Deploy It, or Keep It Off the Network?

About this interactive

Hardening starts before any configuration, with a decision about whether the device should be on the network at all. Every device you add brings complexity and risk, so the first question is whether you genuinely need it and whether its benefit justifies that risk. A device you cannot name a business reason for, or one that duplicates something you already run, is kept off. The second decision is about support. End of life is when a vendor stops selling a product; end of support is when it stops releasing patches and security updates. End-of-support gear keeps every newly discovered hole open forever, so it must be removed from the network. A device that passes both tests, needed and still supported, is then hardened (updated, configured, locked down) and deployed. To sort a card, ask whether the device is worth deploying after hardening, or should be kept off the network.

What you'll learn

Decide whether to deploy a device, after hardening, or keep it off the network, by weighing whether it is actually needed and whether its benefit justifies the added risk
Explain why end-of-life and especially end-of-support equipment must be removed, because it no longer receives security patches

Aligned to

CompTIA Security+

2.5 Explain the purpose of mitigation techniques used to secure the enterprise.

2.3 Explain various types of vulnerabilities.

Key terms

Hardening: The process of securing a system by reducing its attack surface — disabling unnecessary services, applying configuration best practices, removing default credentials, and keeping software patched. Hardened systems offer fewer opportunities for exploitation.
End of Support: The point at which a vendor ceases releasing patches and security updates for a product, leaving it exposed to unmitigated vulnerabilities.
Attack Surface: The total set of points in a system where an unauthorized user can attempt to enter or extract data.

Topics

Interactive Streak Sort

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