Chapter 7 - 07 - Discuss Fundamentals of VPN and its importance in Network Security - 01_ocred_fax_ocred.pdf

Certified Cybersecurity Technician Exam 212-82 Network Security Controls — Technical Controls Module Flow Discuss Essential Network...

Certified Cybersecurity Technician Exam 212-82 Network Security Controls — Technical Controls Module Flow Discuss Essential Network Understand Different Types of Security Protocols Proxy Servers and their Benefits Discuss Fundamentals of VPN Discuss Security Benefits and its importance in Network 2o 4+ of Network Segmentation ® AN Security Understand Different Types Discuss Other Network Security of Firewalls and their Role Controls Understand Different Types Discuss Importance of Load of IDS/IPS and their Role Balancing in Network Security Understand Different Types Understand Various Various of Honeypots Antivirus/Anti-malware Software Discuss Fundamentals of VPN and its importance in Network Security VPN technology helps organizations protect the communication between their corporate private networks spread across the public Internet. It provides privacy and secures the communication between these networks through encrypted tunnels that transmit data between a remote user and corporate network. This section explains the fundamentals of VPN and its importance in securing networks. Module 07 Page 904 Certified Cybersecurity Technician Copyright © by EC-Council EG-Council Certified Cybersecurity Technician Exam 212-82 Network Security Controls — Technical Controls O VPNs are used to securely communicate with ) A i soudbanamodem L uouupw concentrtor different computers over insecure channels Traveling personal I, I : i.A O A VPN use the Internet and ensures secure El @ @} g} communication to distant offices or users within Soutog el wlth W1 VN1 Clond Home mm T the enterprise’s network Al Rights Reserved, ANl Reproductionis Strictly Prohibited What is a VPN? Most organizations have offices at different locations around the world. Consequently, there is a need for establishing a remote connection between these offices. Previously, remote access was established through leased lines with the help of dial-up telephone links such as ISDN, DSL, cable modem, satellite, and mobile broadband. However, establishing remote connections with these leased lines is quite expensive, and the costs increase as the distance between the offices increases. To overcome the drawbacks of conventional remote access technologies, organizations are adopting virtual private networks (VPNs) to provide remote access to their employees and distant offices. A VPN offers an attractive solution for security professionals to connect their organization’s network securely over the Internet. VPN is used to connect distant offices or individual users to their organization’s network over a secure channel. VPN uses a tunneling process to transport encrypted data over the Internet. IPsec is the most common protocol used in VPN at the IP level. VPN ensures data integrity by using a message digest and protects data transmission from being tampered with. VPN guarantees quality of service (QoS) through service-level agreements (SLAs) with the service provider. Module 07 Page 905 Certified Cybersecurity Technician Copyright © by EC-Council Certified Cybersecurity Technician Exam 212-82 Network Security Controls — Technical Controls ’ PR VPN Architecture |— Head Office s \ ;I ===+ VPN Connectivity P Ld I'fii"Router with VPNJylodule.................. lf Router with 3G/ COMA/HSDPA- ". Internet 'o, VPN Module Mobile Broadband ~ +* K s » Boardbrand Modem * - B P - VPN concentrator Telecommuter / @ S Travelling personal P Laptop with VPN Client Branch Office PC with VPN Client Figure 7.102: VPN architecture = Typical Features of VPN o VPN establishes a connection between a remote system and a LAN across an intermediary network such as the Internet. o VPNs allow cheap long-distance connections over the Internet because both end points require a local Internet link, which serves as a free long-distance carrier. o VPN uses tunneling or encapsulation protocols. o VPNs use encryption to provide a secure connection to a remote network over the Internet and protects the communication. o VPNs provide virtual access to the physical network, and the experience is similar to the case where the user is physically located in the office. = Advantages of VPNs o VPNs are inexpensive. o They provide a framework for corporate intranets and extranets. o VPN ensures secured data transfer. o VPN allows the user to access both web applications and websites in complete anonymity. Module 07 Page 906 Certified Cybersecurity Technician Copyright © by EC-Council Certified Cybersecurity Technician Exam 212-82 Network Security Controls — Technical Controls = Disadvantages of VPNs o Designing and implementing a VPN is a complex issue that requires experts for configuration. o Reliability depends on the chosen service provider. = VPN Architecture A certain set of protocols and standards must be followed while establishing a VPN architecture. Security professionals should decide the scope, implementation, and deployment of the VPN and perform continuous network monitoring to ensure the security of a VPN. They should be continuously aware of the overall architecture and scope of the VPN. = Protocols Used in Deploying a VPN To deploy VPNs, there are two primary options: IPsec and SSL. Each protocol has its own unique advantages and is utilized depending on the requirement of the user or the organization’s IT processes. = |Psec VPN IPsec-based VPN is the deployment solution most commonly used by organizations. It is a set of protocols and standards developed by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) for secure communication on the IP layer. It ensures the security of each packet in communication by encrypting and authenticating them. IPsec connections are established using pre-installed VPN client software, which mainly focuses on company- managed desktops. o Advantages e |Psec VPNs can support all IP-based applications through an IPsec VPN product. e They offer tremendous versatility and customizability through the modification of the VPN client software. e Organizations can control the VPN client functions by using the APIs in IPsec client software. e They ensure the secure exchange of IP packets between remote networks or hosts and an IPsec gateway located at the edge of the organization’s private network. The three basic applications of IPsec VPNs (associated with business requirements) are as follows. o Remote-access VPNs: These allow individual users, such as telecommuters, to connect to a corporate network. This application creates an L2TP/PPTP session protected by IPsec encryption. o Intranet VPNs: These help in connecting branch offices to the corporate headquarters, creating a transparent intranet. Module 07 Page 907 Certified Cybersecurity Technician Copyright © by EG-Council Certified Cybersecurity Technician Exam 212-82 Network Security Controls — Technical Controls o Extranet VPNs: These allow companies to connect with their business partners (for example, suppliers, customers, and joint ventures). = SSL VPN (Web-based) SSL-based VPNs provide remote-access connectivity using a web browser and its native SSL encryption, irrespective of the location. SSL does not require any special client software to be pre-installed and is capable of any type of connectivity. The connectivity ranges from company-managed desktops to non-company-managed desktops, such as employee-owned PCs, contractor-owned PCs, or business partner desktops. It helps in reducing desktop software maintenance as it downloads software dynamically whenever needed. o Advantages e It offers additional features such as easy connectivity from non-company- managed desktops and requires little or no desktop software maintenance. e |t provides accessibility to the SSL library and access to TCP port 443. e |t works wherever the user can gain access to HTTPS websites such as Internet banking, secure webmail, or intranet sites. Module 07 Page 908 Certified Cybersecurity Technician Copyright © by EC-Council