After successfully implemented MOSS 2007, there are a few request from end users to enable access of Sharepoint portal from the internet. Currently, users can only access the portal if they are connected to the internal network. Since some of the members spend most of their time working on the field and frequently need access to our Sharepoint portal, the request seems valid and I need to enable the Sharepoint for external access.
After searching the internet for the best solution, I came to know that Microsoft offers an excellent security and proxy server known as ISA (Internet, Security and Acceleration) Server. This piece of software will provide the features which I need to enable external access to our Sharepoint and at the same time protect our network from unauthorised access.
I had ordered the software and it cost my company about RM4000. This is the ISA 2006 standard edition. Enterprise edition cost about RM14000. Since network setup at our temporary office is not protected by a good firewall, it is about time we harden the security using the ISA server.
Current network setup at our temporary office is very simple as shown in the diagram below. The only firewall protected our network is the one which is built-in into the router. Since we do not have important piece of data to protect and our users are using it for accessing the internet, the security is not a major concern.
After deploying the MOSS 2007, there is a concern on the data stored on the server and hopefully ISA can provide a good security to protect our network.
Network diagram with built-in firewall in the router
Network diagram with ISA 2006 as the firewall and proxy server
June 11th, 2009 at 2:45 pm
Thanks for the useful info. It’s so interesting
August 31st, 2009 at 8:17 am
I thought I wasnt going to like this blog but more I read the more I liked it.