Hardening cisco routers help for network administrators pdf

Dec 09, 2018 therefore, hardening the network devices themselves is essential for enhancing the whole security of the enterprise. Hardening cisco routers help for network administrators. In this chapter, youre going to learn how the switches and router. Network security officers are usually responsible for selecting and deploying the assurance measures applied to their networks. Securing the network using cisco routers it is imperative that the networks be secured using some kind of security policy and parameters. Usernames, passwords, and the contents of access control lists are examples of this type of information. It provides background information about ip version 6, discusses threats and threat mitigation for ipv6, and provides specific directions and rationale for configuring cisco ios routers for secure ipv6 operation.

Hardening cisco routers is a reference for protecting the protectors. Establish, implement, and actively manage track, report on, correct the security configuration of network infrastructure devices using a rigorous configuration management and change control process in order to prevent attackers from exploiting vulnerable services and settings. To open a console window for every device, click the toolbar console button. In the graphical user interface for managing your perimeter routers, cisco provides a security audit feature. Using a firewall a firewall is a securityconscious router that sits between your network and the outside world and prevents internet users from.

We provide tips and cisco cli commands that will help you upgrade your vlan network security. The following sections provide some basic logging best practices that can help an administrator use logging successfully while reducing the impact of logging on a cisco. These strategies include knowing your network, knowing your enemy, misinformation and misdirection, perimeter security, and using the attackers strengths against him. Provision the router with the maximum amount of memory possible. Default router settings, network hardening securing an enterprise network continually presents new challenges, so its important to have the security basics down. The attacker is then able to use resources on the network that are associated with that specific ip address the three primary methods used to perform ip spoofing are as follows. This document will focus on the current supported releases of ise. Authentication protocol over lan eapol, cisco discovery protocol cdp.

Security configuration guide, cisco ios xe sdwan releases. The amount of time for each stage is particular to the threat, or combination of threats, and its actors and targets. These components use the basic network architecturerouters, switches, voice gateways, switches with inline power, etc. Ncp checklist cisco ios switch security configuration guide. Cisco separates a network device in 3 functional elements called planes. Routers direct and control much of the data flowing across computer networks. For individual elearning, visit the cisco learning network store. The threat lifecycle is important for risk assessment because it shows where you can mitigate threats. Providing transparency and guidance to help customers best protect their network is a top priority. This succinct book departs from other security literature by focusing exclusively on ways to secure cisco routers, rather than the entire network. The hardening of routers and switches require the configuration of the. The link provided here is a great guide, but its very intimidating for someone who is new to this.

Aug 24, 2012 security is a part of everyday life and is everyones responsibility. All commands should be entered in global configuration mode unless specifically. As network engineers, it is our job to secure the plumbing that everything else rides on. Failure to continually monitor and maintain a host will put it as much. Press the enter key until there is a response from the router, and once the router oss boot enter no to the initial. Guideline on securing cisco routers national computer board. Hardening cisco router on internetmanagement plane. For digital library access, visit cisco platinum learning library.

In my company we have cisco asa firewall as edge device on the internet. Firewall administrators are another intended audience for this guide. Using the information presented here, you can configure your routers to control access, resist attacks, shield. For private group training, visit cisco private group training. Help for network administrators kindle edition by akin, thomas. For all the reasons, a set of standard practices for hardening a router becomes a necessity. Cisco security teams have been actively informing customers. Using the information presented here, administrators can configure switches to control access, resist attacks, shield other network systems and protect the integrity and confidentiality of network traffic. The configuration of a cisco ios device contains many sensitive details. The highest priority items are locking down the access methods like disabling telnet, locking down who can access the device apply an accesslist to the vty lines, and ensuring the credentials are strong uncommon username and strong password. An attacker attempts to send and receive traffic on the network using an ip address of another known host or known network. Prefix sets allow a network administrator to permit or deny specific prefixes that are sent or received by way of bgp.

Now we need to put cisco router in front of asa, so it would be between my isp and asa. While the primary purpose of nat devices is to allow devices with private ip addresses in a localarea network lan to communicate with devices in public address spaces, such as the internet, nat devices also inherently provide a level of security, functioning as hardware firewalls to prevent unwanted data traffic from passing through the viptela edge routers. As a network administrator, auditor or architect, you know the importance of securing your network and finding security solutions you can implement quickly. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read hardening cisco routers. While some people may consider cisco devices routers and switches to already run a hardened os, they are still vulnerable to attacks. Not all commands will work on every device series router switch or on every ios version. Cisco network always consists of cisco routers and switches. If the router protecting a network is exposed to hackers, then so. Routers help transmit packets to their destinations by charting a path through the sea of interconnected network devices. A key element to hardening the router is to find all of these services you are not using, and to disable them. This security helps you protect your internal resources. If the router protecting a network is exposed to hackers, then so is. This document covers information regarding security, hardening and testing of cisco ise.

Of the three areas of router security, physical security, router hardening, and operating system security, physical security involves locating the router in a secure room. Hardening of router hi mark, though what you are suggesting may be right, generally and hopefully no unauthorized personnel can get physical access to the routers, so there is no way for them to get into rommon mode and recover the password. This checklist is a collection of all the hardening steps that are presented in this guide. Router security, however, involves protecting the network itself by hardening or securing the routers. Network engineering stack exchange is a question and answer site for network engineers. Information security reading room cisco router hardening. I need confirmation that i understood the cisco manual right. Cisco switch and router hardening created 09182018. This document describes the information to help you secure your cisco ios system devices, which increases the overall security of your network. Hardening your router in 9 easy steps searchnetworking. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading hardening cisco routers. This document is a supplement to the nsa router security configuration guide rscg version 1.

The importance of router security and where routers fit into an overall security plan. Network security is most often thought of as something that protects machines on a network. This paper is from the sans institute reading room site. Security hardening checklist guide for cisco routersswitches. Well, here is what you can do for configurations manually on the device in order to help secure harden it. Structured around the three planes into which functions of a network device can be categorized, this document provides an overview of each included feature and references to related documentation. The guide bellow instructs how to secure cisco routerswitch. This guide provides technical guidance intended to help network administrators and security officers improve the security of their networks. This chapter also introduces 10 show commands that are highly used in. The perimeter routers must be secured so that the corporate lan resources are protected from the outside world. Hardening your router in 9 easy steps for most enterprise lans, the router has become one of the most critical security appliances in use. This paper attempts to apply some of the strategies sun tzu discusses to hardening an organizations network and information security.

The guide bellow instructs how to secure cisco router switch. Using the information presented here, the administrators can configure switches to control access, resist attacks, shield other network systems and protect the integrity and confidentiality of network traffic. Cisco ccna 640802, cisco device info, secure cisco auditor, and many more programs. In addition to web services, the cisco router of todays networks can provide many, many other potential services to the network. Router security configuration guide principles and guidance for secure configuration of ip routers, with detailed instructions for cisco systems routers router security guidance activity of the system and network attack center snac national security agency 9800 savage rd. The security of a host depends on the security of the network, of the hosts adjacent to it, and, most importantly, upon the vigilance of its administrator. Figure 1 shows the structure of a cisco ucs device. Implementing and administering cisco solutions ccna. Cisco router configuration security hardened techexams. Pdf hardening cisco devices based on cryptography and. They remove the packets from the incoming frames, analyze them individually and assign ip addresses. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. The repository that you use in order to archive cisco ios device configurations needs to be secured.

See how different features of netwrix auditor for network devices can help you improve network security, prove compliance and avoid costly downtime. As a network administrator, auditor or architect, you know the importance of. The clients it administrators said they hadnt thought of it and werent too concerned. Using routers to gain information about your network for use in an attack information leakage disabling your routers and therefore your network reconfiguring your routers. For this audience, this guide provides security goals and guidance, along with specific examples of configuring cisco routers to meet those goals. Information security reading room securing the network with cisco router. Please reference our eoseol page for more information. Hardening cisco devices based on cryptography and security protocols part ii. However, in cases where it does not, the feature is explained to allow administrators to evaluate whether additional attention to the feature is required. Network security includes the detection and prevention of unauthorized access to both the. Cisco best practices to harden devices against cyber.

Specifically,it addresses preventing attackers from. Not all commands will work on every device series routerswitch or on every ios version. Ise security best practices hardening cisco community. To do this, companies put up firewalls, configure vpns, and install intrusion detection systems. The nsa and sans guides for securing cisco routers have been around for a while and are good starting points. So outside interface with public ip address and security level 0 and inside interfaces with higher security levels. Where possible and appropriate, this document contains recommendations that, if implemented, will help secure a cisco ucs deployment. Chap 4 hardening hardware secure shell computer network. Learn cisco network administration in a month of lunches. Under the cisco router guides section on the nsas current security configuration guides web page youll find the router security configuration guide, executive summary pdf which will get you started quickly and then the complete router security configuration guide, release 1.

Disable all unused ports and interfaces to reduce the number of ways that the router can be accessed. Technical guide network video management system hardening guide 6 each stage in the threat lifecycle takes time. Network design based on the implementation of optimal and secure routing. In cisco ios xr devices, bgp allows users to filter prefixes that are based on network prefixes, aspaths, and community or extcommunity values. Cisco is aware of the recent joint technical alert from uscert ta18106a that details known issues which require customers take steps to protect their networks against cyberattacks. Even though many administrators and it managers are aware of vlan technologies and concepts, unfortunately, it has been proven that the same does not apply when it comes to vlan security. Configured properly, it can keep all but the most determined bad guys out, and if you want, it can even keep the good guys in. Hardening cisco routers as a network administrator, auditor or architect, you know the importance of securing your network and finding security solutions you can implement quickly.

It is highly recommended to test each setting in a test lab before implementing changes to production systems. Therefore, hardening the network devices themselves is essential for enhancing the whole security of the enterprise. Read on oreilly online learning with a 10day trial start your free trial now buy on amazon. Stepbystep tutorial on hardening a cisco small business router. Network and security administrators can refer to ios configurations as a guide when. The management plane is used to access, configure, manage. Ziad zubidah ccnp security it security officer national. Security hardening checklist guide for cisco routers. Router hardening with the cisco router and security and device manager sdm now one of the reasons that we love cisco is that they are always trying to make it easy on us. Cisco botches fix for rv320, rv325 routers, just blocks. The functional planes on any ios software router or switch. In the graphical user interface for managing your perimeter routers, cisco provides a. I asked if the router was configured with some of the basic security settings to keep curious eyes from prying.

I would really appreciate someone pointing me towards some good, easy to follow advice on setting up a router firewall such as the rv series we are using an rv110w series. Hardening a newly built or existing host does not inherently protect it against compromise. The following sections describe the basics of hardening your network. If the router protecting a network is exposed to hackers, then so is the network behind it. All the routers used in this setup a re cisco s 3800 series routers, and the core switches are cisco s catalys t 4500 series switches. Help for network administrators ebook written by thomas akin. Help for network administrators on your kindle in under a minute. The intent of cdp is to make it easier for administrators to discover and troubleshoot other cisco devices on the network.

Router security,however,involves protecting the network itself by hardening or securing the routers. Cisco confidential 64 performing a security audit cisco discovery protocol the cisco discovery protocol cdp is an example of a service that is enabled by default on cisco routers. While installing a new cisco router for a client recently, i was a bit surprised that there was no firewall. In order to grant privileged administrative access to the ios. This guide provides the technical guidance intended to help network administrators and security officers improve the security of their networks. Routers normally work at the network layer of the osi model. You should take steps to protect your network from intruders by configuring the other security features of the networks servers and routers. Pdf cisco ios cookbook download full pdf book download. Feel like going old school with your perimeter router security. Device hardening and recommendations russ smoak on april th, 2015, cisco psirt was made aware of multiple instances of customer disruption in a specific region caused by a denial of service attack against cisco devices. It is not meant to replace welldesigned policy or sound judgment. Cisco nxos provides several flexible logging options that can help achieve the network management and visibility goals of an organization.