| All accounts used for network device management are privileged or system-level accounts. Therefore, if account management functions are not automatically enforced, an attacker could gain privileged access to a vital element of the network security architecture.
The use of Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting (AAA) affords the best methods for controlling user access, authorization levels, and activity logging. By enabling AAA on the routers in conjunction with an authentication server such as TACACS+ or RADIUS, the administrators can easily add or remove user accounts, add or remove command authorizations, and maintain a log of user activity.
The use of an authentication server provides the capability to assign device administrators to tiered groups that contain their privilege level, which is used for authorization of specific commands.
This control does not include the root account (where applicable) or the account of last resort that provides access to the network device components in case of network failure. These accounts are the only permitted locally defined accounts and must not be enabled for network access. All other accounts must be created and managed on the site's authentication server (e.g., RADIUS, LDAP, or Active Directory). This requirement is applicable to account management functions provided by the network device. |
