Edge Security Design

This chapter covers the following topics:

• What Is the Edge?
• Expected Threats
• Threat Mitigation
• Identity Considerations
• Network Design Considerations
• Small Network Edge Security Design
• Medium Network Edge Security Design
• High-End Resilient Edge Security Design
• Provisions for E-Commerce and Extranet Design

During my service in the United States Congress, I took the initiative in creating the Internet.

Former Vice President Al Gore, CNN interview with Wolf Blitzer, 1999

I think it is very fair to say that the Internet would not be where it is in the United States without the strong support given to it and related research areas by the vice president in his current role and in his earlier role as senator.

Vinton Cerf, "Gore Deserves Internet Credit, Some Say," Washington Post, 1999

This chapter takes all the information in the previous 12 chapters and presents edge designs that are suitable for use by different-size networks. If you've been following the book closely so far, you probably are able to arrive at these designs on your own. If so, you're well on your way to successfully deploying your security system. If not, don't fret. The information in this chapter shows you examples for different-size networks that you can compare to your own to start generating ideas.

The point of this chapter (and the following two) is not to present a "right" answer, but to present a possible answer. As discussed earlier, no one design applies to all networks simply because policies and business needs are different. As such, these designs focus on threats and countermeasures at an abstract level. Individual policy requirements are assumed to be more restrictive when given a choice. This generally shows you, the designer, a more secure design that you can choose to loosen as your own policy dictates. Major options that increase or decrease the security level of the design are called out where appropriate.