Build Your Own Security Lab

Build Your Own Security Lab

Build Your Own Security Lab

Hardware and Gear

This book is designed for those who need to better understand the functionality

of security tools. Its objective is to help you learn when and how specific tools

can help you secure your network.

You may be wondering what security is. Security typically is defined by

three core concepts: confidentiality, integrity, and availability. There is also

the question as to how much security is enough. Some might say that you can

never have enough security, yet in reality it is about balancing the value of the

asset and the cost of protection. One thing that is agreed upon about security

is the value of defense in depth. Simply stated, security controls should be

built in layers. For example, renaming the administrator account is a good

idea, but so too is restricting access to the account, as well as adding complex

passwords and performing periodic audits of the log files.

Because no two networks are the same, and because they change over time,

it is impossible to come upwith a one-size-fits-all list of hardware and software

that will do the job for you. Networks serve the enterprise that owns them.

The enterprise necessarily changes over time, too. In addition, the scale of

operation impacts security considerations. If you pursue a career as a security

consultant, your goals (and inevitably your needs) will differ if you decide

to work for a large multinational corporation (and even differ depending on

the type of industry) or if your interests lie primarily with small office/home

office (SOHO) or small business. Clearly, a whole spectrum of possibilities

exists here.

This chapter provides the first step in building your own network security

lab. You will start to examine the types of hardware and gear that you can use

to build such a test environment, and then look at the operating systems you

should consider loading on your new equipment.

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