TASK 3 EXAMPLE

 TASK 3 

LMC Cybersecurity Consulting 

Aims of the project: 

LMC Cybersecurity Consulting is based in Manchester and provides services to a range of finance companies across the UK. They are soon to expand its services into Europe and currently in progress to expand its headquarters for the company expansion. There are currently some requirements amended by the company, which involve new hardware and software to accommodate remote workers and to improve their communication and connectivity issues at the moment. Therefore, LMC Cybersecurity Consulting will be implementing new changes to their system and will require to purchase hardware and make sure that the use recommended equipment.  

Issues identified: 

There are many issues at the moment regarding LMC Cybersecurity Consulting infrastructure. Many of the issues involve connectivity and communication issues which interfere with staff work as they may introduce delays.  

• The file server is currently running on ‘Windows Server 2008’ which can introduce vulnerabilities to the system as there may not be any patched released by Windows as the Operating System is outdated.   

• Moreover, the company is only available to offer 10 VPN services which is not appropriate for the 50 staff members. This can affect the way they access the network when they are working from home.  

• 2 of the user desktops are currently running on ‘Windows 7’ Operating System which can affect the way the communicate with other staff members. Furthermore, they are currently operating only 8 hardware that allows the members to access the internet.  

• Administration passwords are seen to be weak which can introduce vulnerabilities and threats to the company 

• The users' who access the network remotely seem to not have access to encryption which makes them most vulnerable to threats and data breaches 

 

Requirements:  

The requirements are: 

• All desktop/laptop computers must use a current and standardised operating system 

• All server computers must use a current network operating system 

• Software should be standardised across all computers with all users using the same productivity software 

• Hybrid and remote employees must be able to securely access servers from outside the company network 

• The business must be confident that data protection requirements are met 

• Systems which hold confidential information must be adequately protected from network threats 

• (an) appropriate solution(s) to manage devices inside and outside the network must be implemented 

• Standardised centrally managed endpoint protection should be implemented 

• Physical security of the building should be appropriate 

• Users should not be able to install software on their work computers 

• Any training or upskilling for staff to use the new systems should be considered 

• Additional VPN licences to be purchased to meet increased hybrid and home working 

 

Detailed overview: 

Due to the company expansion, there will be 2 locations where the company will be operating and accessing their server. This will mean that they will need to enhance their security measures and provide more VPN’s which will be discussed later in the Justification. Furthermore, it is important to make sure that all data is safe when transferring between users to make sure that all data is kept confidential. Moreover, they will also need to make sure that the windows are kept up to date for when work hours starts to ensure efficiency and to stop employees for waiting for updates or slowing down workload in the event of less bandwidth. 

 Justifications: 

Operating System- 

First, it is important to make sure that all desktops are running on the same operating system to make sure that there are no connectivity and communication issues as there may face compatibility issues when staff are connecting and communicating. Therefore, I suggest LMC to use Windows 11 on all their devices so ensure that they all operate on the same operating system which then removes the risk of communication and connectivity issues. 

Software-  

One of the main issues related to software is that most of their desktops currently operate on MS Office 2007 and MS Office 2019. They should update it to all to Microsoft 365 to make sure that all devices don’t face any communication and connectivity issues.  

VPN Licenses: 

Currently the company has only 10 VPN licenses which are all in use by the hybrid workers. This means that they should invest into more VPN licenses to allow more employees to access the network outside the building. Furthermore, due to current projects to expand the company to a different location it is vital to make sure that all employees are accessing the network via a VPN to minimize the risk of cyber security threat. 

COSTS: 

New Hardware Required: 

DEVICE	CURRENT OPERATING SYSTEM	CURRENT SOFTWARE	PROPOSED OPERATING SYSTEM	PROPOSED SOFTWARE
USER DESKTOP N.1	WINDOWS 7	MS OFFICE 2007	WINDOWS 11	OFFICE 365
USER DESKTOP N.2	WINDOWS 7	MS OFFICE 2007	WINDOWS 11	OFFICE 365
USER DESKTOP N.3	WINDOWS 10	MS OFFICE 2019	WINDOWS 11	OFFICE 365
USER LAPTOPS N.1	WINDOWS 11	OFFICE 365	N/A	N/A
USER LAPTOPS N.2	WINDOWS 11	OFFICE 365	N/A	N/A
USER LAPTOPS N.3	WINDOWS 11	OFFICE 365	N/A	N/A
USER LAPTOPS N.4	WINDOWS 11	OFFICE 365	N/A	N/A
USER LAPTOPS N.5	WINDOWS 11	OFFICE 365	N/A	N/A
FILE SERVER	WINDOWS SERVER 2008	VPN, FAP, DB	WINDOWS SERVER 2025	N/A
DOMAIN CONTROLLER	WINDOWS SERVER 2022	DHCP, DNS	WINDOWS SERVER 2025	N/A

 

 

 

 

Expenses Broken Down: 

I have included costs for laptops that LMC Cybersecurity Consulting has guaranteed to remaining staff in the next 12 months as well as suggesting upgrading and expanding their VPN services as older VPN services were identified as unprotected which can potentially increase threats to the system. 

NEW EQUIPEMENT REQUIRED	NEW MAKE/MODEL	NEW OS	NEW SOFTWARE OR SERVICES	INDIVUAL COST	TOTAL COST	ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP
NEW USER DESKTOPS X3	DELL INSPIRON 3030	WINDOWS 11	OFFICE 365	£489.00	£1467.00	/
NEW FILE SERVER	T360 TOWER DELL	WINDOWS SERVER 2025	HOT SWAPPABLE	£3351.31	£3351.31	/
NEW USER LAPTOPS X15	DELL VOSTRO	WINDOWS 11	OFFICE 365	£369.00	£5535.00	/
VPN LICENSES X 5 (CONNECTS 50 DEVICES)	NORD VPN	/	SECURED WITH ANTIMALWARE....	£93.46	£467.30	£2302.80
NEW DOMAIN CONTROLLER	T360 TOWER DELL	WINDOWS SERVER 2025	HOT SWAPPABLE	£3351.31	£3351.31	/

 

Overall Expense: 

TOTAL INITIAL EXPENSE (£)	7654.08
YEARLY EXPENSES (£)	2302.8
TOTAL EXPENSE (£)	9956.88

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Network topology: 

With all the new hardware suggested to LMC Cybersecurity Consulting, the following topology would be a great example on how the company could rearrange their network. It may be evident that the topology is very similar with the current topology that LMC Cybersecurity Consulting may be using as this can be seen as time efficient and will require less resources for the company. This will also re-assure the company that their network runs smoothly as they have been using their topology for a long time which means that the topology is robust and efficient for the organization.  

 

Cybersecurity Issue and Mitigation: 

Shared Administrator Login: 

In the controlled document D, it is made evident that all users have been enabled shared administrator login. This can be seen as vulnerable as all users will be able to change and access any other user's data. This can introduce multiple concerns such as malicious employee that exploit their rights to gain access to this data for malicious purposes. It is also important to consider the different legislation around data protection such as GDPR and DPA which makes sure that all data is kept confidential. In any case of a data breach, this legislation will be broken and can lead to many consequences for the company. This includes fines and lawsuits, with other consequences such as bad reputation, loss of clients and customers, and stakeholders and investors losing interest in the company. Therefore, I suggest the company to add user access levels and make sure that the administrator login and password are secure and regularly updated to prevent the risk of any threats. By adding user access levels, in the company it will make sure that all employees have access to data according to their job role in the company, this will mean that they only have access to data relevant to their needs.  

User Encryption: 

Reading through the VPN policy configuration of LMC Cybersecurity Consulting, it is evident that they currently have disabled encryption when a remote employee accesses the companies network using a VPN. However, the HR laptop and IT laptop currently do use IPSec Encryption which is perfect to secure data from any third party. This opposes multiple threats when the user tries to access to their files from home as any hacker could easily intercept the data packets as the VPN is not secured. This means that the hacker has access to company confidential data and lead to malicious activity. It is also important to consider the different legislation around data protection such as GDPR and DPA which makes sure that all data is kept confidential. In any case of a data breach, this legislation will be broken and can lead to many consequences for the company. This includes fines and lawsuits, with other consequences such as bad reputation, loss of clients and customers, and stakeholders and investors losing interest in the company. Therefore, I would recommend the company to implement IPSec encryption for all users regardless of the job role in the company as usually they would be the one dealing with costumer and client's data. Moreover, they could invest into VPN licenses for all users as discussed earlier, it will mean that they will be able to change their IP addresses to a different location making it harder for hackers to intercept any data.  

 

Summary: 

This proposal ensures LMC Cyber Consulting meets its security goals while supporting expansion and hybrid work. By modernizing infrastructure, adopting cloud services, and enforcing strict access controls, the company will achieve compliance, scalability, and resilience against evolving threats.