IT Baseline Protection Manual - The Information Warfare Site

Safeguard Catalogue - Organisation Remarks
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Below is a methodical approach for the development of a comprehensive
security strategy for a Peer-to-Peer network. As a Peer-to-Peer network can be
used in various configurations, however, individual decisions regarding the
necessary steps have to be taken for each situation.
Defining a Security Strategy for a Peer-to-Peer Network
The security strategy shows how a Peer-to-Peer network can be securely
established, administered and operated. The individual development steps of
such a strategy are presented below:
1. Definition of the Peer-to-Peer network structure
A Peer-to-Peer network structure is defined by determining the following:
- which computers are to act as file servers (these may share directories)
- which computers are to act as print servers (these may share printers)
- which computers are to act as application servers for certain IT
applications, e.g. mail, schedule+, fax (these should continually be
available)
- which computers are merely clients (these can only be connected to other
computers)
. On the one hand, it should be ensured that the capacity of the servers fulfil
the requirements concerning speed and memory. On the other hand, the
number of servers should be limited to the amount actually needed.
Furthermore, no application should be allocated to servers which constantly
involve transmitting large amounts of data through the network, as this can
lead to the network overloading.
2. Regulation of responsibilities
A Peer-to-Peer network should be securely operated by trained
administrators and their substitutes. Only these persons may change security
parameters in the Peer-to-Peer network. They are, for example, responsible for
providing the relevant persons-in-charge with administration authorisations
and tools on application or file servers so that these persons can share the
directories and applications needed by others.
Peer-to-Peer administrators must be explicitly named in a server-supported PC
network containing additional authorised Peer-to-Peer functions. They may,
however be identical to the network administrators.
The responsibilities of the various users in a Peer-to-Peer network are
described under step 7.
3. Restriction of sharing possibilities
Windows for Workgroups
Using the administration tool ADMINCFG.EXE for WfW, the following can
be granted or denied:
- the sharing of directories
- the sharing of printers
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IT-Baseline Protection Manual: Oktober 2000