as advanced networking will keep the
customers updated with latest company offerings and details (Cisco, 2008).
Scope Statement
The project scope includes the mechanisms, operations and activities that may make it possible
to develop and improve the security of the networks and the communication channels.
An analysis of the requirements of STP Limited in terms of its needs to carry out improve its
networking channel and the activities that shall be done in order to accomplish the same shall be
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STP Limited
identified. The set of these activities shall include the design and development of the network
and communication mediums along with the integration and deployment of the networks.
Project Objectives
 Integration of all the four locations of STP Limited as a single unit so that an integrated
networking channel can be formed.
 Maintenance and implementation of the concepts of security in the newly designed
networking mediums and equipment that are used (Pareek, 2011).
 Improvement of the customer relationship and customer engagement levels with the
ability to provide the services in such a manner that the customer trust is also improved.
Strategic Alignment
Parameter/Attribute Details & Description
Strategies and Decision-making abilities  The goals and business objectives of
STP Limited are customer centric with
an aim to improve the organizational
integration and performance. These
goals also apply to the project as well.
 There will be different phases and
activities that will be carried out so that
the desired communication and
networking channel is developed and
deployed.
 The project activities will also make
sure that privacy and security of the
information is maintained.
Technical Aspect  STP Limited has network connection
and communication equipment that are
in place along with the rest of the
technical tools and components. The
new system and channel will be
compatible with the existing tools.
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STP Limited
 The technical feasibility in terms of
compatibility, integration and
cohesiveness has positive results.
Competitive Advantage  The customers and market experts
prefer the use of business services that
have strong privacy and security.
 The use of secure services will make
sure that the service quality is improved
which will have a positive impact in
terms of the ability to gain competitive
advantage.
Service Level  The Project Manager along with the
senior management that is involved
with the project will carry out
networking strategy and necessary
methodology.
 There are resources that have been
tagged for the accomplishment of the
project activities.
Network Security & Management
Network security has come up as an important matter of concern for the business organizations
in the present times. This is because of the increased probability of the network related risks and
attacks that may emerge. In case of STP Limited, it must be analyzed that the local IT
department has the required number of resources with adequate skills to provide support
services. Remote management is now an integral part of the maintenance of security so that the
network monitoring and control may be done with much ease.
There are various security protocols and concepts that are present and these protocols shall be
implemented in case of STP Limited. Some of these concepts include HTTPS, SSL etc. The
configuration of these protocols shall also be done securely.
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STP Limited
The requirements of the head office that is set up in Wollongong along with three other offices
must be met in terms of security and privacy. These solutions shall also be within the defined
budget and shall come with the ability to be used and deployed easily. There must also be
additional services that must be carried out in terms of secure routing and the ability to set up
WAN connections. In this manner, the need to install separate security solutions for networking
equipment and channels will be avoided.
The controls that are currently in practice for the detection and avoidance of the security attacks
are still based upon traditional protocols and the signature based methods. These controls cannot
handle the newer forms of security risks and the uncertainties that are involved. It is therefore
required to develop and implement security controls in such a manner that the changing nature
and landscape of the security threats is targeted and the countermeasures are accordingly
developed and implemented (Canavan, 2001).
There are reactive and proactive controls that are now being created with the use of latest
technologies and advancements. These controls shall be used so that the avoidance and
prevention of any form of the risk is avoided.
Security Solutions Recommended for the Branch Office
The branch office of STP Limited must be equipped with the following security controls and
mechanisms.
 End-to-end connectivity shall be designed and implemented by making use of fast and
safe Virtual Private Network (VPN). The centrally hosted and managed applications will
be handled easily and remote management will also be carried out with much ease.
 The internet connection and network that is being used shall be modified to a secure
connection as there may be risks and attacks that may come up through any of the
regional location.
 There are many services and applications that are carried out internally in the head office
and in other locations. These internal processes shall be made secure by using applicable
security code and service (Alabady, 2009).
 The solution that is developed and deployed must have high usability and performance
and it must also be reliable in nature.
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STP Limited
Data Security
 Virtual Private Networks: It would be essential to develop and deploy secure Virtual
Private Network (VPN) channels so that the security of the overall organization is
maintained. There may be simultaneous management of the tunnels that may be involved.
The information sets shall be encrypted by making use of the latest encryption
algorithms, such as, Tripe DES and Advanced encryption. There shall also be use of
NAT traversal in the management of security (Joshi and Karkade, 2015).
 Firewall: There are various basic to advanced mechanisms that are used in the
maintenance and setting up of the security. One such filtering mechanism is firewall and
there have been much advancement that has been done in association with firewalls.
Network firewalls and system firewalls with Business Intelligence techniques have been
created that shall be used. Also, the implementation of firewall must be done at all the
layers of the networking channel.
 Attack Protection: Firewalls are the basic mechanisms and step towards security and
simply the implementation of firewalls is not enough to deal with the security risks and
attacks. There shall be use of many other advanced security tools and applications that
must be done so that different types and forms of the attacks do not occur (Strebe, 2004).
 Advanced Content Filtering: Network filtering is necessary so that the network based
security attacks are automatically avoided. URL filtering shall be used for this purpose.
There shall also be use of content filtering and anti-malware and anti-denial tools that
must be done in order to ensure that only the authentic and valid entity passes through the
filter that is applied (Soriano, 2011).
 Segmentation & Security Domains: There are many business operations and activities
that are carried out in the organization. These organizational activities shall be divided on
the basis of the nature of operation and activity along with carious other categories.
Security policies and controls shall be developed accordingly.
Security of Mobile Devices
There is almost every single user that is now using mobile device at the professional and
personal level. The increase in the use of these devices has been witnessed because of the ease of
access that is associated with these devices. Any of the services and applications can be carried
out easily on the mobile devices and mobile platforms. Because of such increase in the usage,
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STP Limited
there are many risks and attacks that have been witnessed. There are controls that can also be
applied in this regard.
 Fingerprinting: Complete information on the mobile device and the associated aspects
and details are also provided. Any of the loopholes in security can be detected and
highlighted with this technique (Souppaya, 2013).
 Network Access Controls: STP Limited needs to implement the access controls at the
network level as well. This is due to the reason of the presence of a large number of
network access points in association with the business organization. The network access
controls shall be used and implemented in order to prevent the problems that are
associated with the violation of network security. There are certain tools such as network
monitoring, network scans, anti-malware etc. that must be done.
 Authentication: There are many standards and practices that are followed in the field of
wireless connection. There must be use of two-fold authentication that must be done
(Sujithra and Padmavathi, 2012).
Plan Followed for Hardware Purchases
Hardware would form an essential part of the networking system and project that will be
designed and deployed.
 Computer Systems: Network design and deployment, network integration, testing of the
networking and communication system etc. will be done by using computer systems and
platforms.
 Servers: Database servers are essential for the management and storage of the data. There
will also be web servers that will be used.
 Peripheral Equipment: Networking and communication is made possible only by using a
number of peripheral devices. There are many such devices that are present, such as,
switches, hubs, routers etc.
 Simulators and Emulators: These are the tools that are used to provide and represent
virtual behavior of the system that may be used in this case.
 Diagnostic Equipment: There are a number of automated tools that have been developed
for the purpose of diagnosis.
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STP Limited
 Communication Devices: The ability to share information and maintain the necessary
level of communication will also be essential which would be made possible by using
tele-health communication tools.
Business continuity
 The business continuity suffers badly in case of the security risks and attacks. However,
with the presence of a disaster recovery plan and processes, the continuity of the business
is always maintained. These plans shall also be updated in a timely manner. The
information and process around backups and other recovery operations shall be carried
out.
 There shall be advanced backup process that must be used by the management staff
members along with the administrative and support staff.
 There shall be assurance that must be provided for the management of the servers. The
process shall be followed by the administrators.
Risk Handling & Management
There are many risks that are associated with every business unit and it holds true for STP
Limited as well. The risks need to be handled and managed by making use of a defined process
and approach. This process is termed as risk management process and there is a strategy that is
followed in this process.
Risk Management Strategy
Identification of the Risks
There will be a risk register that will be prepared in this approach which will provide information
on the risks that may be possible with their nature and description.
Responsibilities of the Risks
The stakeholders must be assigned to every risk on the basis of its description and the nature of
the risk. The stakeholder that would manage and resolve the risk shall be identified (Berg, 2010).
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STP Limited
Assessment of the Risks
The risk must be assessed and carefully analyzed so that the risk attributed like likelihood,
impact, level and rank are revealed. In this process, the priority that is associated with every risk
is also identified and is reported in the risk assessment report that is designed.
Response to the Risks
It is necessary to make sure that the risks that are identified are properly managed. There shall be
a response that must be analyzed and implemented in association with every risk. This response
will determine the future of the risks in the organization in terms of occurrence and control
(Crane, 2013).
Mitigation of the Risks
There is a handling process that is involved with every risk. One such process is risk mitigation
in which the risk handling and the guidelines that are associated with the risk are pointed out
(Dcu, 2015).
Tracking and Reporting of the Risks
The mitigation or any other response strategy that is identified shall be tracked in terms of its
application and progress. There must be reporting activities that must be carried out to make sure
that the risk level is communication to one and all (Debono, 2016). These reports shall be
generated in a weekly manner and the risk completion report shall be published as a final result.
Conclusions
STP Limited is a Wollongong based business organization that manufactures and provides
cabinets. Currently, STP Limited has its offices located in four locations and each of these four
locations is equipped with hardware and tools necessary for the execution of the operations. An
effective communication channel is required to be present in the organizations. It is because of
the reason that with the aid of communication and networking, the stakeholders and employees
are provided with updated information and there are no ambiguities involved. In case of STP
Limited, it must be analyzed that the local IT department has the required number of resources
with adequate skills to provide support services. The different forms of network security and
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STP Limited
information security risks and attacks shall be identified. The controls shall accordingly be
applied and implemented. The same goes for mobile devices as well.
Recommendations & Evaluations
Network Security
 There shall be use of enhanced testing services and practices so that the review and
verification is done at a large scale.
 The previous and current network logs must be carefully analyzed.
 The data and information on the usage of the application must be highlighted.
Infrastructure integration:
 All the components and entities shall be designed and implemented for strong integration.
 The use of the devices and operations that are based on the technologies that are no
longer in use shall be identified for separation.
 The effort that is put in by the resources shall be tracked and managed.
Company’s Mobile Population
 The mediums that are used by the employees in the area of tele-communications and
services.
 The count of the employees on field, in office locations, warehouses etc.
 Networking capabilities and capacities associated with all the systems
WLAN Evaluation
 The overall count of the inventory types
 The count of the form factors with the various types of operating systems and
technologies
 Survey of the location based services and application
 The WLAN capacity that will be used will be based upon the following in terms of the
assessment.
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STP Limited
 Evaluation and monitoring of the 802.11ac connections so that the performance of
WLAN is not impacted.
 Evaluation and monitoring of VoIP services so that the performance of WLAN is not
impacted.
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