A Secure By Numbers Approach To An All

Many Small Office / Home Office, (SOHO), networks today are comprised of a combination Broadband Router / Wireless Access Point / Switch. Some of these devices even have a software firewall option that can be enabled. My current network fits this scenario. These multi-functional devices are very simple to setup and use, but may not provide us with the layered Defense In Depth functionality that we desire nor will they provide the additional features of higher end components such as those made by Cisco. With the growing use of broadband in homes, home offices and small business, more complex and demanding scenarios are evolving. As these consumers become more reliant and demanding of Information Technologies, their exposure to risk is also higher. Cisco equipment is now being designed and marketed towards these SOHO environments. Some of these Cisco components are a model # 806 router, model # 501 PIX Firewall, and a model # AP352 Wireless Access Point. These components plus an older but usable Cisco model # 1924EN switch make up the hardware that I chose to enable a SOHO with a very capable and securely layered network infrastructure. Since I have recently incorporated, these components will be assembled into 'my company's' network.