Skip to main content

Checklist for switch security

This is the switch security checklist published by NSA in Cisco IOS Switch Security Configuration Guide. (2004)
  • Include section on switches in network security policy.
  • Control physical access to the switch to only authorized personnel.
  • Install the latest stable version of the IOS on each switch.
  • Create an “enable secret” password.
  • Manage switches out-of-band (separated from data traffic). If out-of-band management is not feasible, then dedicate a separate VLAN number for in-band management.
  • Set timeouts for sessions and configure privilege levels.
  • Configure a banner to state that unauthorized access is prohibited.
  • Disable unnecessary network services (e.g., tcp small servers, HTTP).
  • Enable necessary network services and configure these services securely.
  • Utilize SSH instead of telnet and set a strong password for SSH.
  • If SNMP is necessary, set a strong community string for SNMP.
  • Implement port security to limit access based on MAC address. Disable auto-trunking on ports.
  • Utilize the switch’s port mirroring capability for IDS access.
  • Disable unused switch ports and assign them a VLAN number not in use.
  • Assign trunk ports a native VLAN number that is not use by any other port.
  • Limit the VLANs that can be transported over a trunk to only those that are necessary.
  • Utilize static VLAN configuration.
  • If possible, disable VTP. Otherwise, set the following for VTP: management domain, password and pruning. Then set VTP into transparent mode.
  • Use access control lists where appropriate.
  • Enable logging and send logs to a dedicated, secure log host.
  • Configure logging to include accurate time information, using NTP and timestamps.
  • Review logs for possible incidents and archive them in accordance with the security policy.
  • Use AAA features for local and remote access to switch.
  • Maintain the switch configuration file off-line and limit access to it to only authorized administrators. The configuration file should contain descriptive comments for the different settings to provide perspective.

     
    Above is a mindmap of the switch security checklist.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

LDWin: Link Discovery for Windows

LDWin supports the following methods of link discovery: CDP - Cisco Discovery Protocol LLDP - Link Layer Discovery Protocol Download LDWin from here.

easywall - Web interface for easy use of the IPTables firewall on Linux systems written in Python3.

Firewalls are becoming increasingly important in today’s world. Hackers and automated scripts are constantly trying to invade your system and use it for Bitcoin mining, botnets or other things. To prevent these attacks, you can use a firewall on your system. IPTables is the strongest firewall in Linux because it can filter packets in the kernel before they reach the application. Using IPTables is not very easy for Linux beginners. We have created easywall - the simple IPTables web interface . The focus of the software is on easy installation and use. Access this neat software over on github: easywall

STG (SNMP Traffic Grapher)

This freeware utility allows monitoring of supporting SNMPv1 and SNMPv2c devices including Cisco. Intended as fast aid for network administrators who need prompt access to current information about state of network equipment. Access STG here (original site) or alternatively here .