Assignment NO 1

Subject: IT Infrastructure

Submitted to: Mam Fizza

Submitted by: Rasheed Ali

Roll NO: 521251

Course Code: CIT-502

Semester: BSIT 6th Morning

Questions No 1:
Data center network is the most valuable and visible asset of storage organizations, while the data
center networks, DNS, database, and email servers have become the number one target for
cybercriminals, hacktivists, and state-sponsored attackers. Regardless of attackers' purpose and what
they are seeking financial gain, competitive intelligence, or notoriety, they are using a range of cyber
technology weapons to attack data centers. Discuss the top 5 data center network threats.

1. Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) Attacks: DDoS attacks flood the data center network with
an overwhelming volume of traffic, making services inaccessible to legitimate users. Attackers
can exploit vulnerabilities in network protocols, applications, or devices to amplify the attack
traffic. DDoS attacks can disrupt operations, cause downtime, and result in financial losses for
the organization.
2. Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs): APTs are sophisticated and stealthy attacks orchestrated
by well-funded cybercriminals or nation-state actors. These attackers employ various tactics,
such as social engineering, zero-day exploits, and malware to gain unauthorized access to the
data center network. Once inside, they can exfiltrate sensitive data, spy on communications, or
sabotage systems over an extended period without detection.
3. Insider Threats: Insiders with privileged access to the data center network pose a significant risk
to security. These could be disgruntled employees, contractors, or partners who intentionally or
unintentionally misuse their privileges to steal data, disrupt services, or install malicious
software. Insider threats can be challenging to detect and mitigate as the individuals already
have legitimate access to the network.
4. Malware and Ransomware: Malicious software, including ransomware, can infiltrate data
center networks through various vectors such as phishing emails, infected websites, or
unpatched software vulnerabilities. Once inside, malware can spread laterally across the
network, encrypting or exfiltrating data, or causing system malfunctions. Ransomware attacks
encrypt critical data and demand payment for decryption keys, disrupting business operations
and causing financial losses.
5. Misconfigurations and Vulnerabilities: Human error in configuring network devices, servers, or
software can create vulnerabilities that attackers exploit to gain unauthorized access to the data
center network. Additionally, outdated software, unpatched systems, or weak authentication
mechanisms increase the risk of exploitation. Attackers actively scan for misconfigured devices
or known vulnerabilities to compromise the network and steal sensitive information or disrupt
services.
To mitigate these threats, organizations should implement a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy that
includes regular network security assessments, vulnerability management, access controls, employee
training, and incident response plans. Additionally, deploying advanced security technologies such as
intrusion detection systems, firewalls, encryption, and network segmentation can help detect and
prevent unauthorized access and minimize the impact of potential breaches.

Questions No 2:
A host or node is a component on the network, like a server, a router, a switch or a firewall. The OSI-RM
consists of a set of seven layers that define the different stages that data must go through to travel from
one host to another over a network. Explain these seven layers, including some examples of
implementations of that layer.

1. Physical Layer (Layer 1):

 The physical layer deals with the transmission of raw data bits over a physical medium.
It defines the characteristics of the hardware, such as cables, connectors, and signaling.
 Examples of implementations include Ethernet cables, fiber optic cables, wireless
transmission (Wi-Fi), and networking hardware like network interface cards (NICs) and
hubs.
2. Data Link Layer (Layer 2):
 The data link layer is responsible for the reliable transmission of data frames between
adjacent nodes over a physical medium. It provides error detection and correction, as
well as flow control.
 Examples of implementations include Ethernet switches, network interface cards (NICs),
and protocols such as Ethernet, Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP), and Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11).
3. Network Layer (Layer 3):
 The network layer manages the routing of data packets between different networks. It
determines the best path for data to travel based on network topology and addressing.
 Examples of implementations include routers, IP (Internet Protocol), routing protocols
like OSPF (Open Shortest Path First) and BGP (Border Gateway Protocol), and IP
addressing schemes such as IPv4 and IPv6.
4. Transport Layer (Layer 4):
 The transport layer ensures reliable and efficient end-to-end delivery of data between
hosts. It handles segmentation, error recovery, and flow control.
 Examples of implementations include TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) and UDP
(User Datagram Protocol), which provide connection-oriented and connectionless
communication, respectively.
5. Session Layer (Layer 5):
 The session layer establishes, maintains, and terminates connections between
applications on different hosts. It manages session synchronization, checkpointing, and
recovery.
 Examples of implementations include protocols such as NetBIOS (Network Basic
Input/Output System) and RPC (Remote Procedure Call).
 6. Presentation Layer (Layer 6):
 The presentation layer is responsible for data translation, encryption, and compression
to ensure that information is exchanged in a format that the application layer can
understand.
 Examples of implementations include encryption protocols like SSL/TLS (Secure Sockets
Layer/Transport Layer Security) and data format conversion protocols like MIME
(Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions).
7. Application Layer (Layer 7):
 The application layer provides network services directly to end-users or applications. It
facilitates communication between software applications and network services.
 Examples of implementations include protocols such as HTTP (Hypertext Transfer
Protocol), FTP (File Transfer Protocol), SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol), and DNS
(Domain Name System).

For Instance:
These layers work together to enable communication between hosts or nodes on a network, each
performing specific functions to ensure reliable and efficient data transmission.
1. Application Layer (Layer 7):
 You compose an email in the Gmail web interface and click the "Send" button. Gmail
uses the SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) at the application layer to send your
email message.
2. Presentation Layer (Layer 6):
 The email message is formatted and encoded according to standards like MIME
(Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions) for multimedia attachments or character
encoding for text. This ensures that the email content is in a format that can be
understood by both the sender and recipient.
3. Session Layer (Layer 5):
 A session is established between your web browser and Google's email servers. This
layer manages the communication session, including synchronization and error
recovery.
4. Transport Layer (Layer 4):
 The email message is broken down into smaller packets by the transport layer protocol,
typically TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) for reliable delivery. TCP establishes a
connection with the Gmail server and ensures that all packets are delivered in the
correct order.
5. Network Layer (Layer 3):
 The TCP packets containing your email data are encapsulated into IP (Internet Protocol)
packets. The network layer determines the best route for these packets to reach
Google's email servers based on IP addresses and routing tables.
6. Data Link Layer (Layer 2):
 At this layer, the IP packets are further encapsulated into frames, which include physical
addresses (MAC addresses) for source and destination devices. Ethernet is a common
protocol used at this layer for wired connections.
7. Physical Layer (Layer 1):
  Finally, the frames are transmitted over the physical medium, such as Ethernet cables or
Wi-Fi signals, to reach the Gmail servers. The physical layer is responsible for the actual
transmission of bits across the network medium.
Upon reaching the destination (Google's email servers), the process is reversed, with each layer of the
OSI model at the receiving end interpreting and processing the data until it is ultimately delivered to the
recipient's inbox.
This example illustrates how the OSI Reference Model organizes the different stages of communication,
with each layer responsible for specific tasks to ensure the successful transmission of data over a
network