Network Security Research

[gIll]

Hi All,

I?m presently conducting research for my final year dissertation; the project entails creating a software application to help SME?s assess their network security posture. Using a questionnaire based database the application will highlight areas of concern and provide a gap analysis report. Areas that I will touch on include:

Perimeter Firewalls, Router ACL?s, TCP wrappers, DMZ objects (SMTP and Web servers), Virus and Proxy Servers, NOS, WLAN?s, and DNS servers.

I need the groups help on the following points:

1) Official guidelines to network security
2) Information on network security risk analysis
3) Surveys that have already been conducted on network security
4) Further areas I need to investigate


Cheers,

S Gill

[SIW Editor]

While we are seeing a great deal of convergence between physical and IT/network security, this forum is still predominantly a site for physical security directors (access control, CCTV, etc.). I suggest you cross-post your request on one of the IT security message boards out there on the WWW. You might find a bit more luck. Now if you were doing your dissertation on building access control instead of network access control, you'd be in the right den.

[N. A. Corbier]

I can't even comment on this, because everything I have is theroetical knowledge, and Linux specific. I haven't gotten out and gotten a Microsoft Certified Security Engineer certificate, nor am I really inclined to get one, and the Linux Professional Institute hasn't developed their Linux Certified Security Practitioner course fully yet. I would try Infoworld's forums, or, your local technical college. My local tech college has a rather good MCSE/RHCE/Security+/CCNA/MSP for a head instructor, who dosen't play the Linux/MS war - he teaches how to secure both systems successfully.

When doing technical security, I outsource to a Novell Engineer/MCSE/RHCE, which is a cheaper solution for me.