• Classroom
Course Description

Data network infrastructures provide the highways of accessibility to modern business applications; however, these high speed data highways, if improperly safeguarded, can also open avenues of external and internal attack and abuse. Over the years, the topic of auditing networks has often been misunderstood and viewed as a technical mystery. In this down-to-earth, no nonsense, hands-on seminar, we will clearly identify and demonstrate practical methods to document and audit the critical safeguards in numerous forms of common wired and wireless network technologies and infrastructures used in most modern organizations. In addition to control issues common to both internal and external network infrastructure security controls and audit procedures, such as network device security and change control, we identify the main IT audit focal points for public/Internet connections including: firewalls and proxy servers, virtual private networks and wireless.

To equip you with the necessary knowledge and audit tool awareness, attendees will be guided through a relevant series of practical hands-on exercises to test network security controls from the “outside in" as well as the “inside out”. We will provide the opportunity to use a wide array of built-in/bundled, open source, and low-cost commercial software tools to ensure widespread applicability and affordability when you go back to the office to apply those lessons.

All exercises are documented, highlighting the security and IT audit objective(s) and evidence gathering and analysis procedures and can be easily incorporated into work programs. Attendees will also receive valuable checklists and work programs, along with copious references for supportive information and audit tools.

This course is available on-site at your location, or offered through open enrollment 11/16/20 - 11/20/20.

Learning Objectives

  1. 1 Network Security and Audit Essentials, getting a handle on network terminology, locating key network cybersecurity control points, major risks to network cybersecurity, overview of network communications standards and protocols, open systems Interconnection (OSI) reference model, transmission control protocol/internet protocol (TCP/IP), network addressing fundamentals, leveraging network utilities and services as audit tools.
  2. 2 Protecting Physical/Media Network Access, common network transmission media: copper wire, fiber optics, wireless, common LAN topologies, WAN and internet connections, network access control (NAC) and user authentication security, WAN network service operation and security, threats, safeguards and audit procedures for media access security.
  3. 3 Securing and Auditing Wireless Networks, wireless network technologies and standards, wireless network architectures and control points, risks to wireless networks, wireless security controls, discovery and audit procedures for wireless networks.
  4. 4 Managing Network Application Services Cybersecurity Risks, client/server architectures and middleware–foundation for TCPIP application services, software-based network host security, TCPIP applications (ports), associated risks, and safeguards, ICMP protocol applications, risks, and safeguards, host-based and network based tools for locating and assessing active network services security, developing a TCP/IP application risk analysis and management methodology.
  5. 5 Securing and Auditing Enterprise Network Address Management and Directory Services, IP address management with dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP), domain name system (DNS) the Brains of TCPIP networking, tools and techniques for auditing address management and directory services servers.
  6. 6 Network Appliances Functionality, Management, Security and Audit, positioning network interconnection devices in OSI reference model, network domains and segmentation, network routing, network device maintenance/management port access security, simple network management protocol (SNMP), networked printers, print servers, and multi-function office devices, Internet of Things (IoT), network device audit tools and techniques.
  7. 7 Securing and Auditing DMZ Networks, risks to Internet and other public facing network connections, identifying DMZ cybersecurity control points, auditing network firewalls and router access control lists, proxy servers, virtual private networks (VPN) and secure session protocols, DMZ audit planning.

Framework Connections

The materials within this course focus on the Knowledge Skills and Abilities (KSAs) identified within the Specialty Areas listed below. Click to view Specialty Area details within the interactive National Cybersecurity Workforce Framework.