Method, apparatus and program storage device for providing network perimeter security assessment

A computer system for assessing security of a perimeter of a network, the computer system comprising:

• one or more processors;
• one or more computer-readable memories;
• one or more computer-readable storage devices storing program instructions which, upon being executed by the one or more processors via the one or more memories, implement the assessing security of the perimeter of the network, the program instructions comprising:
• first program instructions to review security of an authentication computer from attack, the authentication computer residing within the network perimeter and authenticating users outside of the network perimeter that request access to an application within the network perimeter;
• second program instructions to review vulnerability of a gateway computer at the network perimeter from applications outside of the network perimeter by (a) scanning ports on the gateway computer to determine whether unauthorized services from the applications outside the network perimeter are available within the network perimeter via the gateway computer, and (b) executing penetration tests on the gateway computer to attempt to exploit a vulnerability of the gateway computer as revealed by the scanning of the ports on the gateway computer;
• third program instructions to identify a first component associated with a first respective connection to the network and determine if the first component complies with a corresponding industry benchmark for security, and identify a second component associated with a second respective connection to the network and determine if the second component complies with a corresponding security policy of a company associated with the network, the corresponding security policy not being an industry benchmark for security;
• fourth program instructions, stored on the one or more storage devices, to review security of an application that transfers data across the network perimeter:
• (i) based on a location of data transferred by the application and whether the transferred data is encrypted and (ii) by analyzing message flows and a protocol used by the application;
• and
• fifth program instructions to generate a report of security of the network perimeter based upon results generated by the first, second, third and fourth program instructions.

A computer program product for assessing security of a perimeter of a network, the computer program product comprising:

• one or more computer-readable storage devices and program instructions stored on the one or more storage devices, the program instructions comprising:
• first program instructions to review security of an authentication computer from attack, the authentication computer authenticating users outside of the network perimeter that request access to an application within the network perimeter;
• second program instructions to review vulnerability of a gateway computer at the network perimeter from applications outside of the network perimeter by scanning ports on the gateway computer to determine whether an unauthorized application outside the network perimeter is accessible from within the network perimeter via the gateway computer;
• third program instructions to test OSI Layer 2 separation of the network and OSI Layer 3 separation of the network, and compare results of the tests of OSI Layer 2 separation of the network and OSI Layer 3 separation of the network to (a) a corresponding industry benchmark for security of OSI Layer 2 separation and OSI Layer 3 separation and (b) a corresponding security policy of a company associated with the network, the corresponding security policy for OSI Layer 2 separation and OSI Layer 3 separation not being the industry benchmark for security of OSI Layer 2 separation and OSI Layer 3 separation;
• and
• fourth program instructions to generate a report of security of the network perimeter based upon results generated by the first, second and third program instructions.