Information Security Fundamentals, 2nd Edition

Access Controls  ◾  213

Many network devices are left in default or very similar to default configura-

tions. Although leaving these devices in this state is often easier, it can be a severe

detriment to security. Most devices in this configuration are running multiple

unnecessary services and although these services are not directly used by the user

community, the vulnerabilities in these services can be exploited by malicious users

on the network. To minimize the amount of security holes in the network, the

information security manager must disable or remove all the unnecessary services

on the devices. is can quickly become a double-edged sword because determin-

ing which services are unnecessary can disable the functionality of the system. ...