This course explores firewall fundamentals, rules, filters, design strategies, and deployment best practices. Students also learn about virtual private networks (VPNs) for secure remote access.
Two key technologies for protecting a network are firewalls and virtual private networking (VPNs). This four-lesson, web-based course steps through pfSense Firewall configuration on a client and server and VPN configuration. The course offers textbook chapters, lectures, and virtual labs that duplicate real-world scenarios. Qualified instructors are available to answer questions about the content and theory.
To begin, you will learn how to configure pfSense Firewall to protect a client computer by answering a set of configuration questions and then implementing the configuration choices you made. Next, you will configure pfSense Firewall to protect a server using steps similar to the ones you used for a client computer. Then you will configure the server side of the Linux Debian Openswan VPN. Finally, you will configure a Windows Server 2008 machine as a VPN client to connect to a Linux Debian Openswan VPN. Then you will use the Wireshark protocol analyzer to look at the tunneled VPN traffic using the IPsec protocol, and compare it with the non-tunneled traffic.
Learning Objectives
- Describe the fundamental functions performed by firewalls.
- Describe the fundamental functions performed by VPNs.
- Configure and implement firewalls and VPNs for optimal security.
Framework Connections
Specialty Areas
- Cyber Defense Infrastructure Support
Feedback
If you would like to provide feedback for this course, please e-mail the NICCS SO at NICCS@hq.dhs.gov.