III. Network Services Design
A. Network Services
Business Needs
The University will need multiple kinds of network services to accommodate the needs of the students and staff. There are four types of network services: user management, email, printing, and system administration [1]. User management has a broad range of services that include creation of user names and passwords, as well as privileges and access. University-specific email address will be provided to staff and students. Shared printing is an essential service for a university. This will allow users to submit printing jobs to a central unit for maximum productivity. With system administration, the goal will be to provide updates and maintenance. Other network services that should be considered are Voice over IP (VoIP), network-based storage, and wireless networking.
Proposed Network Services
· User management – This will be implemented by the network administrator.
· Email – Email will require the creation and maintenance of an email server.
· System administration – This will be implemented by the network administrator.
· VoIP – Cisco Business Edition 6000 is an all-in-one solution for communications services that can handle from 25 to 1000 individuals [2]. This can be implemented by an IT professional.
· Network-base storage – A network-attached storage (NAS) is recommended to provide multiple clients on the network with access to the same files.
· Wireless networking – Conduct a site survey to find the best locations to implement the wireless network. After implementation configure the network the SSID and security.
Justification
The listed network services are essential components of what a modern university can provide. User management and system administration are two key components for maintaining and running a network. Having a school email provides the staff and students with a professional way of communicating. VoIP will provide a security, quality, and reduce expenses for phone calls. Network-based storage will provide file shares, home directories and centralized logging. Most students and staff will bring their personal devices and will need wireless connectivity to access the Internet.
B. Network Security Measures
Business Needs
The university will need all students and staff to have strong authentication when accessing their personal accounts. The security of the network will need to be enforced with policies as well as maintained with firewalls and anti-virus programs. SSH keys are a pair of cryptographic keys that can be used to authenticate to an SSH server as an alternative to password-based logins should be considered [3].
Proposed Network Security Measures
· Authentication – Staff and students will require type 1 authentication (passwords) as well as type 2 authentication (photo IDs).
· Firewalls – Firewalls will need to be implemented and maintain with an IT professional. Firewalls should be updated daily to provide the best defense against attacks.
· Anti-Virus software – Anti-Virus software should scan all systems for malicious patterns. This program should check for updates daily to provide the latest defense against attacks.
· Patching and Updating – All devices on the network should be up to date.
· Backup solution – Important data should be backed up in a secure hardware device or cloud.
Justification
Security has never been more important or widely discussed. Everyday new threats are attacking systems worldwide. This is why patching and updating all devices and systems is critical for network defense. The users (staff and students) have an important role to keep their authentication private and complex so unauthorized users won’t get in. All users should be educated on the potential threats and way to prevent malicious users. Firewalls and anti-virus programs are tools to prevent and keep the network safe.
Bibliography
[1] wiseGEEK, "What are the Different Types of Network Services?", 2016. [Online]. Available: http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-the-different-types-of-network-services.... [Accessed: 26- Feb- 2016].
[2] Cisco, "Cisco Business Edition 6000 - Products & Services", 2016. [Online]. Available: http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/unified-communications/business-ed.... [Accessed: 26- Feb- 2016].
[3] Digitalocean.com, "7 Security Measures to Protect Your Servers | DigitalOcean", 2016. [Online]. Available: https://www.digitalocean.com/community/tutorials/7-security-measures-to-.... [Accessed: 26- Feb- 2016].