Introduction:
Network security is a critical component of modern IT infrastructure, ensuring the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data and services across interconnected networks. This course focuses on the protocols and best practices used to secure networks, prevent unauthorized access, and defend against a wide range of cyber threats. Participants will learn how to implement and configure various network security protocols, such as IPsec, SSL/TLS, and DNSSEC, and develop an understanding of firewall policies, VPNs, intrusion detection systems, and secure network architectures.

Objectives:
By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

• Understand the principles and importance of network security in modern IT environments.
• Implement and configure network security protocols such as IPsec, SSL/TLS, DNSSEC, and more.
• Design and deploy secure network architectures and configurations.
• Utilize security tools such as firewalls, intrusion detection/prevention systems, and VPNs.
• Apply best practices to secure network communication and protect against common attack vectors.
• Develop incident response strategies for network security breaches.

Who Should Attend?
This course is designed for IT professionals, network engineers, security administrators, and anyone responsible for securing network infrastructures. It is suitable for:

• Network administrators and engineers.
• IT security professionals and analysts.
• System administrators.
• Security architects and consultants.
• Anyone interested in mastering network security protocols and practices.

Day 1: Introduction to Network Security and Key Protocols

Morning Session:

• Introduction to Network Security

  • Defining network security: Confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
  • The importance of network security in the context of modern networks (cloud computing, IoT, etc.).
  • Common threats to network security: Malware, phishing, DDoS, Man-in-the-Middle (MitM), etc.
  • Key concepts in network security: Authentication, encryption, firewalls, intrusion detection/prevention systems.

• Network Security Protocols Overview

  • Overview of security protocols used in modern networks: IPsec, SSL/TLS, SSH, DNSSEC.
  • How these protocols help secure data transmission and authentication.
  • Understanding symmetric and asymmetric encryption.

Afternoon Session:

• IPsec (Internet Protocol Security)

  • Introduction to IPsec: What it is and why it is used to secure IP traffic.
  • The components of IPsec: Authentication Header (AH) and Encapsulating Security Payload (ESP).
  • Modes of operation: Transport mode vs. Tunnel mode.
  • Setting up and configuring IPsec in a VPN scenario.

• Hands-On Lab: Configuring IPsec

  • Participants will configure a simple IPsec VPN between two routers, focusing on setting up encryption, key exchange, and authentication mechanisms.

Day 2: Securing Web and Application Traffic

Morning Session:

• SSL/TLS (Secure Sockets Layer / Transport Layer Security)

  • Introduction to SSL and TLS: The protocols used to secure web traffic.
  • The handshake process: How SSL/TLS works to establish a secure communication channel.
  • SSL/TLS certificates: Public and private keys, Certificate Authorities (CAs), and their role in web security.
  • Common vulnerabilities in SSL/TLS and how to mitigate them (e.g., POODLE, BEAST).

• Hands-On Lab: SSL/TLS Configuration

  • Participants will configure SSL/TLS on a web server to establish secure communication (HTTPS).
  • Generating and installing SSL certificates, verifying the connection, and troubleshooting SSL/TLS errors.

Afternoon Session:

• DNSSEC (Domain Name System Security Extensions)

  • Understanding the importance of securing DNS traffic.
  • How DNSSEC protects against cache poisoning and other DNS-related attacks.
  • The components of DNSSEC: Digital signatures, key signing, and zone signing.
  • Configuring DNSSEC for secure DNS resolution.

• Hands-On Lab: Configuring DNSSEC

  • Participants will configure DNSSEC on a DNS server to provide secure DNS lookups and prevent DNS spoofing.

Day 3: Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) and Firewalls

Morning Session:

• VPNs (Virtual Private Networks)

  • Introduction to VPNs: How they secure remote access to a network.
  • Types of VPNs: Remote Access VPNs and Site-to-Site VPNs.
  • VPN protocols: PPTP, L2TP, OpenVPN, and IPsec.
  • Configuring VPNs for secure communication across public networks.

• Hands-On Lab: Configuring a Site-to-Site VPN

  • Participants will configure a site-to-site VPN using IPsec to connect two networks securely over the internet.

Afternoon Session:

• Firewalls and Network Security Zones

  • The role of firewalls in network security: Protecting internal resources from external threats.
  • Types of firewalls: Packet filtering, stateful firewalls, and Next-Generation Firewalls (NGFW).
  • Network segmentation and creating security zones (DMZ, internal, external).
  • Firewall rules and policies for controlling traffic flow.

• Hands-On Lab: Configuring a Firewall

  • Participants will configure a basic firewall to control traffic between different network segments, apply rules, and filter unwanted traffic.

Day 4: Intrusion Detection, Prevention, and Security Best Practices

Morning Session:

• Intrusion Detection and Prevention Systems (IDS/IPS)

  • Introduction to IDS and IPS: How they detect and respond to security incidents.
  • Signature-based vs. anomaly-based detection.
  • Common IDS/IPS solutions: Snort, Suricata, and Cisco Firepower.
  • Implementing IDS/IPS in a network environment for continuous monitoring.

• Hands-On Lab: Configuring Snort IDS

  • Participants will install and configure Snort for intrusion detection, using pre-configured rule sets to detect common attacks.

Afternoon Session:

• Network Security Best Practices

  • Best practices for network security: Strong passwords, regular patching, and access controls.
  • Configuring network segmentation for enhanced security.
  • Security monitoring and logging: How to track and analyze security events.
  • Incident response: How to respond to network security incidents.

• Hands-On Lab: Implementing Network Security Best Practices

  • Participants will implement network security best practices such as patch management, hardening devices, and applying security updates.

Day 5: Advanced Security Protocols and Emerging Threats

Morning Session:

• Advanced Network Security Protocols

  • Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) and its application in securing network communications.
  • Secure Shell (SSH) for secure remote access.
  • Network Time Protocol (NTP) security: Preventing NTP attacks.
  • Network access control protocols: 802.1X, RADIUS, and TACACS+.

• Hands-On Lab: Configuring Secure Remote Access with SSH

  • Participants will configure SSH to secure remote access to network devices and test key-based authentication.

Afternoon Session:

• Emerging Threats and Network Security Trends

  • The evolving threat landscape: APTs, ransomware, DDoS attacks, and insider threats.
  • The role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in network security: Automated threat detection and response.
  • The future of network security: Zero-trust architectures, SD-WAN, and cloud security.

• Final Q&A, Course Review, and Certification Exam

  • Recap of key concepts, protocols, and best practices covered in the course.
  • Open Q&A session to address any remaining questions or challenges.
  • Certification exam to assess participants’ understanding of network security protocols and practices.
  • Awarding of certificates to successful participants.