Network-based security solutions

In this chapter, we are not trying to adhere to the levels of the standard ISO/OSI model, but we distinguish two main abstract security levels: network and host levels.

The host level is represented with host-based security solutions that are aimed towards protecting a certain host. However, network-based solutions are aimed towards protecting the whole network or its parts (or groups of hosts). We would like to start the chapter with network-based solutions.

Configuring network access control

In order to imitate a real network and to protect our lab from access from an external network, we need to implement access control measures between our various lab VLANs on the network level. The access control mechanism that we are going to use is called access control lists (ACLs) and can be implemented on the core router.

Generally speaking, ACL is a list of rules determining which traffic is allowed or disallowed and in which directions. We are also going to create...