Network Architecture & Security Review
Comprehensive evaluation of network design, security controls, and infrastructure resilience.
A Network Architecture and Security Review is a critical assessment that evaluates how an organization's network is designed, implemented, and maintained against industry best practices and security requirements. In an era where networks are the primary attack vector for cyber adversaries, understanding your network's architectural strengths and weaknesses is fundamental to maintaining a strong security posture. Our review encompasses the entire network infrastructure — from perimeter defenses and internal segmentation to cloud connectivity, remote access solutions, and operational technology (OT) networks. We assess not only the technical configuration of network devices but also the architectural decisions that determine the effectiveness of your security controls.
Network security assessments are essential for identifying vulnerabilities that could lead to unauthorized access, data exfiltration, or service disruption. We systematically evaluate firewall rule bases for excessive permissions and shadow rules, review router and switch configurations for weak management plane security, assess VLAN segmentation and ACL effectiveness, and test wireless network security controls. Our team also examines network services including DNS, DHCP, NTP, and VPN concentrators for misconfigurations that could be leveraged for attacks such as DNS poisoning, DHCP spoofing, or VPN hijacking. Each finding is validated to confirm exploitability and mapped to the MITRE ATT&CK framework for context.
The review specifically addresses modern network threats including Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack resilience, Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) attack susceptibility (ARP spoofing, DNS poisoning, SSL stripping), VLAN hopping, MAC flooding, STP manipulation, and rogue DHCP server risks. We evaluate your network's ability to detect and respond to these threats through analysis of your monitoring coverage, logging practices, and network detection and response (NDR) capabilities. For cloud-connected networks, we assess the security of hybrid connectivity including AWS Direct Connect, Azure ExpressRoute, VPN tunnels, SD-WAN configurations, and cloud network security groups.
The key objectives of our Network Architecture Review are threefold: identify weaknesses and gaps in existing security controls compared to current industry standards (NIST SP 800-41, CIS Benchmarks, and BSIMM); assess the alignment of security architecture with business requirements and risk tolerance; and deliver an actionable remediation roadmap to address identified risks and security gaps. Our findings are presented in the context of your specific operational environment, regulatory obligations, and business constraints. The final report includes architectural recommendations that balance security improvement with operational impact, providing a clear path to a more resilient and defensible network infrastructure.
How We Deliver
A structured methodology refined through hundreds of successful engagements.
Network Architecture Discovery & Documentation Review
We begin by collecting and reviewing your existing network documentation, including logical and physical network diagrams, IP address management (IPAM) data, routing tables, VLAN configurations, and firewall rule sets. Our team conducts interviews with network engineering and security operations staff to understand operational practices, change management procedures, and known pain points. We also review existing policies including acceptable use policies, remote access policies, and network segmentation standards.
Infrastructure Configuration & Security Audit
We perform detailed configuration reviews of all network devices including firewalls, routers, switches, load balancers, VPN concentrators, wireless controllers, and network monitoring tools. Each device is assessed against CIS Benchmark configuration standards, vendor security best practices, and your organizational standards. We evaluate management plane security (SSH, SNMP, console access, AAA configuration), control plane protections (CoPP, BGP authentication, OSPF MD5), and data plane filtering effectiveness.
Network Segmentation & Access Control Analysis
We analyze your network segmentation strategy, examining VLAN placement, inter-VLAN routing controls, firewall zone architectures, and micro-segmentation implementation. Our team performs rule set analysis to identify overly permissive rules, shadow rules, redundant objects, and objects that have reached end-of-life but remain in active rule bases. We evaluate east-west traffic inspection capabilities, DMZ architecture, and the effectiveness of network access control (NAC) solutions in enforcing authentication before network access.
Advanced Threat Exposure Assessment
We conduct targeted testing to identify susceptibility to common network-level attacks including ARP spoofing, DHCP starvation, VLAN hopping (switch spoofing, double tagging), STP manipulation, and OSPF/BGP route injection. We evaluate DDoS resilience through analysis of bandwidth capacity, scrubbing center configurations, rate limiting policies, and anycast routing implementations. Wireless security testing covers WPA3/Enterprise configuration, rogue access point detection, and 802.1X/EAP implementation review. We also assess the security of out-of-band management networks and physical security of network infrastructure.
Reporting, Architectural Recommendations & Remediation Planning
All findings are compiled into a comprehensive report organized by severity with architectural diagrams highlighting identified issues, CVSS 4.0 scores for technical vulnerabilities, and CIS benchmark compliance ratings for each device. Our recommendations are categorized into architectural changes (requiring planning and design), configuration changes (quick implementation), and process improvements (policy and procedural updates). Each recommendation includes effort estimates, operational impact assessments, and dependency relationships. We provide a prioritized remediation roadmap and offer post-remediation validation testing to confirm control effectiveness.
What You Receive
Every engagement delivers actionable insights and tangible outcomes.
Network Architecture Assessment Report
Detailed evaluation of your network topology, segmentation strategy, routing architecture, and security zone design with findings mapped to industry best practices and architectural recommendations.
Device Configuration Audit
Comprehensive configuration review of all network devices with CIS benchmark compliance scores, identified misconfigurations, and hardening recommendations for each device type and vendor.
External Attack Surface Analysis
Assessment of your internet-facing network footprint including public IP ranges, DNS configurations, certificate validity, exposed services, and DDoS protection posture with remediation guidance.
Remediation Roadmap & Prioritization Matrix
Phased implementation plan organized by risk level with architectural changes, configuration fixes, and process improvements mapped to timeframes, resource requirements, and success criteria.
Key Benefits
Partner with SecureNexGen for results that matter.
Strengthened Security Posture
Systematic identification and remediation of network weaknesses reduces the attack surface available to adversaries and strengthens defenses against network-based attacks including DDoS and MitM.
Optimized Network Performance
Architecture recommendations improve traffic flow efficiency, reduce unnecessary rule processing overhead, and eliminate obsolete configurations that degrade network device performance.
Reduced Incident Response Time
Improved monitoring coverage, logging configurations, and network visibility enable faster detection and containment of security incidents, reducing mean time to detect and respond (MTTD/MTTR).
Compliance & Audit Readiness
Aligning network security controls with PCI DSS, HIPAA, SOC 2, NIST SP 800-171, and ISO 27001 requirements streamlines audit preparation and demonstrates due diligence to regulators.
What's Covered
Comprehensive scope designed to leave no stone unturned.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common queries about our service delivery and process.
How often should we conduct a network architecture and security review?
What is the difference between a network architecture review and a network penetration test?
Will the review cause any disruption to our network operations?
What types of network architectures and environments do you support?
How do you handle findings that require significant architectural changes?
Ready to Get Started?
Contact our team to discuss your requirements and receive a tailored proposal.