Home → Best Practices → Network Security → Switches

1.6. Switches

• Must Have Practices

  • Use SSH/SSL for management

  • Capabilities

    • VLAN segmentation

      • Splits network devices into containers/traffic lanes

    • Access Control Lists (ACL)

      • Allows/Blocks certain traffic from communicating with other traffic.

    • Network Access Control (NAC)

      • Checked devices to make sure they meet organizations security requirements (Has Antivirus, installed windows patches, etc)

    • Redundant power supplies

      • Security and voice services rely on network connectivity.

• Best Practices

  • Set Console session timeouts

    • Prevent a rogue user from connecting to a device with elevated privileges

    • Technicians should ensure they log off each session, whether remote or direct.

  • Redundant core switches configured for failover

  • Ensure maintenance contract matches life expectancy of hardware

  • Ensure security updates will be available to match the life expectancy of the hardware.

  • Configure VLAN segmentation to split traffic and meet security objectives of organization.

  • Traffic prioritization

    • Allows voice, security, or other services as the organization identifies to have a higher network priority than other traffic including, but not limited to rouge or malicious traffic.

  • Auto provisioning of ports (VLAN segmentation and ACL)

    • Cameras, access points, servers, clients, guest devices