Reference no: EM133871476

Information Security

Assessment - Enterprise Security Operations and Implementation

Purpose of the assessment - Explain the major methodologies for secure networks and what threats they address
Identify and report network threats, select and implement appropriate countermeasures for network security
Use security policies to manage operational security, and then administer those policies to ensure compliance by users in an organization

Assignment Scenario
You are working as a cybersecurity consultant for SecureSoft Pty Ltd, a company transitioning to hybrid cloud infrastructure. Following a series of risk findings and user- related incidents, the company has tasked you with developing an integrated security framework. As a group of 4 members, your role is to assess current practices, test core systems, and propose improvements using both strategic planning and hands- on technical validation.
You are required to complete the following tasks. Each task combines conceptual understanding and practical execution. Use your test environment to collect evidence (screenshots, outputs, config files) and present a clear analysis and recommendation in your report and presentation.

Task 1: Identifying and Responding to Threats
Identify and explain three significant threats or vulnerabilities that are relevant to SecureSoft's infrastructure. Justify why these are critical in the current cybersecurity landscape.
Perform a vulnerability or reconnaissance assessment in your virtual lab. Use appropriate tools to discover weaknesses or exposed services. Summarise what you identified.
Prioritize the threats using a risk matrix or similar model, rating their potential impact and likelihood. Justify your ratings.
Provide actionable recommendations to reduce the risks and improve threat detection capability.
Include evidence of scan results, screenshots, risk matrix diagram.

Task 2: Access Control and Endpoint Defense
Design an access control structure using Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) and Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA). Describe roles, permissions, and the flow of access.
Test and evaluate a credential protection tool such as a password manager or breach-check service. What did you learn about user credential risk?
Simulate or assess endpoint threats (e.g., malware infection, keylogging, or unsafe apps). How would these be identified and mitigated in a real system?
Propose technical controls and policies to improve authentication practices and secure endpoint behaviour.
Include evidence of tool outputs, screenshots, policy examples.

Task 3: Network and Communication Security
Design a secure network architecture including segmentation for user, admin, and internet-facing services. Explain how this limits lateral movement and enhances control.
Capture and analyze network traffic to distinguish between secure and insecure communications (e.g., HTTPS vs HTTP). Describe your findings.
Investigate any unusual or simulated malicious traffic. How would you detect and respond to such traffic in a production environment?
Recommend communication security measures such as encryption protocols, firewall rule sets, and visibility tools.
Include evidence of net ork diagrams, packet captures, analysis screenshots.

Task 4: Governance, Awareness, and Policy Integration (with GoPhish)
Create core policy components for Acceptable Use, Incident Response, and Data Classification. Explain how they will be implemented and enforced. Get online assignment help in the USA!
Analyse a digital certificate from a secure website or digitally signed document. What does it tell you about authenticity and trust?
Explore browser or application privacy settings. What protections are in place by default, and what settings can be improved?
Design or simulate a phishing awareness campaign using GoPhish. Include:
How you designed the campaign (template, email, landing page)
What user actions were tracked
Lessons learned from the results
How such simulations support training and governance
Include evidence of GoPhish screenshots, policy excerpts, certificate validation, bro ser settings.

Task 5: PowerPoint Presentation
Each group must develop a PowerPoint presentation (10-15 slides) summarising their key findings, practical implementations, and outcomes from the assignment. This presentation should reflect contributions from all team members and visually showcase selected tools, results, configurations, or recommendations. It must include
Overview of key issues, threats, and objectives
Visual presentation of tools, methods, or configurations
Explanation of reasoning, decisions, and outcomes
Structure, slide clarity, and engagement
The presentation must be submitted alongside the ritten report and presented in Week 11/12.

References
Must consider at least ten (10) current references from journal/conference papers and books. Must follow IEEE referencing style.