03 Network Devices
The hardware and software that moves, filters, balances, and inspects traffic. This subcategory covers the devices a network engineer configures and a penetration tester encounters: routers, switches, firewalls, load balancers, proxies, IDS/IPS.
Scope
- Routers and switches: control plane, data plane, management plane, architecture.
- Firewalls: stateless, stateful, NGFW, WAF, proxy, ACL.
- Load balancers and proxies: L4/L7 LB, reverse/forward proxy, TLS termination.
- IDS/IPS and monitoring: signature vs anomaly, taps, SPAN, NetFlow, Zeek, Suricata.
Files
| # | File | Format |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | Router and Switch Fundamentals | Two-track |
| 02 | Firewalls | Two-track |
| 03 | Load Balancers and Proxies | Two-track |
| 04 | IDS IPS and Monitoring | Two-track |
All four files are published.
Format
Two-track (Offensive / Defensive). See the category README for the full skeleton.
Related
- 01 Network Fundamentals - the layer 1-3 basics these devices operate on.
- 02 Routing and Switching - the routing and switching protocols these devices run.
- 05 Traffic Analysis and Forensics (planned subcategory) - how the traffic these devices carry is captured and analyzed.
Certification Alignment
- Network+: Network Implementation (devices), Network Security (firewalls, IDS/IPS).
- CCNA: Network Fundamentals (device roles), Security Fundamentals (firewalls, IPS).
- CCNP Security: Firepower, ISE, WSA, ESA.
References
- NIST SP 800-41 Rev. 1 (Guidelines on Firewalls and Firewall Policy) - https://csrc.nist.gov/pubs/sp/800/41/r1/final
- NIST SP 800-94 (Guide to Intrusion Detection and Prevention Systems) - https://csrc.nist.gov/pubs/sp/800/94/final
- Cisco - Router and Switch Configuration Guides - https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/index.html
- CompTIA Network+ exam objectives - https://www.comptia.org/certifications/network
- Cisco CCNA exam topics - https://learningnetwork.cisco.com/s/ccna-exam-topics