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.
This is the switch security checklist published by NSA in Cisco IOS Switch Security Configuration Guide. (2004)
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