Security Solutions

2-29
Customer Needs Assessment
Evaluate the Existing Network Environment
Knowing the OSs being used on your network has two purposes: First, you
can determine which OSs support 802.1X, which is required for the highest
level of network access control security. For example, Windows 2000 requires
Service Pack (SP) 2 for 802.1X support. (If you are not familiar with 802.1X,
see Chapter 1: “Access Control Concepts.”) Windows NT and Windows ME,
on the other hand, do not include an 802.1X supplicant. If you have these
legacy OSs, note the locations where they are accessing the network and the
switch ports used.
Second, you can determine if your endpoint integrity solution supports the
OSs used on the network. You can also identify the tests available for each OS.
In addition to listing the OSs running on workstations and laptops, you should
list the applications that users are accessing to complete their work. For
example, what Web browser are they using? Are they using applications such
as Instant Messenger (IM) for work?
Again, work with users to get a comprehensive list of the applications they are
using. IM provides a good example of the kind of problems that might occur
if you do not know all of the applications users need. Because IM has become
a target for hackers and virus writers, you might understandably want to
prevent users from accessing it. You might write your company’s security
policy to prohibit use of IM and then configure your network access controller
to block it. When you roll out your solution, however, you might find that
certain users rely on IM to communicate with one another. In addition to
annoying users, you might actually decrease these users’ productivity. And
you will have created additional work for yourself and your team because you
must spend time calming down users and then reconfiguring your network
access controller to allow access to IM.
For both tax purposes and software license audits, your company may have
records of its workstations and laptops and the associated OSs. Even if such
records are not completely up to date, you can use them as a starting point.
You may then want to establish a committee of users or contact the adminis-
trative assistant in each department to help you update them.
You can use Table 2-5 to begin listing information about your company’s
workstations. An example is provided for you.