The Content Analysis System (CAS) 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.

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, de-allocating associated TCP/IP address/port pairs at the operating system level, or de-allocating 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.

Verify "inactivity-timeout" is set to "300" with the following steps:

1. Log on to the SSH CLI with an administrative account. 2. Enter "enable" and provide the password. 3. Enter "show running-config authentication". 4. Review the output for the "inactivity-timeout" value.

If "inactivity-timeout" is not set to "300", or the setting is missing, this is a finding.

Configure "inactivity-timeout" to "300" with the following steps:

1. Log on to the SSH CLI with an administrative account. 2. Enter "enable" and provide the password. 3. Enter "configure terminal". 4. Set the inactivity timeout by entering "authentication management inactivity-timeout 300". 5. Enter "exit" to return to the config context, and then enter "exit" again to leave configuration mode.