Customer Needs Assessment
Evaluate the Existing Network Environment
Table 2-5. Recording Information about Workstations and Laptops
Hardware Vendor | Laptop or | Quantity | User | Operating | Applications | Location on | |
| Workstation |
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| System |
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| Network |
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Laptops | 105 | Accounting | Windows XP | • | Microsoft Office | Building 1, | |
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| employees |
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| applications | southeast |
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| • | corner | |
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| • | IM | when using |
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| a wired | ||
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| • | Inhouse | |
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| connection | ||
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| accounting | |
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| program |
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When you have created a comprehensive list of OSs and applications, you can begin to consider how to ensure that endpoints are patched and free from viruses and other malware before they connect to the network. (For more information, see “Determine Your Endpoint Integrity Requirements” on page
Other Endpoints
After you document the workstations and laptops, you can begin to list the other endpoints on the network. For example, if the network supports Voice over IP (VoIP), what capabilities do the VoIP phones have? Which access methods do they support? Which users are using these VoIP phones? Where do these phones attach to the network? Do they use a wireless or wired connection?
What other endpoints attach to the network, and do they support 802.1X? For example, are users accessing the network through personal digital assis- tants (PDAs) or smartphones? Do your network printers support 802.1X? Printer vendors such as HP are adding 802.1X functionality to their printers in an effort to help you secure the network. You can then prevent users from temporarily unplugging a printer and plugging their laptop or even an AP into the printer’s jack.
