Overview

Security risks cannot be eliminated or prevented completely. However, effective risk management and assessment can significantly minimize the existing security risks. An acceptable level of risk depends on how much risk the business is willing to assume. A security policy is an important component in deciding how this risk is managed. A security policy is a formal statement of the rules by which people who are given access to an organization’s technology and information assets must abide. A security policy can be as simple as an acceptable use policy for network resources or it can be several hundred pages in length and detail every element of connectivity and associated policies.

Routers can support a large number of network services that allow users and host processes to connect to the network. Some of these services can be restricted or disabled, improving security without affecting the operational use of the network. For security purposes, it should be a common practice for network devices to only support the traffic and protocols the network needs.

In addition to a general overview of security issues, this module also provides hands-on labs for essential skills such as configuring router privileges and accounts, disabling and controlling TCP/IP services, configuring routing protocol authentication, and Secure Shell (SSH).

PIX Security Appliance Command Reference

Cisco IOS Security Command Reference

NOTE:

It is required that the student study the commands covered in the chapter using the labs and the Command Reference. Not all required commands are covered in sufficient detail in the text alone. Successful completion of this course requires a thorough knowledge of command syntax and application.