Course: Network Security Essentials

This course introduces the fundamental concepts, tools, and techniques used to secure network infrastructure in small to medium-sized environments. Students will gain hands-on experience implementing a variety of security controls including firewalls, VPNs, intrusion detection systems, and traffic analysis tools.

Course Overview

Course Code: CIS 274
Credits: 5
Format: 30% Lecture / 70% Lab-Based
Duration: 10 Weeks
Primary Lab: Build a complete secured network with pfSense, VPN, and IDS implementation

This hands-on course focuses on practical implementation of network security controls using industry-standard tools and best practices. Students will learn to deploy and configure pfSense as a firewall/router, set up VPN tunnels, implement intrusion detection systems, and analyze network traffic for security threats.

Course Modules

• Network Security Fundamentals
• Firewall Implementation
• Network Address Translation and Port Forwarding
• Virtual Private Networks
• Intrusion Detection Systems
• Traffic Analysis and Packet Inspection
• Secure Network Design

Weekly Breakdown

Week 1: Introduction to Network Security Concepts

• CIA triad (Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability)
• Defense in depth strategies
• Security zones and network segmentation
• DMZ implementation concepts
• Lab: Security Zones and DMZ Mapping

Week 2: Introduction to pfSense Firewall

• pfSense architecture and features
• Installation and initial setup
• Interface configuration
• Dashboard and monitoring
• Lab: pfSense Installation and Configuration

Week 3: Firewall Rules and NAT

• Firewall rule creation and evaluation order
• Best practices for firewall policy design
• Network Address Translation (NAT) concepts
• Port forwarding implementation
• Lab: Firewall Rules and NAT Configuration

Week 4: DHCP, DNS, and Logging in pfSense

• DHCP server configuration
• DNS resolver/forwarder setup
• System and service logs
• Log analysis and monitoring
• Lab: Network Services and Logging

Week 5: VPN Technologies Overview

• VPN concepts and protocols
• OpenVPN architecture
• Client configuration and distribution
• Authentication methods
• Lab: OpenVPN Remote Access Configuration

Week 6: IPsec VPN Implementation

• IPsec protocols and modes
• Site-to-site VPN design
• Tunnel configuration
• Troubleshooting VPN connections
• Lab: Site-to-Site IPsec VPN Setup

Week 7: Intrusion Detection Concepts

• IDS vs. IPS technologies
• Signature-based detection
• Anomaly-based detection
• Snort/Suricata architecture
• Lab: IDS Implementation with Snort

Week 8: Network Traffic Analysis

• Packet capture techniques
• Protocol analysis with Wireshark
• Traffic baseline establishment
• Identifying suspicious traffic patterns
• Lab: Traffic Capture and Analysis

Week 9: Secure Network Design

• Network architecture best practices
• Security control selection and placement
• Documentation standards
• Risk assessment considerations
• Lab: Secure Network Design Project

Week 10: Final Project and Review

• Integration of security components
• Testing and validation techniques
• Security assessment reporting
• Lab: Comprehensive Network Security Implementation

Learning Outcomes

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

1. Explain core network security concepts including the CIA triad, defense in depth, and access control
2. Install and configure pfSense as a multi-purpose network security appliance
3. Create and manage firewall rules based on security policy requirements
4. Implement Network Address Translation (NAT) and port forwarding securely
5. Configure and troubleshoot both OpenVPN and IPsec VPN tunnels
6. Deploy intrusion detection systems using Snort or Suricata
7. Analyze network traffic to identify potential security threats
8. Apply network hardening techniques to reduce the attack surface
9. Design network topologies with appropriate security zones and controls
10. Document security implementations with proper diagrams and configuration details

Key Terms

• CIA Triad
• Defense in Depth
• Firewall
• Network Address Translation
• Virtual Private Network
• Intrusion Detection System
• Demilitarized Zone
• Access Control List
• OpenVPN
• IPsec

Lab Exercises

• Security Zones and DMZ Mapping
• pfSense Installation and Configuration
• Firewall Rules and NAT Configuration
• Network Services and Logging
• OpenVPN Remote Access Configuration
• Site-to-Site IPsec VPN Setup
• IDS Implementation with Snort
• Traffic Capture and Analysis
• Secure Network Design Project
• Comprehensive Network Security Implementation

Required Tools

• pfSense firewall/router platform
• VirtualBox or VMware for virtualization
• Snort or Suricata for intrusion detection
• Wireshark for packet capture and analysis
• OpenVPN and IPsec for VPN tunneling

Assessment Components

• Weekly Labs & Security Reports (40%)
• Midterm Practical - pfSense Firewall Setup (20%)
• Final Project - Secured Network Build (30%)
• Participation & Lab Engagement (10%)

Certification Alignment

This course content aligns with portions of the CompTIA Security+ and CySA+ certification exams, particularly in the areas of network security, firewalls, VPNs, and intrusion detection systems.

Additional Resources

• pfSense Documentation
• Snort Rule Writing Guide
• Wireshark Packet Analysis Tutorial
• VPN Troubleshooting Guide
• Network Security Design Patterns

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