Network Infrastructure Vulnerabilities

Since we are running a Windows based server, and a UNIX/Linux based server, there are some basic safeguards that are important in ensuring that the network infrastructure remains secure. Even though both types of servers have the basic level of security, there are some known vulnerabilities that exist that could be exploited if additional measures are not taken to address them. The following information outlines the steps that are currently in place within our IT department to address server and other network vulnerabilities.

One of the first the first step in addressing vulnerabilities that exist within our Windows and UNIX/Linux servers, and of course our firewall, is making sure that all the latest updates and service patches are installed on all hardware. All our Windows servers are taking advantage of the Windows update feature, which has been set up to download and install all security, reliability, and compatibility updates in an automatic manner. Our Red Hat enterprise server is currently configured to automatically update using the yum command and is configured to download and install updates daily. We are currently using a bidirectional firewall that is configured for automatic updates so it will upload the newest patches each time they are scheduled which is at 12 a.m. during our nightly system maintenance window. These updates will enable the servers to obtain the latest patches and updates. This makes sure the firewall will protect our network against the latest viruses, worms, Trojan horses or bugs that would have been created since the last update of the program. In addition, scheduling these services to automatically update our equipment will ensure that known, as well as newly discovered vulnerabilities are dealt with immediately and considered a must to secure us against these types of problem and intrusions.

The next step in addressing network vulnerabilities involves the firewall. Hackers will hide their malware inside of a commonly...