Hardening Cisco Routers

Book excerpt: As a network administrator, auditor or architect, you know the importance of securing your network and finding security solutions you can implement quickly. This succinct book departs from other security literature by focusing exclusively on ways to secure Cisco routers, rather than the entire network. The rational is simple: If the router protecting a network is exposed to hackers, then so is the network behind it. Hardening Cisco Routers is a reference for protecting the protectors. Included are the following topics: The importance of router security and where routers fit into an overall security plan Different router configurations for various versions of Cisco?s IOS Standard ways to access a Cisco router and the security implications of each Password and privilege levels in Cisco routers Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting (AAA) control Router warning banner use (as recommended by the FBI) Unnecessary protocols and services commonly run on Cisco routers SNMP security Anti-spoofing Protocol security for RIP, OSPF, EIGRP, NTP, and BGP Logging violations Incident response Physical security Written by Thomas Akin, an experienced Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) and Certified Cisco Academic Instructor (CCAI), the book is well organized, emphasizing practicality and a hands-on approach. At the end of each chapter, Akin includes a Checklist that summarizes the hardening techniques discussed in the chapter. The Checklists help you double-check the configurations you have been instructed to make, and serve as quick references for future security procedures.Concise and to the point, Hardening Cisco Routers supplies you with all the tools necessary to turn a potential vulnerability into a strength. In an area that is otherwise poorly documented, this is the one book that will help you make your Cisco routers rock solid.