Need to respond to two student discussions with at least 150 words minimum for each response. Below in the bold are the questions the students are responding to.

Discussion Points:

Discuss best practices for the system/application domain.

Student one:

Class,

What are the system/application domains? “System/application domains is made up of the many systems and software applications that users access. This, for example, includes mainframes, application servers, Web servers, proprietary software, and applications. Mail servers send and receive e-mail. Database servers host data that is accessed by users, applications, or other servers. Domain Name System (DNS) servers provide name-to-IP address resolution for clients.” (Weiss & Solomon, 2016) These domains fall underneath the seven typical network domains. Now we know with anything that connects to the network, comes with vulnerabilities and you must have best practices in place to reduce risk. According to an article I found while researching this topic, below are some best practices you could/should put into place.

• Implement encryption and data handling standards
• Minimize data access
• Backup data
• Develop a BCP and DRP
• Be aware of all applications on the network
• Plan, configure, maintain, and improve network servers
• Develop and implement standards
• Read and understand your provided Acceptable Use Policy
• Report suspected IT policy violations to your supervisor
• Physically secure areas containing sensitive systems

According to our book, we should also use the following best practices, which I think goes into dives a little further into some of the tips above.

• Perform an Annual Security Appliance audit
• Conduct Periodic Security Assessments
• Define proper security controls
• Create an IT Security Policy Framework
• Configuration and Change Management

References

Weiss, M. M., & Solomon, M. G. (2016). Auditing IT infrastructures for compliance. Burlington, MA: Jones et Bartlett Learning.

When, A., Trung, J., & Poczynek, N. (2013). System/Application Domain. A Training Document for James C. Childress Elementary School, 1-5. Retrieved from http://www.personal.utulsa.edu/~james-childress/cs…

Beth

Student two:

The system/application domain is the powerhouse for the organization’s applications. This domain is going to house most of the data that belongs to the organization and the means through which the data is accessed (programs). This domain is essentially the last stand against attackers wanting to obtain information belonging to the organization. A good security plan implementation should help prevent attackers from getting to this data but it is never good to assume that data is safe (1).

There are several key ways that practices can help to maintain compliance and keep data safe. One of the ways is to establish and maintain a physical security presence for the data center. This could be a variety of different things including locked doors, fire suppression systems, biometric scanners or key card access. Another good step to take for physical security is to ensure that the HVAC and electrical components in the facility are inspected and operating safely. This would help to limit the probability of a fire or other issue with this equipment (1).

Another good idea is to ensure that a minimum of one firewall is being used limit network traffic from other domains. This would help to ensure that only authorized traffic is getting through. NAC devices can help place restrictions on computers and other devices that can connect to this domain’s components. It is important to have critical server computers connected to high-speed networks. This will help with large network transfers that could be application servers and database servers. These are only a few of the ways that can help with compliance practices but there are many others (1).

References

1. Weiss, Martin, Solomon, G., M. Auditing IT Infrastructures for Compliance. [VitalSource]. Retrieved from

-Zachary