Which practice best secures management access to network devices?

Which practice best secures management access to network devices?

• A. Enable Telnet for easy access; use SNMPv1; open management ports publicly.
• B. Use HTTP only; disable SSH.
• C. Use SSH v2+ with Telnet disabled; SNMPv3 with authentication and encryption; restrict management access with ACLs; isolate management networks.
• D. Allow any source address on management interfaces.

Answer: (C)

Secure management access to network devices hinges on encrypted, authenticated channels and strict access controls that keep management traffic separate from user data. Using SSH version 2+ with Telnet disabled provides encrypted, secure remote access and strong authentication, avoiding the plaintext credentials that Telnet exposes. SNMP version 3 with authentication and encryption protects monitoring data and credentials in transit, unlike SNMPv1/v2c which transmit in plaintext. Adding access restrictions with ACLs ensures only trusted hosts can reach the management interfaces, and isolating the management network keeps management traffic off shared networks, reducing exposure to attackers. This combination delivers confidentiality, integrity, and controlled reachability, making it the best practice for securing management access.

Secure management access to network devices hinges on encrypted, authenticated channels and strict access controls that keep management traffic separate from user data. Using SSH version 2+ with Telnet disabled provides encrypted, secure remote access and strong authentication, avoiding the plaintext credentials that Telnet exposes. SNMP version 3 with authentication and encryption protects monitoring data and credentials in transit, unlike SNMPv1/v2c which transmit in plaintext. Adding access restrictions with ACLs ensures only trusted hosts can reach the management interfaces, and isolating the management network keeps management traffic off shared networks, reducing exposure to attackers. This combination delivers confidentiality, integrity, and controlled reachability, making it the best practice for securing management access.