Secure telecom remote access by keeping administration on a restricted management path, requiring phishing-resistant multifactor authentication (MFA), limiting users to the privileges and session time they need, hardening gateways and protocols, and centralizing logs for detection and investigation. Treat supplier tools that reach customer environments as privileged infrastructure too.
1. Put administration on a dedicated management path
Do not make router, switch, or other network-device administration a general-purpose remote entry point. The joint Enhanced Visibility and Hardening Guidance for Communications Infrastructure, published by CISA, NSA, FBI and partner agencies on December 4, 2024, recommends allowing management only from trusted devices on trusted networks.
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Build that path around dedicated administrative workstations in dedicated management zones. Permit only the routes needed to reach the equipment each workstation administers, and use management access-control lists (ACLs) to constrain inbound movement between devices. Where operationally possible, disable outbound connections from network devices and monitor changes to the restrictions.
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- Disable IP source routing and unauthenticated management services or functions.
- Maintain an inventory of network devices and firmware so teams can identify systems for monitoring, patching, and review.
- Check software-image integrity with a trusted hashing utility or compare a locally calculated hash with the vendor’s published hash obtained from an authenticated source.
2. Verify identity strongly and limit what each account can do
Require MFA for remote access and privileged or administrative access. For privileged infrastructure access, the joint communications-infrastructure guidance recommends phishing-resistant methods, naming hardware-based PKI and FIDO authentication as examples. CISA’s broader MFA guidance also prefers phishing-resistant methods. Confirm that the chosen method works with the operator’s identity provider and device-management workflow, and plan enrollment and recovery before relying on it for operations.
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Use a centralized authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) service that supports MFA for routine network management. The joint guidance recommends that the AAA server not be tied to the primary corporate identity store. Keep local accounts only for emergency access; change their passwords after use and verify that each emergency login was expected and authorized.
Define roles and their permissions explicitly. Remove unnecessary accounts, review periodically whether each remaining account is still needed, and grant only the minimum privileges for its tasks. Set session-token lifetimes according to role and require reauthentication when a session expires. Watch user and service-account logins for unusual activity both inside and outside the management environment.
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3. Reduce exposure and harden gateways and protocols
If a VPN remains part of the design, limit its external exposure and allow only the ports and protocols needed. Disable unused VPN features and weak cryptographic algorithms. The 2024 joint guidance gives AES-256 encryption, SHA-384 or SHA-512 hashing, and Diffie-Hellman Groups 15, 16, and 20 as configuration examples; these are guidance examples, not a substitute for checking current cryptographic requirements and the equipment vendor’s supported settings.
For device administration over SSH, use version 2 and disable version 1. The same guidance specifies minimum key sizes and cipher examples, but operators should verify those settings against current standards and vendor support for their equipment. Authenticate management protocols and services where supported, including NTP, TACACS+, OSPF, BGP, and HSRP.
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Use end-to-end encryption as far as practical. Encrypt logs sent to remote destinations with a secure transport such as IPsec or TLS, and ensure the transport is supported and configured for the systems involved.
4. Choose an access architecture that fits the operation
CISA and partner agencies’ 2024 Modern Approaches to Network Access Security guidance urges organizations to consider Zero Trust, Secure Service Edge (SSE), and Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) for visibility and network-access security. It also discusses risks in traditional remote-access and VPN deployments, including misconfiguration. Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) can grant access to defined applications, data, and services according to explicit policies. This guidance does not say that every VPN should be replaced.
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| Consideration | VPN-based remote access | ZTNA, SSE, or SASE approaches |
|---|---|---|
| Access scope | Can provide broader network reach; constrain routes and permissions to what the role requires. | ZTNA can limit access to specified applications, data, and services under explicit policies. |
| Identity and device context | Assess support for MFA, device posture, role-based policies, and session reauthentication. | Assess support for MFA, device posture, role-based policies, and session reauthentication. |
| Visibility and logging | Check whether user, device, and management activity can be monitored and logs integrated with incident response. | Check whether user, device, and management activity can be monitored and logs integrated with incident response. |
| Operational fit | Assess equipment compatibility, supplier workflows, latency-sensitive operations, outage recovery, and existing identity infrastructure. | Assess equipment compatibility, supplier workflows, latency-sensitive operations, outage recovery, and existing identity infrastructure. |
| Exposure and maintenance | Review internet-facing components, patch cadence, cryptographic configuration, and unnecessary services. | Review internet-facing components, patch cadence, cryptographic configuration, and unnecessary services. |
These are assessment criteria, not a product ranking or performance comparison. Select an architecture based on the operator’s applications, device-posture controls, identity integration, operational needs, and ability to retain monitoring visibility.
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Remote-access software can serve legitimate support needs and can also be misused by threat actors. CISA’s June 6, 2023 Guide to Securing Remote Access Software supports treating accounts that reach customer environments as privileged.
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- Require MFA for accounts that access customer environments.
- Use reduced-privilege modes for routine tasks, such as read-only monitoring, when available.
- Segregate each customer’s data and services from other customers and from the provider’s internal network.
- Use unique administrator credentials for each customer environment rather than reusing them across customers.
- Avoid end-of-life remote-access software.
Document which remote services the supplier operates, which controls remain with the customer, and how incident responsibilities are divided. Confirm the actual arrangements with each supplier; a general security guide cannot establish a particular provider’s controls or capabilities.
6. Keep evidence that supports detection and investigation
Enable auditing on network devices and offload their logs. Centralize records so analysts can correlate events across devices and accounts; encrypt remote log transport and keep copies off-site so a compromised device cannot alter or erase the only copy. Use a security information and event management (SIEM) system where feasible, establish normal-behavior baselines, and alert on abnormal logins and changes to management-plane controls. Keep the asset and firmware inventory current so an event can be tied to the affected equipment and its software.
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