CYBER SECURITY MINI PROJECT. NETWORK SETUP

CYBER SECURITY MINI PROJECT.

NETWORK SETUP

Part 1: Router Hardening

Configure Hostname.



Router> enable
Router# configure terminal
Router(config)# hostname SECURE-RTR
SECURE-RTR(config)#

Capture the CLI showing:

Router(config)# hostname SECURE-RTR
SECURE-RTR(config)#

 

Configure Enable Secret Password

SECURE-RTR(config)# enable secret C1sc0@123

Verify:

SECURE-RTR# show running-config
 
enable secret 5 $1$abcd$xyz123encryptedpassword

Capture:

SECURE-RTR# show running-config
enable secret 5 ...

 

Configure SSH Remote Access

Set Domain Name

SECURE-RTR(config)# ip domain-name lab.local

Create Administrator Account

SECURE-RTR(config)# username admin privilege 15 secret Admin@123

Generate RSA Keys

SECURE-RTR(config)# crypto key generate rsa
How many bits in the modulus [512]: 1024

Enable SSH on VTY Lines

SECURE-RTR(config)# line vty 0 4
SECURE-RTR(config-line)# transport input ssh
SECURE-RTR(config-line)# login local
SECURE-RTR(config-line)# exit
 
SECURE-RTR(config)# ip ssh version 2

Verify:

SECURE-RTR# show ip ssh
 
SSH Enabled - version 2.0
Authentication timeout: 120 secs
Authentication retries: 3

Capture:

SECURE-RTR# show ip ssh
SSH Enabled - version 2.0

 

Part 2: Access Control List (ACL)

Objective:

·         PC1 (192.168.1.10) allowed

·         PC2 (192.168.1.20) blocked from accessing router

Configure ACL

SECURE-RTR(config)# access-list 10 deny host 192.168.1.20
SECURE-RTR(config)# access-list 10 permit any

Apply ACL:

SECURE-RTR(config)# interface g0/0
SECURE-RTR(config-if)# ip access-group 10 in

Verify:

SECURE-RTR# show access-lists
 
Standard IP access list 10
10 deny 192.168.1.20
20 permit any

Capture:

SECURE-RTR# show access-lists

showing ACL entries.

Part 3: Connectivity Testing

Allowed Host (PC1)

PC1> ping 192.168.1.1
 
Reply from 192.168.1.1
Reply from 192.168.1.1
Reply from 192.168.1.1
Reply from 192.168.1.1
 
Success rate is 100 percent

Capture successful ping from PC1.

Blocked Host (PC2)

PC2> ping 192.168.1.1
 
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
 
Success rate is 0 percent

Capture failed ping from PC2.

 

Part 4: Simulation Mode Evidence

Switch Packet Tracer to:

Simulation Mode

Generate a ping from PC1 to the router.

Observe:

1.     ARP Request

2.     ARP Reply

3.     ICMP Echo Request

4.     ICMP Echo Reply


Capture the Event List showing:

ARP
ARP
ICMP
ICMP

Capture packet movement animation between:

PC1 → Switch → Router

 

Security Analysis

Hardening Measure

Purpose

Enable Secret Password

Protect privileged EXEC mode

SSH Version 2

Secure remote administration

Local User Account

Authentication for administrators

RSA Keys

Encryption for SSH sessions

ACL

Restricts unauthorized traffic

Simulation Verification

Confirms packet filtering operation

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. Design and Implement the Network Topology

Proposed Topology

                Router

                   |

              Switch S1

           /      |      \

       PC1       PC2      PC3

IP Addressing Scheme

Device

IP Address

Subnet Mask

Router

192.168.1.1

255.255.255.0

PC1

192.168.1.10

255.255.255.0

PC2

192.168.1.20

255.255.255.0

PC3

192.168.1.30

255.255.255.0

Implementation Steps

1.     Open the simulator.

2.     Add:

o    1 Router

o    1 Switch

o    3 PCs

3.     Connect devices using copper straight-through cables.

4.     Configure IP addresses on all PCs.

5.     Configure the router interface:

6.     Router(config)# interface g0/0

7.     Router(config-if)# ip address 192.168.1.1 255.255.255.0

8.     Router(config-if)# no shutdown

 

2. Test Connectivity Between Nodes

Ping Test

From PC1:

ping 192.168.1.20

ping 192.168.1.30

Expected Result:

Reply from 192.168.1.20

Reply from 192.168.1.30

From PC2:

ping 192.168.1.10

Result:

4 packets sent

4 packets received

0% packet loss

Connectivity Verification Table

Source

Destination

Status

PC1

PC2

Success

PC1

PC3

Success

PC2

PC3

Success

PC3

Router

Success


3. Capture Network Traffic

In Packet Tracer:

1.     Switch from Realtime Mode to Simulation Mode.

2.     Generate traffic using ping.

3.     Start Capture/Forward.

4.     Observe packets moving between devices.

Captured Protocols:

  • ARP (Address Resolution Protocol)
  • ICMP (Ping)
  • Ethernet Frames

 

4. Protocol Analysis

ARP Process

Before sending a ping, PC1 must determine PC2's MAC address.

ARP Request:

Who has 192.168.1.20?

Tell 192.168.1.10

ARP Reply:

192.168.1.20 is at

00:1A:2B:3C:4D:20

ICMP Process

After ARP resolution:

1.     PC1 creates an ICMP Echo Request.

2.     Switch forwards frame to PC2.

3.     PC2 receives the packet.

4.     PC2 sends ICMP Echo Reply.

5.     PC1 receives the response.

 

 

Packet Flow:

PC1

 ↓

Switch

 ↓

PC2

 ↓

Switch

 ↓

PC1

 

5. Data Packet Movement Documentation

Example: PC1 Pings PC2

Step

                         Action

1 

  PC1 generates ARP Request

2

  Switch floods ARP Request

3

  PC2 replies with ARP Reply

4

  PC1 stores MAC address in ARP cache

5

  PC1 sends ICMP Echo Request

6

  Switch forwards packet to PC2

7

  PC2 sends ICMP Echo Reply

8

  PC1 receives successful reply

 

OSI Layer Analysis

Layer

Function

Application

Ping command initiated

Network

ICMP packet created

Data Link

Ethernet frame generated

Physical

Bits transmitted over cable

Conclusion

The router was hardened by configuring a hostname, encrypted enable secret password, local administrator account, RSA keys, and SSH Version 2 for secure remote access. An ACL was implemented to block traffic from PC2 while allowing other hosts. Connectivity tests verified that PC1 successfully communicated with the router while PC2 was denied access. Packet Tracer Simulation Mode confirmed the flow of ARP and ICMP packets and demonstrated the effectiveness of the configured traffic control mechanisms.

A simple LAN topology consisting of one router, one switch, and three PCs was successfully implemented in the simulator. Connectivity testing confirmed successful communication between all nodes using ICMP ping. Traffic capture revealed the use of ARP for address resolution and ICMP for connectivity testing. Analysis of packet movement demonstrated how data travels through the network, showing the interaction between the Data Link, Network, and Physical layers of the OSI model. This exercise provided practical insight into network communication and protocol operation within a simulated environment.

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