C10V Assignment 8 – Business Consulting

Expenses, Network Setup and Security Proposals

[Name]

Introduction to Computers

C10V

[Lecturer’s Name]

[Date]

Expenses, Network Setup and Security Proposals

Formula or function that will be put in column F that will show the total expenses for each day.

=SUM(B5:E5)

=SUM(B6:E6)

=SUM(B7:E7)

=SUM(B8:E8)

=SUM(B9:E9)

=SUM(B10:E10)

=SUM(B11:E11)

Formula or function that will be put in column B through F in column 13 that will show the total expenses for the week in each category

=SUM(B5:B11)

=SUM(C5:C11)

=SUM(D5:D11)

=SUM(E5:E11)

=SUM(F5:F11)

Print ‘Yes’ in any row where the total expenses is greater than or equal to $ 100.00 and leave blank if less than $100.

=IF(F5>=$100,”Yes”, “”)

=IF(F6>=$100,”Yes”, “”)

=IF(F7>=$100,”Yes”, “”)

=IF(F8>=$100,”Yes”, “”)

=IF(F9>=$100,”Yes”, “”)

=IF(F10>=$100,”Yes”, “”)

=IF(F11>=$100,”Yes”, “”)

Network Setup Considerations

There are various networking options that Bill will consider for networking. Since the employees will be accessing the services hosted by a cloud service provider, Bill needs an internet connection in his office. The options at his disposal include

Choosing a reliable internet service provider

Using a router alone or using both a router and a switch

Choosing a router and a switch that will meet the office needs

Thoughts about future scaling as the company grows.

The internet service provider will terminate their fiber cable at the router. Bill will then need to create the wide area networks (WAN) interface with a public IP address and the Local Area Network interface with local IP addresses in the router. The router will also be configured as a dynamic host configuration protocol (dhcp) server to provide IP addressed to the local devices. A switch will be connected to one of the router ports and used to connect to local devices using an Ethernet adapters.

Using a Router alone

Advantages

Minimal configurations

Easier management and cleaner wiring.

Disadvantages

The router will have to be accessed a lot which might tamper with its settings.

Few devices to be connected over Ethernet due to few router ports

Most devices will be using Wireless Fidelity (WiFi) connectivity to access internet.

Using Both a Router and a Switch

Advantages

Network segmentation.

Network is extended to accommodate more devices

More devices can connect through an Ethernet adapter to the switch which improves security

Disadvantages

Added work on configurations

Dirty wiring if not properly organized. Wiring crossing floors can easily cause accidents

Recommendations

I would recommend to Bill to use both a router and a switch. In the router, internet connectivity network security setting will be configured. This leaves the switch to be used for connecting the local devices. Network segmentation and virtual networks (VLANs) will be created in the switch for different departments The router will provide the VPN functionality such that an encrypted link will be created between Bill’s router and the router at the cloud ISP’s end.

Concerns for the Safety and Security of the Networks and Computers

Hackers are always on the look out for weak security measures to get into the devices and steal or tamper with the data for their own selfish gains (Pawar, M. V., & Anuradha, J., 2015). They cause data loss, time wastage and loss of revenue and tarnished company reputation (Kumar, G., & Kumar, K., 2014). Security is meant to ensure data confidentiality (Pawar, M. V., & Anuradha, J., 2015), integrity and availability(Kumar, G., & Kumar, K., 2014). The major concerns that I have for Bill’s network and computers include:

Malware attacks.

Malware is a malicious software that is designed to cause harm to computer files and gets executed as part of a genuine application. It takes advantage of system vulnerabilities such as outdated software. It is therefore recommended that Bill ensures that all network devices always run the latest versions and patches. He should also have antivirus and anti-malware always installed in his computers (Gaigole, M. S., & Kalyankar, M. A., 2015).

Unauthorized Access

This occurs when an authorized individual gets access to the systems. This can occur if employees expose their passwords or use simple passwords that can easily be discovered by a hacker. The employees are advised to keep their passwords safe, have strong passwords and consider having the passwords changed on a monthly basis.

Social Engineering

This occurs when the employees are lured into exposing the company information. Phishing is when an employee receives an email or a text message from a hacker pretending to be a legitimate sender in order to entice them to share sensitive information. It is recommended for Bill to have the employees trained on basic security measures. It will help them to learn when to respond and when not to respond to emails and texts.

Denial-of-Service Attacks

Denial-of-service means that a system cannot operate normally because they resources are overwhelmed. A network device can be made to receive and send millions of packets beyond its settings, therefore, reducing its efficiency on its normal operations. It is recommended for Bill to install monitoring devices on the network edge to constantly report traffic levels. Edge firewalls should also be configured to filter and drop undesired connections (Gaigole, M. S., & Kalyankar, M. A.. 2015).

Man-in-the-Middle Attacks

Bill’s employees will be using the computers to access the company services hosted by a cloud service provider. Man-in-the-middle intercepts the packets traffic to steal or alter the transmitted information, We had already recommended that Bill should use an encrypted link between his network and the cloud ISP. A VPN link will be set up between Bill’s router and cloud router. Encryption provides data confidentiality and integrity.

References

Gaigole, M. S., & Kalyankar, M. A. (2015). The study of network security with its penetrating attacks and possible security mechanisms. Int. J. Comput. Sci. Mob. Comput, 45(5), 728-735.

Kumar, G., & Kumar, K. (2014). Network security–an updated perspective. Systems Science & Control Engineering: An Open Access Journal, 2(1), 325-334.

Pawar, M. V., & Anuradha, J. (2015). Network security and types of attacks in network. Procedia Computer Science, 48, 503-506.