What the switch hardening checklist covers
The control questions are vendor-neutral, and a per-OEM CLI reference sheet gives you the exact command to collect each item of evidence. The fifteen control domains are:
- Scope & governance, inventory and software/firmware currency (PSIRT advisories, EoL)
- Management plane — out-of-band/mgmt VLAN isolation, SSHv2-only, VTY ACLs, banners
- AAA — TACACS+/RADIUS, command authorization/RBAC, command accounting, strong secrets
- SNMP security (SNMPv3 authPriv, no default communities) and service minimisation
- Layer-2 protections — BPDU/Root/Loop guard, port-security/802.1X, DHCP snooping, DAI, IPSG
- VLAN & segmentation — native-VLAN, trunk pruning, DTP, inter-VLAN ACLs (CDE/OT isolation)
- Control-plane protection (CoPP), routing/FHRP authentication, uRPF and infrastructure ACLs
- Logging & monitoring (central syslog, retention), NTP, cryptography, config backup and HA
Which switches and vendors it applies to
One checklist, every vendor. The OEM CLI reference covers:
- Cisco IOS / IOS-XE
- Cisco NX-OS
- Juniper Junos
- Aruba AOS-CX and AOS-S
- Arista EOS
- Huawei VRP, Dell OS10 and Extreme EXOS
How auditors use it
Work top to bottom, set each control to Pass, Fail, Partial, Not Applicable or Not Tested, and attach an evidence reference. The Excel workbook includes a live dashboard, a findings register, an evidence-request list and a weighted risk-scoring model — turning a network-device review into a repeatable, evidence-based exercise.
Framework mapping built in
Every control carries practical mappings to CIS Benchmarks and CIS Controls v8.1, NIST CSF 2.0, ISO/IEC 27001:2022, PCI DSS v4.0.1 (network segmentation and device configuration) and the UAE IA / KSA ECC regional controls.
Frequently asked questions
What is a switch hardening checklist?
A switch hardening checklist is a structured list of security controls for securely configuring network switches and devices — covering the management plane, AAA, SNMP, Layer-2 protections, VLAN segmentation, control-plane protection and logging. This one contains 39 controls, each with a test method, the evidence to collect and the risk if it is missing.
Does it cover Cisco, Juniper and Aruba?
Yes. The control questions are vendor-neutral and a per-OEM CLI reference sheet gives the exact command for Cisco IOS/IOS-XE, Cisco NX-OS, Juniper Junos, Aruba AOS-CX/AOS-S, Arista EOS and Huawei VRP / Dell OS10 / Extreme.
Is it aligned to CIS and PCI DSS network requirements?
Every control is mapped to CIS Benchmarks and CIS Controls v8.1, NIST CSF 2.0, ISO/IEC 27001:2022 and PCI DSS v4.0.1 (including the network segmentation and device-configuration requirements), plus UAE IA and KSA ECC.
What format is the download?
You get a 12-sheet Excel working checklist (with a live dashboard, findings register and per-OEM CLI reference) and a matching PDF narrative workbook. Both are free.
Can CyberSigma run the network device review for us?
Yes — our CERT-In empanelled auditors perform independent switch and network-device configuration reviews against this checklist, with a prioritised findings report and remediation support.
This checklist is provided for educational use and is not a substitute for the licensed text of the referenced standards or a formal audit opinion. © Cyber Sigma Consulting Services LLP.