How To Secure Your Small To Medium Size Microsoft Based Network: A Generic Case Study

If you run a business in today's world undoubtedly you also run a network of computers, printers, and other devices as well. Though the network may not be the primary focus of your business it probably plays a key role in how it functions. That being said it is obviously just as important to protect your network from theft and damage as it is to protect the other property and assets of your business. In this paper I intend to explain the basic process of securing a small to medium sized network. I will create a make believe company network and give some examples of how to secure the network with some commonly used products and techniques in a case study format. I will use references to freely available information on the Internet to help me secure this network. The examples are based on Microsoft and Cisco platforms because they are the most commonly used platforms. I have implemented, evaluated, or researched each solution I recommend either for customers or my company's network. Security for even a small network is not a simple task. This document just scratches the surface. The main function of this paper is to cover the main things you need to do. It is not meant to cover everything in detail but to give you a way to get started with pointers to locations for more information.