Jacket Description/Back:
The definitive guide to understanding MPLS security and implementing and operating secure MPLS networks
Offers theoretical background and practical advice on how to secure MPLS VPN networks
Addresses MPLS VPN security threats and threat models
Discusses common security scenarios and provides recommendations for dealing with them
Includes case studies detailing real-world security issues
Service providers and enterprise customers, who together comprise a market worth more than US$1 billion, have adopted MPLS at a rapid pace and are demanding specific guidelines for securing MPLS VPN networks. This book tackles the subject of MPLS VPN security for network managers, CTOs, enterprise IT managers, and network service architects. The book provides a thorough overview of MPLS security, with practical recommendations on how to securely implement and operate MPLS networks. It begins with background on security and VPN technologies and discussion of the threats and attack points of which MPLS users and providers must be aware. Definitions and analysis of VPN service user requirements and how MPLS meets them are addressed, followed by a discussion of the methods used to secure Internet access and extranet services. Practical recommendations for securing MPLS networks, which build on earlier discussions, provide a hands-on guideline on how to harden an MPLS network. Next, various practical methods for deploying IPSec with MPLS are recommended followed by an exploration of the implications of connecting Layer 2 networks to an MPLS core. A discussion of potential security flaws focuses on operational issues and their security implications and recommends guidelines on how tosecurely operate an MPLS network. The book concludes with a series of case studes that synthesize all the key security topics of the book in applicable, practical design discussions.
Michael Behringer is a senior consulting engineer at Cisco, focusing on service provider security, and an expert in MPLS VPN security. He has been involved with MPLS VPN security since the inception of MPLS VPN networks, consulting with service providers on building secure networks and with enterprises on how they can rely on MPLS services.
Monique Morrow is a CTO consulting engineer at Cisco with more than 20 years experience in IP internetworking. She led the Engineering Project team for one of the first European MPLS-VPN deployments in 1999 for a European service provide. She is an experienced author and technical reviewer.
Publisher Marketing:
A practical guide to hardening MPLS networks
Define "zones of trust" for your MPLS VPN environment
Understand fundamental security principles and how MPLS VPNs work
Build an MPLS VPN threat model that defines attack points, such as VPN separation, VPN spoofing, DoS against the network's backbone, misconfigurations, sniffing, and inside attack forms
Identify VPN security requirements, including robustness against attacks, hiding of the core infrastructure, protection against spoofing, and ATM/Frame Relay security comparisons
Interpret complex architectures such as extranet access with recommendations of Inter-AS, carrier-supporting carriers, Layer 2 security considerations, and multiple provider trust model issues
Operate and maintain a secure MPLS core with industry best practices
Integrate IPsec into your MPLS VPN for extra security in encryption and data origin verification
Build VPNs by interconnecting Layer 2 networks with new available architectures such as virtual private wire service (VPWS) and virtual private LAN service (VPLS)
Protect your core network from attack by considering Operations, Administration, and Management (OAM) and MPLS backbone security incidents
Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) is becoming a widely deployed technology, specifically for providing virtual private network (VPN) services. Security is a major concern for companies migrating to MPLS VPNs from existing VPN technologies such as ATM. Organizations deploying MPLS VPNs need security best practices for protecting their networks, specifically for the more complex deployment models such as inter-provider networks and Internet provisioning on thenetwork. "MPLS VPN Security "is the first book to address the security features of MPLS VPN networks and to show you how to harden and securely operate an MPLS network. Divided into four parts, the book begins with an overview of security and VPN technology. A chapter on threats and attack points provides a foundation for the discussion in later chapters. Part II addresses overall security from various perspectives, including architectural, design, and operation components. Part III provides practical guidelines for implementing MPLS VPN security. Part IV presents real-world case studies that encompass details from all the previous chapters to provide examples of overall secure solutions. Drawing upon the authors' considerable experience in attack mitigation and infrastructure security, "MPLS VPN Security" is your practical guide to understanding how to effectively secure communications in an MPLS environment. "The authors of this book, Michael Behringer and Monique Morrow, have a deep and rich understanding of security issues, such as denial-of-service attack prevention and infrastructure protection from network vulnerabilities. They offer a very practical perspective on the deployment scenarios, thereby demystifying a complex topic. I hope you enjoy their insights into the design of self-defending networks." --Jayshree V. Ullal, Senior VP/GM Security Technology Group, Cisco Systems(R)