Question

OWA, DMZ, ISA Server, PIX

Asked by: billythehamster

Hi All

I have a PIX sitting between my inside and outside network. I want to setup a DMZ for OWA but I am a little unsure on how to do this. So far I have setup the pix to open port 443 and 80 to forward requests to a front end exchange server and install a certificate on the front end exchange. It is working great however I realise I am vulnerable if the front end exchange server gets hacked.

Can anyone offer any suggestions bearing in mind that the front end will still need to communicate with the backend? Also the DMZ and front end exchange needs to be on the same machine, I have 2 NIC's on the DMZ/Front End Exchange Server. I was looking at using ISA Serbver but I am open to suggestions.

Thanks

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Asked On
2005-07-22 at 02:27:48ID21500640
Tags

dmz

,

using

Topics

MS Forefront-ISA

,

Network Software Firewalls

,

Cisco PIX Firewall

Participating Experts
2
Points
250
Comments
9

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Answers

 

by: nodiscoPosted on 2005-07-22 at 04:30:46ID: 14501264

billythehamster

There are several ways of doing this - but I would go with moving the Exchange server inside the network - not into a DMZ.  The main reasons being that it is far more secure on the inside and if you were to put it in the DMZ, it would require opening more ports from DMZ to inside than you really want to be allowing.  I have seen a popular solution of using a mail relay host in the DMZ forwarding mail onto an exchange server on the inside server.  2 sites I work with use this and it works like a dream - the Exchange box is safe in the inside, and only the ports 25 and 443 need to be opened for smtp mail and https access to webmail.
A lot of the points this will bring up have already been gone through in this TA - notably by Lrmoore here:
http://www.experts-http://www.experts-exchange.com/Security/Firewalls/Q_21115382.html

Another note is if you have a PIX - avoid ISA.  Its a fine product and all, but as its MS and it needs to reside on a server, its more likely to be a failure point (when you consider how many patches are constantly released for MS products) than a secure hardware firewall like a PIX.

hope this helps

 

by: billythehamsterPosted on 2005-07-22 at 04:52:26ID: 14501348

Hi thanks for the info, however the objective is to offer OWA to users outside our network so the front end exchange server needs to be in the DMZ. Thanks

 

by: nodiscoPosted on 2005-07-22 at 05:12:19ID: 14501446

hey again
You can have the exchange server inside and still offer OWA through it.  You just need to open port 443 to the statically translated address of the Exchange server.  Would this not suit your scenario? Also what model of PIX do you have?

 

by: billythehamsterPosted on 2005-07-22 at 05:27:45ID: 14501561

Hi thanks, the pix is a 501E unlimited users 3DES. At the moment 443 points straight to OWA front end exchange on the inside but I was concerned about the security aspect.

 

by: nodiscoPosted on 2005-07-22 at 06:04:30ID: 14501898

OK - In order to put in a hardware firewall DMZ solution - the next model up to support 3 interfaces is a PIX515E.  To be honest, what you have in place is very secure as is - ideally the less ports you need to open to the inside the better, even from the DMZ.  You could also go the mail relay server route - where you have a mail relay server - MS or Linux - (with spamfilter+viruschecking if you want) in the DMZ and allowing it forwarding to the Exchange on the inside.  Minimal opening of ports, encrypted connection over port 443 to webmail and a machine in the DMZ with no critical information - its sole prupose is simply forwarding.

hope this helps

 

by: Yan_westPosted on 2005-07-22 at 06:37:55ID: 14502273

What alot of people do in this situation is to buy Exchange enterprise and install a Front-End / Back End type of setting. Put the front end in the DMZ, and the back-end in your network.

Introduction to Front-End and Back-End Topologies for Exchange Server 2003 and Exchange 2000 Server

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/exchange/guides/E2k3FrontBack/9713985e-8847-4104-be02-6d00af9243e1.mspx

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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