"Hostile" network in the company - please comment on a security setup
- by TomTom
I have a little specific problem here that I want (need) to solve in a satisfactory way. My company has multiple (IPv4) networks that are controlled by our router sitting in the middle. Typical smaller shop setup. There is now one additional network that has an IP Range OUTSIDE of our control, connected to the internet with another router OUTSIDE of our control. Call it a project network that is part of another companies network and combined via VPN they set up.
This means:
They control the router that is used for this network and
They can reconfigure things so that they can access the machines in this network.
The network is physically split on our end through some VLAN capable switches as it covers three locations. At one end there is the router the other company controls.
I Need / want to give the machines used in this network access to my company network. In fact, it may be good to make them part of my active directory domain. The people working on those machines are part of my company. BUT - I need to do so without compromising the security of my company network from outside influence.
Any sort of router integration using the externally controlled router is out by this idea
So, my idea is this:
We accept the IPv4 address space and network topology in this network is not under our control.
We seek alternatives to integrate those machines into our company network.
The 2 concepts I came up with are:
Use some sort of VPN - have the machines log into VPN. Thanks to them using modern windows, this could be transparent DirectAccess. This essentially treats the other IP space not different than any restaurant network a laptop of the company goes in.
Alternatively - establish IPv6 routing to this ethernet segment. But - and this is a trick - block all IPv6 packets in the switch before they hit the third party controlled router, so that even IF they turn on IPv6 on that thing (not used now, but they could do it) they would get not a single packet. The switch can nicely do that by pulling all IPv6 traffic coming to that port into a separate VLAN (based on ethernet protocol type).
Anyone sees a problem with using he switch to isolate the outer from IPv6? Any security hole? It is sad we have to treat this network as hostile - would be a lot easier - but the support personnel there is of "known dubious quality" and the legal side is clear - we can not fulfill our obligations when we integrate them into our company while they are under a jurisdiction we don't have a say in.
