Unauthorized changes to the baseline configuration could make the device vulnerable to various attacks or allow unauthorized access to the device. Changes to device configurations can have unintended side effects, some of which may be relevant to security.
Detecting such changes and providing an automated response can help avoid unintended, negative consequences that could ultimately affect the security state of the device. Examples of security responses include, but are not limited to, the following: halting application processing; halting selected functions; or issuing alerts/notifications to organizational personnel when there is an unauthorized modification of a configuration item. The appropriate automated security response may vary depending on the nature of the baseline configuration change, the role of the network device, the availability of organizational personnel to respond to alerts, etc. |