Digital Edge Manufacturing Networking Technology Plan

Modern companies realize that, no matter what they manufacture or what activities they perform, well-running networking technology, a digital nervous system, is a necessity. They know the importance of networking to monitor work progress and ensure the data needed to tailor their products to the customer reach the right resource at the right time.

For this project, you will be developing a unified networking framework for an advanced manufacturing company. Though the company is fictional, the class project is meant to demonstrate how important an understanding of networking technologies can be when preparing a company to compete in our modern, interconnected marketplace.

Digital Edge Manufacturing Profile

To make the project more realistic, you are asked to act as a consultant to a technology company and submit a networking proposal that will cover the networking at their manufacturing centers.

The company, Digital Edge Manufacturing (DEM), is a leader in the use of 3D-printing to create products for a variety of industries. DEM currently has one production site outside of Chicago, Illinois. The demand for their work is exceeding current capacity and the Board of Directors has given the go-ahead to develop two more plant sites, with one on the East Coast and one on the West Coast of the United States.

The project requires a complete revamp of their current WAN and LAN networking structure.

Security Review

For the Part 1 overview, the discussion on security measures is a more general review of current security technologies and policies.

Your general discussion should include some aspect of these topics:

Antivirus protection you need to consider things like central server updates and end point protection

Automated patch management not only end-user but servers and security devices such as firewalls and intrusion detection devices need to be keep up-to-date

Wireless network security ease of use may be important but the risks will outweigh the advantages. Include a discussion of how access control and network-monitoring tools must be used to make sure that the network is not being exploited. This includes a review of the various networking protocols that can provide inherent encryption and password-protection point.

Hardware review Include a review of security hardware that could be implemented including:

Firewalls

Proxy servers

Virtual Private Networks

Intrusion Detection Sensors and System