Wguassessment

🌐 How I Tackled a Secure Network Design Assessment at WGU

In this post, I’ll share how I completed a Secure Network Design performance assessment for my WGU class. This project focused on merging two companies’ networks securely while meeting compliance requirements and staying within a tight budget. It was a fantastic challenge that required applying technical knowledge, strategic thinking, and compliance expertise.

🏢 The Scenario

For this assessment, I acted as the cybersecurity professional for Company A, a financial institution. The goal? Integrate its network with Company B, a smaller medical software provider. Here’s what I had to address:

  • Key Challenges:
    • Fixing network vulnerabilities and outdated infrastructure.
    • Designing a secure hybrid network (on-premises + cloud).
    • Ensuring compliance with PCI DSS and HIPAA.
    • Staying within a $50,000 budget.

The final deliverable was a network merger and implementation plan with justifications and a network diagram.

🛠️ The Process

Here’s how I approached the project, step by step:

1️⃣ Assessing Network Problems

I started by analyzing the provided network diagrams and vulnerability reports to identify critical issues:

🔍 Company A’s Issues:

  • Open ports on critical systems, exposing them to exploitation.
  • Weak password policies (e.g., 8-character passwords with no complexity).
  • Limited remote access infrastructure and outdated software (Windows Server 2012).

🔍 Company B’s Issues:

  • Outdated operating systems (e.g., Windows XP) and poor patching practices.
  • Lack of network segmentation, increasing the risk of lateral movement.
  • Insecure Java RMI server configuration, vulnerable to remote code execution.

2️⃣ Designing a Secure Network

The next step was creating a secure network topology diagram. My design included:

  • Firewalls:
    • Repurposed Company A’s Fortinet firewall and Company B’s Sophos XG firewalls for segmentation.
  • Routers:
    • Upgraded to Cisco Catalyst 8200 routers for modern security and scalability.
  • Cloud-Based SIEM:
    • Integrated Microsoft Sentinel for real-time threat detection and monitoring.
  • Wireless Access Points:
    • Added Cisco Catalyst 9105AXI access points for secure, high-speed connectivity.
  • Infrastructure Upgrades:
    • Installed Cat6a cables for higher bandwidth and replaced outdated systems.

3️⃣ Applying Security Principles

The design focused on two key principles:

🔒 Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA):

  • Enforced strict Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA).
  • Implemented network segmentation to isolate critical systems and reduce lateral movement.

🛡️ Defense in Depth:

  • Layered multiple security controls, including firewalls, endpoint protection, and cloud-based SIEM.

4️⃣ Ensuring Compliance

To meet PCI DSS and HIPAA requirements, I incorporated:

  • PCI DSS:
    • Segmented the Cardholder Data Environment (CDE).
    • Used encryption and MFA to secure access.
  • HIPAA:
    • Applied encryption to protect medical data during storage and transmission.
    • Restricted access to medical systems using MFA and segmentation.

5️⃣ Budget Management

Balancing security needs with the $50,000 budget was critical. Here’s how I allocated resources:

  • $15,000 for VPN concentrators and MFA deployment.
  • $10,000 for cloud-based SIEM and backup services.
  • $15,000 for hardware upgrades (e.g., firewalls, routers).
  • $10,000 for employee training and incident response planning.

🎯 Final Thoughts

This project was an excellent exercise in real-world cybersecurity problem-solving. It emphasized the importance of balancing security, compliance, and budget constraints while designing a secure network architecture.

💡 Key Takeaways:

  • Break it down: Tackling the assessment section by section made it more manageable.
  • Focus on compliance: Aligning solutions with PCI DSS and HIPAA requirements is crucial in regulated industries.
  • Stay within budget: Thoughtfully repurpose existing hardware to make the most of limited resources.

If you’re a WGU student working on this assessment, I hope this post helps you approach the project with confidence. Good luck!

💬 Have thoughts or questions? Drop a comment below, or reach out if you’d like to discuss cybersecurity design!

Written on December 12, 2024