Guest Network Security Design Approach

Guest is a security project, not a checkbox

Guest access is often added late in projects, driven by:

• business convenience

• user experience

• compliance requirements

Security is usually added after connectivity works, creating fragile designs.

This document defines Guest as:

• A security boundary

• A high-risk segment

• A permanent attack surface

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Design objectives

A secure Guest network must:

1. Prevent lateral attacks between guests

2. Protect internal infrastructure and services

3. Limit reconnaissance opportunities

4. Contain blast radius during DoS events

5. Be auditable and testable

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Core architectural principles

• Least privilege networking

• Explicit allowlists

• Separation of trust domains

• Dedicated infrastructure where necessary

• Validation over assumptions