Reference no: EM132362358

Virtual Private Networks Assignment - SSL/TLS VPN Technologies

Purpose of the assessment (with ULO Mapping) - The purpose of this assignment is to review existing literatures on important VPN technologies and issues and write a report. The report must be specific to the given topics, use appropriate examples and detail of the topic given to develop a review paper. In preparing the assignment, students should acquire not only the knowledge of current technical aspects of VPN but also research, data collection, analysis and writing skills. Students should be able to demonstrate their achievements in the following unit learning outcomes:

a. Explain the significance of VPN for contemporary organisations.

b. Discuss the role of VPN to support the security of businesses.

Assignment Questions:

Objective: Your tasks are to analyse and to write a report about the processes and the security technologies being used when you access any website (which uses HTTPS) online via a web browser, as well as having the ability to remotely accessing your company network online securely. It is a well-known fact that the Internet is a public network and every single message you exchange with the server can potentially be intercepted by attackers. You need to analyse in detail to address the technologies and techniques that can be used to prevent attackers from modifying the communication between you and web server in addition to keeping your passwords and other details safe.

A. Literature Review: Research about the different methods for securing the transfer of information across internet service provider. This should include the following:

1. You need to explain the significance of VPN for contemporary organisations. This should cover the different encryption protocols for VPN implementation, including a comparison of SSL/VPN and IPSEC/VPN.

2. IPsec uses the Internet Key Exchange (IKE) protocol to negotiate and establish secured site- to-site or remote-access VPN tunnels. Investigate how Cisco Adaptive Security Appliances (ASA 5500 Series) would support IPsec and IKE.

3. Discuss the role of VPN in supporting the security of businesses, and describe the advantages of SSL/VPN over IPSEC/VPN.

4. The rapid proliferation of mobile devices increases on a daily basis, investigate how Cisco AnyConnect is designed to secure the connections from these mobile devices.

You are also required to address the following topics and task in details:

B. Authentication and Access Control - You need to visit a particular web site and discuss the following points:

1. Analyse and write report on how the browser ensures that it is communicating to the right server. Please visit a website and add screenshots also highlighting the related part. How SSL and TLS provide authentication?

2. Describe how digital signatures work and what role pays in the authentication process, add the relevant screenshot from your web browser showing the details of signature. What happens during certificate verification?

3. Analyse and comment on how the server make sure that it is communicating to the right client, discuss several methods; e.g. if you are using MIT Moodle, how the server verifies that it's actually YOU?

C. Confidentiality and Integrity -

1. Analyse and write a report on how the confidentiality and integrity is achieved in SSL communication, and how server & client agree on one cipher suit?

2. Explain what is the role of symmetric encryption and hash algorithms in SSL communication. Add/take screenshots from your browser showing symmetric encryption and hash details.

3. Describe the VPN client software options.

D. Anti-Replay -

1. Analyse and write a report on how the anti-replay attacks are mitigated in SSL communication.

2. How to protect your organization against SSL attacks?

E. Remote Access to database server -

1. Analyse and comment on how to remotely access your content at you your company database server.

2. Explain what possible attacks you might face.