Security Baselines

---

Of all the topics you need that to study regarding the Security+ exam as well as other security certification available today, you will find security baselines to be the most general and undefined subject of them all. This is simply because there is no particular set of standards or defined baseline rules that can be applied to every possible network infrastructure in use. Simply put, if you are responsible for administrating security in a networked environment, it is important for you to set your own security baselines based on your network environment.

Here are some good general guidelines to follow when creating a security baseline for your network:

• Evaluate your company's current processes, business plans, technical environment, and current security structure.

• Identify your company's security risk. This can be accomplished with a fundamental risk analysis and a good network security analysis scanner.

• Plan and set up a strong authentication method for your network. Implement encryption methods such as use of public/private keys and utilize built-in operating system security practices such as file-level security, passwords, and policies

• Plan and provide protection for remote users through the use of VPNs, firewalls, and extranets

• Create a choke point (a single entry and exit point through which data passes into and out of your network). This can be done with a firewall. It will provide one area to protect, monitor, and log.

• Define a security policy.

• Secure all resources and services.

• Perform testing, evaluation, and logging.

• Create multiple network segments.

• Segment operating systems from data. Partition hard drives so that the operating system is separate from data.

  Note 

  Do not take this section lightly. There is a good possibility that the general guidelines just mentioned contain several answers to questions you will face on the exam. For example, what should you do first in preparation for avoiding potential risk? The exam is most likely going to drill you with such questions. Use your technical knowledge and common sense to answer the easier exam questions.

In order to create a structured network security baseline, you have to know the location of your vulnerabilities. In other words, you need a tool that identifies your network's weaknesses. There are some great tools available that will help network security personnel assess weaknesses and create security baselines. One of the best on the market is Enterprise Security Manager by Symantec. For more information on these as well as other excellent security software packages, visit the Symantec Web site at http://www.symantec.com/product/.

---