ITNET203A-Network security

Scenario

Green Powered Electricity Supplier (GPES) is a relatively small but fast growing electricity retail supplier in NSW. GPES is keen on reducing cost; improve efficiency, increase market share and profitability. They have hired John Winterbottom as new CEO who is a tech savvy and very enthusiastic about technologies such as 5G and penetration of IoT in every walks of our lives. In order to achieve the goals set forward by the company as far growth and profitability is concerned; he comes with a new business initiative where GPES is to opt for automatic electricity utility bill generation system. The system is to be highly available and secure and work with internet connected electricity meters powered by latest IoT using 5G technology installed on customer’s premises. This, he argues will reduce the cost, increase efficiency and ultimately improves the bottom line when comes to profitability.

Starting in first quarter of 2020, the company is planning to install the new meters to all their customer premises, business as well as their domestic customers. In the first phase, meters will be installed to the premises of the business customers only, which numbers around 150 customers sites. Electricity usage data from the meters are to be automatically uploaded on weekly basis. GPES also requires that electricity usage data be read remotely from the company if required. Depending on what customers choose, the system should generate electricity utility bill every month or quarterly. Bills will be automatically emailed to the customers and or a printed version is generated and posted to the customers if required. The system should also be able to generate automatic reminder notification for the bills not paid on time. Notifications should be in the form of email or hard copy send to the customer.

GPES has opened two regional branches in Melbourne and in Brisbane to cover Victoria and Queensland market place as part of GPES drive toward nationwide service coverage. GPES also supports staff to work at home. GPES business structure includes the following departments:

1-   Management

2-   Engineering

3-  Sales

4-   Marketing

5-   IT support

6-   HR

7-   Accounts

8-   Customer Support

Requirements

Task 1: Written Report

Need analysis and implementation plan for GPES HQ: 

GPES HQ is to be designed based on the latest integrated LAN enterprise architecture with security, high availability, redundancy and load balancing at its core. Your analysis should include but not limited to:

Authentication,

Authorization,

Accounting/logging.

Security of IoT enabled meters:

Your written report must thoroughly discuss, but not limited to: legislative compliance issue relating to IoT enabled meters suitability of protocols and technologies to read meters remotely protecting GPES enterprise networks from IoT enabled meters exploits.

Task 2: Network design and configuration

a.As proof of concept, you are to prototype the proposed design of your GPES enterprise network using Cisco Packet Tracer version 7.1 for the configuration. Your small-scale network should include a site for the HQ LAN network and one of the branch offices of your choice.

b.Industrial best practice and recommendations should be adopted. For GPES HQ LAN, you may consider a three-zone security model: internal, external and DMZ.

c.For the HQ network, you should also consider, but not limited to:

VLANs (choose no less than 3 vlans)

DHCP service,

Server-based AAA service, with TACACS+ and/or RADIUS servers,

NTP, Web Server, FTP Server, TFTP server, etc.

LAN security,

Syslog Server,

ASA firewalls,

Authenticate devices connected to the network through switch ports.

Communication between the HQ and the branch office should be secured.

Site-to-site VPN should be used

HQ uses a Cisco ASA firewall.

For the firewall in the branch office, you may use Cisco ASA firewall or Cisco router with IOS zone based firewall support. Whichever security appliance you choose, you are required to have a brief discussion about each in your report with reasoning and justification for your choice.