Switch and Router Hardening
- Change Default Credentials that are well documented and pose a significant security risk.
- Disable Unnecessary Services and Interfaces on a switch or router
- Not every service or interface is needed
- e.g., services like HTTP or Telnet should be avoided
- Use Secure Management Protocols such as SSH instead of Telnet or HTTPS instead of HTTP
- Implement Access Control Lists (ACLs) to restrict access to the router or switch to only required devices and networks
- Enable Logging and Monitoring to help identify issues like repeated login failures, configuration changes, and many others
- Configure Port Security helps limit the devices that can connect to a switch port to prevent unauthorized access
- Strong Password Policies help reduce the risk of password attacks
- Physically Secure Equipment like keeping devices in a locked room to prevent unauthorized physical access