Domain 4 — Network Security

Week of 2026-11-10 · Download .docx

Objectives

Compare packet-filtering, stateful, and next-generation firewalls and explain DMZ architecture.
Distinguish IDS (detection only) from IPS (inline blocking) and explain honeypots and NAC.
Explain defense in depth, microsegmentation, ARP poisoning, and Dynamic ARP Inspection.
Identify wireless attack types including rogue APs, evil twin, and deauthentication attacks.

Key terms

stateful firewall: Firewall that tracks connection state — allows return traffic for established sessions only.
NGFW: Next-Generation Firewall — adds application-layer inspection, IPS, and SSL/TLS decryption.
DMZ: Demilitarized Zone — screened subnet hosting public-facing servers, isolated from the internal LAN.
IDS: Intrusion Detection System — passive; detects and alerts but does not block traffic.
IPS: Intrusion Prevention System — inline; actively drops malicious traffic in real time.
defense in depth: Multiple overlapping security layers so no single failure exposes the entire system.
honeypot: Decoy system attracting attackers — defenders observe TTPs without risking production systems.
NAC: Network Access Control — checks device posture (patch level, AV status) before granting network access.
microsegmentation: Granular internal security zones preventing lateral movement if one segment is compromised.
ARP poisoning: Sending fake ARP replies to redirect traffic through the attacker's device (man-in-the-middle).
DAI: Dynamic ARP Inspection — switch feature that validates ARP packets against the DHCP snooping table.
802.1X: IEEE port-based Network Access Control — EAP authentication required before LAN access is granted.

The concept

FIREWALL TYPES AND ARCHITECTURE

Firewalls are the primary network perimeter control. Packet-filtering firewalls (stateless ACLs) examine source/destination IP and port on each packet independently — they cannot distinguish return traffic from an attack. Stateful firewalls maintain a connection state table: when an internal host initiates a TCP session, the firewall records it and automatically allows the return traffic without a separate rule. Next-Generation Firewalls (NGFW) add application identification (blocking BitTorrent even on port 443), integrated IPS signatures, and SSL/TLS decryption to inspect encrypted traffic for threats. The DMZ architecture places public-facing servers (web, email, DNS) in a screened subnet between two firewalls. An attacker compromising the web server in the DMZ hits the second firewall before reaching the internal LAN.

IDS, IPS, AND DECEPTION TECHNOLOGIES

An Intrusion Detection System (IDS) operates out-of-band (passive) — it receives a copy of traffic from a span port and generates alerts for suspicious patterns but cannot block anything. An Intrusion Prevention System (IPS) is inline — it sits in the traffic path and can drop packets matching attack signatures in real time. A honeypot is a decoy system intentionally deployed to attract attackers. When an attacker interacts with the honeypot, security teams observe their tools and techniques without risk to real systems. Honeynet extends this concept to a network of honeypots. Network Access Control (NAC) checks endpoint posture — OS patch level, antivirus currency, certificate validity — and quarantines non-compliant devices to a remediation VLAN.

DEFENSE IN DEPTH AND MICROSEGMENTATION

Defense in depth layers controls so that defeating any single layer does not fully expose the system: perimeter (firewall), network (VLAN segmentation, IPS), host (antivirus, EDR), data (encryption), user (MFA, least privilege). Microsegmentation extends this inside the data center or campus — east-west traffic between workloads is controlled by internal firewalls or SDN policies, not just the perimeter firewall. A compromised VM in one microsegment cannot freely reach adjacent segments without passing another security control, limiting lateral movement.

ARP ATTACKS AND DEFENSE

ARP has no authentication — any device can broadcast gratuitous ARP replies claiming to own any IP. ARP poisoning overwrites the ARP caches of victim devices to redirect their traffic to the attacker's MAC address (man-in-the-middle). Dynamic ARP Inspection (DAI) on managed switches validates every ARP packet on untrusted ports against the DHCP snooping binding table. If the claimed IP-to-MAC mapping does not match, DAI drops the packet and logs the event. Wireless-specific attacks include rogue APs (unauthorized devices connected to the wired network), evil twin APs (same SSID as legitimate, capturing traffic), and deauthentication floods (forcing clients off the legitimate AP to drive them to the evil twin).

Standards alignment: CompTIA Network+ Objective 4.1 (Security); Maryland Blueprint College and Career Readiness — Technology and Engineering.

Worked examples

Example 1: A security analyst reviews firewall logs and sees repeated connection attempts from an external IP to port 443 on the web server in the DMZ. The NGFW's application inspection identifies the traffic as an automated scanning tool, not HTTPS. The NGFW blocks the source IP based on the application signature — a stateless ACL only checking port 443 would have allowed it through. This demonstrates the value of NGFW application identification over basic port-based rules.

Example 2: Two workstations on the same VLAN report intermittent connectivity. Arp -a on each shows the gateway's IP (10.0.0.1) mapped to two different MAC addresses that keep changing. An ARP poisoning attack is in progress — a third host is broadcasting fake ARP replies. The network team enables Dynamic ARP Inspection (DAI) on the switch. DAI validates all ARP packets against the DHCP snooping table and drops the attacker's fake replies. Within seconds, the ARP caches stabilize and connectivity is restored.

Common mistakes

Confusing IDS and IPS — IDS is passive (out-of-band, alerts only); IPS is inline (can block). The 'P' in IPS means it can prevent.
Placing internal servers (file servers, domain controllers) in the DMZ — the DMZ is only for public-facing services; internal servers go on the protected LAN.
Thinking a firewall alone provides defense in depth — defense in depth requires controls at every layer (network, host, data, user), not just the perimeter.
Assuming port security prevents ARP poisoning — port security restricts MAC addresses per port but does not validate ARP content; DAI is the correct control.
Confusing rogue AP (unauthorized AP on the wired network) with evil twin (AP with same SSID as legitimate, for traffic interception) — these are distinct attacks.

Self-check

Try each question before reading the answer. Answers at the bottom of this page.

1. What distinguishes a stateful firewall from a packet-filtering firewall?

Stateful firewalls are faster
Stateful firewalls track connection state and allow return traffic automatically
Packet filters inspect application content
Stateful firewalls require RADIUS authentication

2. An IDS differs from an IPS in that an IDS:

Blocks threats automatically
Operates inline in the traffic path
Detects and alerts but cannot block traffic
Requires a RADIUS server

3. Dynamic ARP Inspection (DAI) protects against ARP poisoning by:

Encrypting all ARP packets
Blocking all ARP on trunk ports
Validating ARP packets against the DHCP snooping binding table
Requiring 802.1X before ARP is processed

4. An evil twin attack involves:

A rogue AP connected to the wired LAN
An AP with the same SSID as a legitimate AP to intercept wireless traffic
Flooding the AP with deauthentication frames
Cracking WPA2 passwords offline

5. Defense in depth means:

The deepest possible firewall rule set
Multiple overlapping security layers so no single failure exposes the entire system
Encrypting all traffic at every OSI layer
Using only perimeter security controls

Self-check answers

1. B — Stateful firewalls maintain a connection table — return traffic for established sessions is allowed automatically without explicit inbound rules.
2. C — IDS is passive (out-of-band) and can only alert; IPS is inline and can actively drop malicious packets.
3. C — DAI drops ARP packets whose IP-to-MAC mapping does not match the DHCP snooping binding table, preventing fake replies.
4. B — An evil twin AP mimics a legitimate SSID at higher power to lure clients and perform a man-in-the-middle attack.
5. B — Defense in depth stacks controls (perimeter, network, host, data, user) so defeating one layer does not fully expose the system.

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