Analysis of Network Equipment Security Characteristics and Software Implementation of an Automated Assessment System

Abstract

The article addresses the urgent task of analyzing the security characteristics of network equipment and software, and of implementing an automated system to assess them, in order to support informed decision-making during the design of secure information and communication networks. It is noted that, given the significant variety of models and manufacturers and the constant increase in the number of identified vulnerabilities, the analysis and selection of optimal technical solutions are becoming more difficult. The feasibility of using an automated approach to assess the security level of network equipment based on open-source information, particularly the CVE and NVD databases and the CVSS assessment system, is justified. A web application is proposed to comprehensively analyze the security characteristics of network devices using quantitative vulnerability indicators and equipment ranking mechanisms. The software architecture has been developed to collect, store, process, and visualize data on network equipment vulnerabilities. The system is implemented using a technology stack that includes a backend based on Django and a frontend using React, TypeScript, and Tailwind CSS, as well as an object-relational PostgreSQL database. As part of the work, an analytical module was implemented to generate ratings for network devices based on security indicators, convenient interaction between the client and server was ensured via an API, and testing of the system’s main functional components was carried out. The results confirm the effectiveness of the proposed approach and the feasibility of using the developed software tool in the design of secure network infrastructure. The presented solution is scalable and can be adapted to analyze different classes of network equipment, considering changes in vulnerability databases. The practical application of the developed system improves the validity of technical decisions and reduces subjectivity in selecting network components.