| V-286478 | CAT I · High | WTM must have a version of Aviat OS installed that is version 6.x or later and currently supported by the vendor. | Unsupported software and systems must not be used because fixes to newly identified bugs will not be implemented by the vendor. The lack of support can result in potential vulnerabilities.
Software and systems at unsupported servicing levels or releases will not receive security updates for new vulnerabilities, which leaves them subject to exploitation.
When maintenance updates and patches are no longer available, software is no longer considered supported and should be upgraded or decommissioned.
Satisfies: SRG-APP-001035-NDM-000340, SRG-APP-000516-NDM-000351, SRG-APP-000457-NDM-000352 |
| V-286479 | CAT I · High | WTM must enable FIPS mode so only FIPS 140-3-approved algorithms for authentication to a cryptographic module are selectable for use. | Unapproved mechanisms that are used for authentication to the cryptographic module are not validated and therefore, cannot be relied upon to provide confidentiality or integrity, and DoW data may be compromised.
Network devices utilizing encryption are required to use FIPS-compliant mechanisms for authenticating to cryptographic modules.
FIPS 140-3 is the current standard for validating that mechanisms used to access cryptographic modules utilize authentication that meets DoW requirements. However, authentication algorithms must configure security processes to use only FIPS-approved and NIST-recommended authentication algorithms.
Satisfies: SRG-APP-000179-NDM-000265, SRG-APP-000411-NDM-000330, SRG-APP-000224-NDM-000270, SRG-APP-000172-NDM-000259, SRG-APP-000142-NDM-000245, SRG-APP-000412-NDM-000331 |
| V-286480 | CAT I · High | WTM must be configured to implement multifactor authentication (MFA) for local, network, and/or remote access to privileged accounts using DoW PKI. | The purpose of requiring a device that is separate from the system to which the user is attempting to gain access for one of the factors during MFA is to reduce the likelihood of compromising authenticators or credentials stored on the system. Adversaries may be able to compromise such authenticators or credentials and subsequently impersonate authorized users. Implementing one of the factors on a separate device (e.g., a hardware token), provides a greater strength of mechanism and an increased level of assurance in the authentication process.
Satisfies: SRG-APP-000820-NDM-000170, SRG-APP-000153-NDM-000249, SRG-APP-000080-NDM-000220, SRG-APP-000231-NDM-000271, SRG-APP-000825-NDM-000180, SRG-APP-000033-NDM-000212, SRG-APP-000121-NDM-000238, SRG-APP-000122-NDM-000239, SRG-APP-000149-NDM-000247, SRG-APP-000516-NDM-000336, SRG-APP-000119-NDM-000236, SRG-APP-000156-NDM-000250 |
| V-286482 | CAT I · High | WTM must be configured to send log data to at least one central log server for the purpose of forwarding alerts to the administrators and the information system security officer (ISSO). For boundary devices, two log servers are required. | The aggregation of log data kept on a syslog server can be used to detect attacks and trigger an alert to the appropriate security personnel. The stored log data can be used to detect weaknesses in security that enable the network IA team to find and address these weaknesses before breaches can occur. Reviewing these logs, whether before or after a security breach, are important in showing whether someone is an internal employee or an outside threat.
A network boundary device is a piece of networking hardware that sits at the edge of a network, controlling the flow of data traffic between the internal network and external networks like the internet. It acts as a gatekeeper, enforcing security policies and protecting the internal network from unauthorized access and malicious attacks. Having a second central log server delivers a defense in depth approach for critical boundary devices.
Satisfies: SRG-APP-000516-NDM-000350, SRG-APP-000515-NDM-000325 |
| V-286483 | CAT I · High | WTM must terminate all network connections associated with a device management session at the end of the session, or the session must be terminated after five minutes of inactivity except to fulfill documented and validated mission requirements. | Terminating an idle session within a short time period reduces the window of opportunity for unauthorized personnel to take control of a management session enabled on the console or console port that has been left unattended. In addition, quickly terminating an idle session will also free up resources committed by the managed network element.
Terminating network connections associated with communications sessions includes, for example, deallocating associated TCP/IP address/port pairs at the operating system level, or deallocating networking assignments at the application level if multiple application sessions are using a single, operating system-level network connection. This does not mean that the device terminates all sessions or network access; it only ends the inactive session and releases the resources associated with that session. |
| V-286485 | CAT I · High | WTM must be configured to store passwords using an approved salted key derivation function, preferably using a keyed hash for password-based authentication. | Passwords must be protected at all times, and encryption is the standard method for protecting passwords. If passwords are not encrypted, they can be plainly read (i.e., clear text) and easily compromised.
Network devices must enforce cryptographic representations of passwords when storing passwords in databases, configuration files, and log files. Passwords must be protected at all times; using a strong one-way hashing encryption algorithm with a salt is the standard method for providing a means to validate a password without having to store the actual password.
Performance and time required to access are factors that must be considered, and the one way hash is the most feasible means of securing the password and providing an acceptable measure of password security. If passwords are stored in clear text, they can be plainly read and easily compromised.
In many instances, verifying the user knows a password is performed using a password verifier. In its simplest form, a password verifier is a computational function that is capable of creating a hash of a password and determining if the value provided by the user matches the stored hash. |
| V-286471 | CAT II · Medium | WTM must configure management ACLs to enforce approved authorizations for controlling the flow of management information. | A mechanism to detect and prevent unauthorized communication flow must be configured or provided as part of the system design. If management information flow is not enforced based on approved authorizations, the network device may become compromised. Information flow control regulates where management information is allowed to travel within a network device. The flow of all management information must be monitored and controlled so it does not introduce any unacceptable risk to the network device or data.
Application-specific examples of enforcement occur in systems that employ rule sets or establish configuration settings that restrict information system services or message-filtering capability based on message content (e.g., implementing key word searches or using document characteristics).
Applications providing information flow control must be able to enforce approved authorizations for controlling the flow of management information within the system in accordance with applicable policy.
This requirement also applies to Zero Trust initiatives.
Satisfies: SRG-APP-000038-NDM-000213, SRG-APP-000435-NDM-000315, SRG-APP-000516-NDM-000335 |
| V-286473 | CAT II · Medium | WTM must be configured to authenticate SNMPv3 messages using a FIPS 140-3-validated Keyed-Hash Message Authentication Code (HMAC). | Without authenticating devices, unidentified or unknown devices may be introduced, thereby facilitating malicious activity. Bidirectional authentication provides stronger safeguards to validate the identity of other devices for connections that are of greater risk.
A local connection is any connection with a device communicating without the use of a network. A network connection is any connection with a device that communicates through a network (e.g., local area or wide area network, internet). A remote connection is any connection with a device communicating through an external network (e.g., the internet).
Because of the challenges of applying this requirement on a large scale, organizations are encouraged to only apply the requirement to those limited number (and type) of devices that truly need to support this capability. |
| V-286474 | CAT II · Medium | WTM must enforce password complexity by requiring that at least one uppercase character be used. | Use of a complex passwords helps to increase the time and resources required to compromise the password. Password complexity, or strength, is a measure of the effectiveness of a password in resisting attempts at guessing and brute-force attacks.
Password complexity is one factor of several that determine how long it takes to crack a password. The more complex the password is, the greater the number of possible combinations that need to be tested before the password is compromised.
Multifactor authentication (MFA) is required for all administrative and user accounts on network devices, except for an account of last resort and (where applicable) a root account. Passwords should only be used when MFA using PKI is not available and for the account of last resort and root account. |
| V-286475 | CAT II · Medium | WTM must enforce password complexity by requiring that at least one lowercase character be used. | Use of a complex password helps to increase the time and resources required to compromise the password. Password complexity, or strength, is a measure of the effectiveness of a password in resisting attempts at guessing and brute-force attacks.
Password complexity is one factor of several that determine how long it takes to crack a password. The more complex the password, the greater the number of possible combinations that need to be tested before the password is compromised.
Multifactor authentication (MFA) is required for all administrative and user accounts on network devices, except for an account of last resort and (where applicable) a root account. Passwords should only be used when MFA using PKI is not available and for the account of last resort and root account. |
| V-286476 | CAT II · Medium | WTM must enforce password complexity by requiring that at least one numeric character be used. | Use of a complex password helps to increase the time and resources required to compromise the password. Password complexity, or strength, is a measure of the effectiveness of a password in resisting attempts at guessing and brute-force attacks.
Password complexity is one factor of several that determine how long it takes to crack a password. The more complex the password, the greater the number of possible combinations that need to be tested before the password is compromised.
Multifactor authentication (MFA) is required for all administrative and user accounts on network devices, except for an account of last resort and (where applicable) a root account. Passwords should only be used when MFA using PKI is not available and for the account of last resort and root account. |
| V-286477 | CAT II · Medium | WTM must enforce password complexity by requiring at least one special character be used. | Use of a complex password helps to increase the time and resources required to compromise the password. Password complexity, or strength, is a measure of the effectiveness of a password in resisting attempts at guessing and brute-force attacks.
Password complexity is one factor of several that determine how long it takes to crack a password. The more complex the password, the greater the number of possible combinations that need to be tested before the password is compromised.
Multifactor authentication (MFA) is required for all administrative and user accounts on network devices, except for an account of last resort and (where applicable) a root account. Passwords should only be used when MFA using PKI is not available and for the account of last resort and root account. |
| V-286481 | CAT II · Medium | WTM must retain the Standard Mandatory DoW Notice and Consent Banner on the screen until the administrator acknowledges the usage conditions and takes explicit actions to log in for further access. | The banner must be acknowledged by the administrator prior to the device allowing the administrator access to the network device. This provides assurance that the administrator has seen the message and accepted the conditions for access. If the consent banner is not acknowledged by the administrator, DoW will not be in compliance with system use notifications required by law.
To establish acceptance of the network administration policy, a click-through banner at management session logon is required. The device must prevent further activity until the administrator executes a positive action to manifest agreement.
In the case of CLI access using a terminal client, entering the username and password when the banner is presented is considered an explicit action of acknowledgement. Entering the username, viewing the banner, then entering the password is also acceptable. |
| V-286486 | CAT II · Medium | WTM must enforce a minimum 15-character password length. | Password complexity, or strength, is a measure of the effectiveness of a password in resisting attempts at guessing and brute-force attacks. Password length is one factor of several that helps to determine strength and how long it takes to crack a password.
The shorter the password, the lower the number of possible combinations that must be tested before the password is compromised. Use of more characters in a password helps to increase exponentially the time and/or resources required to compromise the password. |
| V-286487 | CAT II · Medium | WTM must be configured to protect nonlocal maintenance sessions by separating the maintenance session from other network sessions with the system by logically separated communications paths. | Nonlocal maintenance and diagnostic activities are conducted by individuals who communicate through either an external or internal network. Communications paths can be logically separated using encryption. |
| V-286488 | CAT II · Medium | WTM must obtain its public key certificates from an appropriate certificate policy through an approved service provider. | For user certificates, each organization obtains certificates from an approved, shared service provider, as required by OMB policy. For federal agencies operating a legacy public key infrastructure cross-certified with the Federal Bridge Certification Authority at medium assurance or higher, this certification authority will suffice.
Satisfies: SRG-APP-000516-NDM-000344, SRG-APP-000910-NDM-000300 |
| V-286489 | CAT II · Medium | WTM must record time stamps for audit records that can be mapped to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) or Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). | If time stamps are not consistently applied and there is no common time reference, it is difficult to perform forensic analysis.
Time stamps generated by the application include date and time. Time is commonly expressed in UTC, a modern continuation of GMT, or local time with an offset from UTC. |
| V-286490 | CAT II · Medium | WTM must require that when a password is changed, the characters are changed in at least eight of the positions within the password. | If the application allows the user to consecutively reuse extensive portions of passwords, this increases the chances of password compromise by increasing the window of opportunity for attempts at guessing and brute-force attacks.
The number of changed characters refers to the number of changes required with respect to the total number of positions in the current password. In other words, characters may be the same within the two passwords; however, the positions of the like characters must be different.
Multifactor authentication (MFA) is required for all administrative and user accounts on network devices, except for an account of last resort and (where applicable) a root account. Passwords should only be used when MFA using PKI is not available and for the account of last resort and root account. |
| V-286491 | CAT II · Medium | WTM must authenticate Network Time Protocol (NTP) sources using authentication that is cryptographically based. | If NTP is not authenticated, an attacker can introduce a rogue NTP server. This rogue server can then be used to send incorrect time information to network devices, which will make log timestamps inaccurate and affect scheduled actions. NTP authentication is used to prevent this tampering by authenticating the time source.
Satisfies: SRG-APP-000395-NDM-000347, SRG-APP-000925-NDM-000330 |
| V-286492 | CAT II · Medium | WTM must display the Standard Mandatory DoW Notice and Consent Banner before granting access to the device. | Display of the DoW-approved use notification before granting access to the network device ensures privacy and security notification verbiage used is consistent with applicable federal laws, Executive Orders, directives, policies, regulations, standards, and guidance.
System use notifications are required only for access via logon interfaces with human users. |
| V-286493 | CAT II · Medium | WTM must limit the number of concurrent sessions to eight or an organizationally identified limit. | Device management includes the ability to control the number of administrators and management sessions that manage a device. Limiting the number of allowed administrators and sessions per administrator based on account type, role, or access type is helpful in limiting risks related to denial-of-service (DoS) attacks.
This requirement addresses concurrent sessions for administrative accounts and does not address concurrent sessions by a single administrator via multiple administrative accounts. The maximum number of concurrent sessions must be defined based upon mission needs and the operational environment for each system. At a minimum, limits must be set for SSH, HTTPS, account of last resort, and root account sessions. |
| V-286495 | CAT II · Medium | WTM must be configured to enforce the limit of three consecutive invalid logon attempts, after which time it must block any login attempt for 15 minutes. | By limiting the number of failed login attempts, the risk of unauthorized system access via user password guessing, otherwise known as brute-forcing, is reduced. |
| V-286496 | CAT II · Medium | WTM must be configured with only one local account to be used as the account of last resort in the event the authentication server is unavailable. | Authentication for administrative (privileged level) access to the device is required at all times. An account can be created on the device's local database for use when the authentication server is down or connectivity between the device and the authentication server is not operable. This account is referred to as the account of last resort since it is intended to be used as a last resort and when immediate administrative access is absolutely necessary.
The account of last resort logon credentials must be stored in a sealed envelope and kept in a safe. The safe must be periodically audited to verify the envelope remains sealed. The signature of the auditor and the date of the audit must be added to the envelope as a record. Administrators must secure the credentials and disable the root account (if possible) when not needed for system administration functions. |