✔ Cisco Router Hardening Template (IOS / IOS-XE)

Goal: Secure management, control plane, routing, and services


🔐 1. Identity, Passwords & AAA

hostname R1
service password-encryption
security passwords min-length 10

enable secret Str0ngEnable@123

username admin privilege 15 secret Adm1n@123
aaa new-model
aaa authentication login default local
aaa authorization exec default local


🔑 2. Secure Management Access (SSH only)

ip domain-name lab.local
crypto key generate rsa modulus 2048
ip ssh version 2
ip ssh time-out 60
ip ssh authentication-retries 3

line con 0
 exec-timeout 10 0
 logging synchronous

line vty 0 4
 transport input ssh
 login local
 exec-timeout 10 0


🎯 3. Restrict Management Access (VTY ACL)

ip access-list standard MGMT-ACL
 permit 192.168.10.0 0.0.0.255
 deny any log

line vty 0 4
 access-class MGMT-ACL in


🚫 4. Disable Insecure & Unused Services

no ip http server
no ip http secure-server
no service pad
no ip source-route
no ip bootp server
no cdp run


🧠 5. Control Plane Protection (CoPP – Basic)

class-map match-any MGMT-TRAFFIC
 match protocol ssh
 match protocol snmp
 match protocol ntp

policy-map CONTROL-PLANE-POLICY
 class MGMT-TRAFFIC
  police 64000 conform-action transmit exceed-action drop

control-plane
 service-policy input CONTROL-PLANE-POLICY


📡 6. Interface Hardening

interface range g0/2 - 4
 shutdown
 description UNUSED

interface g0/0
 no ip redirects
 no ip proxy-arp


🧾 7. Logging & Time Sync

logging buffered 64000
logging host 192.168.10.50
logging trap warnings

ntp authenticate
ntp authentication-key 1 md5 NTPkey
ntp trusted-key 1
ntp server 192.168.10.1 key 1


📊 8. SNMP (Secure Only)

snmp-server group SECURE v3 priv
snmp-server user snmpadmin SECURE v3 auth sha Auth@123 priv aes 256 Priv@123


💾 9. Configuration Protection

archive
 path flash:config-backup
 write-memory


🔥 10. (Optional) Disable Password Recovery

no service password-recovery

⚠️ Enable only if physical access is controlled

✅ Final Deployment Checklist

✔ SSH v2 only
✔ CoPP enabled
✔ ACL-restricted VTY
✔ SNMPv3
✔ Logging + NTP

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