| Date | May 2018 | Marks available | 4 | Reference code | 18M.1.SL.TZ0.11 |
| Level | SL | Paper | 1 | Time zone | no time zone |
| Command term | Discuss | Question number | 11 | Adapted from | N/A |
Question
A company has expanded its office space into nearby rooms and has decided to set up a local area network (LAN) to support its operations.
The LAN will connect the room where the server is installed to new computers in the additional office space. The network engineer produced the following Gantt chart for this task.
Define the term concurrent processing.
Identify two tasks that will be carried out concurrently.
Identify two tasks that will be carried out sequentially.
After 5 years the company decided to replace the LAN with a wireless local area network (WLAN).
Outline two advantages, to this company, of installing a WLAN.
A WLAN will introduce additional security issues for the company.
Discuss any two of these issues and the ways in which the company might resolve them.
The company is considering expanding their network to allow employees to connect from anywhere in the world. The expanded network would need to provide security and allow the employees full functionality of the internal network.
Explain how setting up a virtual private network (VPN) would provide a suitable solution.
Markscheme
Processes/task are carried out simultaneously/at the same time;
Install connectors on wall of server room AND Install connector on wall of new office space;
OR
Test the cabling AND Connect the new computers with the cabling;
Any pair of tasks that are NOT a correct answer to part (b);
Award [1] for stating an advantage, [1] for expansion/example in context.
Mark as [2] and [2]
Answers may include:
Use on the move;
More versatile staff encouraged to collaborate etc.;
Allows BYOD:
Which could lead to greater productivity (as familiarity with device);
No extra equipment is needed for expansion after initial set-up;
Which will save the company time and money;
Reduces wiring;
Therefore improved safety for employees;
Mark as [2] and [2].
The data can be intercepted as it goes through “the air”;
Can be resolved by strong encryption/protocols;
WPA-2 / a description of WPA-2;
Use of trusted MAC addresses;
Regular changes of router password; [2 max]
BYOD issues leading to insecure devices;
Clear company policy regarding use;
Use of sand-box;
Only approved devices allowed;
MAC addresses – only adding clean and tested devices brought in by staff;
Installation of MDM services;
Authentication (user ID + password on all devices including BYOD);
Security features added by company; [2 max]
A VPN/tunneling allows the employee’s device to appear to be part of / a node of the internal company network;
Thus affording him/her full access to the network resources;
Data that passes through a VPN can be encrypted;
So any unauthorized access will not be able to understand the data;
Tunnelling allows the company’s own protocols to be used/IPsec/TSL ensure security;
Even though the data is passing over an outside network;
Multiple exit nodes / hidden IP addresses/encrypted connections;
Make it hard to distinguish where the data was generated;
