Securing Networked Systems: Coursework Requirements

Understanding Attacks on Networked Systems

With the interconnected nature of technology today, securing our networked systems and data against attack is a major concern for organisations. Understanding attacks on our data, computers, and networks enable us to put in place technical countermeasures to mitigate such attacks. In addition, the ability to effectively test the security of our networked systems can facilitate understanding to prevent further security issues.

To pass the coursework you must

• demonstrate your understanding of securing Networks including cloud, web application, or servers based on security technologies (e.g., Intrusion Detection and Prevention System (IDPS), Firewall, or others such as antivirus, malware, etc) using a virtual operating system (Ubuntu 18.04”);

• demonstrate your understanding of securing a network and system by building on work conducted in lecture and lab sessions.

• test security performance for your network (which consists of local hosts, vulnerable web application or servers) when it faces different attacks techniques e.g., SQLi attacks, Backdoor attacks, flood attacks (TCP, UDP, ICMP, HTTP), high-speed malicious traffic, Mitigate attacks (PacketTracer), etc.

• Use various proactive and reactive security tools and techniques to test security performance of your network and system implementation. This builds on experiencen gained in lab sessions to provide a practical demonstration of securing computer networks and cloud systems in general.

You are required to

1. Research and report on security challenges for networked systems including web applications, computer networks and cloud servers. This section should be approximately 600 words long.

2. You will then set up a prototype network. Here, you can choose one of 3 (three) following options:

a. The prototype network consisted of 3 (three) virtual stations including (e.g., Ubuntu Mate 18.04, Kali, Vulnerable web application) connected together in one internal network.

b. The prototype network consisted of 2 (two) virtual stations including (e.g., kali and Vulnerable web application) connected in one internal network.

c. The prototype system consisted of one virtual station including e.g., internal web application. Equal marks will be given whichever option is chosen because there are different challenges involved in each option. Some options may be more suitable for computers with limited capacity.

Several tools and hackers’ techniques (which were introduced in the lab sessions and should find out more by your research) can be used to test your network or system security performance. You should use Snort IDPS to test your system’s security (analysis, detection and prevention performance). The result should be reported and discussed.

You are required to write a reflective statement based on skills learned from the module and coursework. Your reflective statements should be approximately 200 words. It will reflect on the skills learned in completing this coursework.

You must give a demonstration of your overall system and its network security. This part of the coursework should use screenshots and textual descriptions to illustrate any practical work undertaken.

Your report including your reflective statement should not exceed 3000 words (excluding references and appendices).

You are encouraged to link any references in the practical elements of the assignment to relevant and related academic literature. Particular care should be made to ensure that the report contains correct references to all cited work in an appropriate style, e.g., the Harvard Referencing System.