The Challenges of Network Security Remediation at a Regional University.

<p>This thesis describes challenges encountered during a year-long effort to improve the security of the 3,300 node administrative computer network at East Tennessee State University. The key remediation strategies used included employing the vulnerability scanner Nessus to profile the network, analyzing the scan results, and attempting to remove the most critical vulnerabilities found. The project succeeded in decreasing known “high” criticality vulnerabilities on campus by 26.1%, and confirmed four standard observations about the challenges of network administration:</p><ul><li>Vulnerability scanning is a lengthy task best performed in parallel and supported by automated data analysis.</li><li>Securing a network is like trying to hit a moving target, due to an ever-increasing proliferation of networked hosts, services enabled by default install and lists of vulnerabilities to address.</li><li>Failures of common sense are still among the primary threats to network security.</li><li>Failing to retain management support for the security hardening process can jeopardize the project.</li></ul>

Name thesis:degree_name

MS (Master of Science)

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis - unrestricted

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Computer and Information Science

Year dc:date.issued

2005

Author dc:creator

• Simons, William R

• Nmap
• Nessus
• security hardening
• security audit
• network security
• system security
• computer
• vulnerability remediation
• Computer Sciences
• Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright by the authors.

Repository record dc:identifier

https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/987

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dc.etsu.edu:etd-2144