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Bypassing NAT on Cisco ASA 8.2

January 31, 2011 By Leave a Comment

There are a number of ways to bypass NAT using a Cisco ASA. I suppose the easiest way would be to leave it alone when you install it and don’t use NAT at all. Why? Because the ASA does not have NAT-Control enabled by default. This means that you can configure you ASA just as you would a router and exchange routes between the inside and outside. Aside from needing an ACL on the outside interface, applied in an inbound direction, you should notice that if functions very similar to what you would expect a router to function like.

However, for most of us, this is not feasible. Because of the use of RFC 1918 addresses we are required to use NAT or PAT when we make connections to the Internet. Still situations may arise where you have NAT configured but for some reason you need to bypass it. Here are a few examples of how to do this along with the terminology that these methods are referred to in ASA 8.2.

Identity NAT

When you use Identity NAT the connections can only be originated by the address that’s covered in the statement. Of course, return traffic will be allowed, but you can’t originate an outside connection into the address in the NAT statement.

Here is how you configure it:

ASA1(config)# nat (inside) 0 10.1.1.0 255.255.255.0

In this code example you can initiate an outbound connection from addresses on the 10.1.1.0/24 subnet and it will not translate the source.

Static Identity NAT

A Static Identity NAT Translation is always active. This means that a connection can be initiated into this address, provided there is an ACL inbound on the lower security-level interface that permits the connection. You can also originate connections from the address defined in the statement for outbound connections and the ASA will not Translate the source. [Read more...]

Filed Under: CCIE Security, Cisco ASA, Security, TipTorials Tagged With: , , , , ,

IPv6- Is it more Secure than IPv4

October 14, 2009 By 1 Comment

In my IPv6 Class this week we get to touch a number of IPv6 topics.  We have already discussed the Basics of IPv6, Routing Protocols, and QoS features.  Aside from tunneling, which we cover on Thursday, one of the topics that I am most facinated with (being a CCIE Security) is of course….wait for it……Security!  As I prep ahead of time for my class I can’t help but look to see what new and exciting resources are out there to share when it comes to Security.  The following video, IMHO, is pretty darn cool.  Take a little time to watch it and let me know what your thoughts are.

Filed Under: CCIE Routing and Switching, CCIE Security, IPv6 Tagged With: , , , ,

Is Core Knowledge Key?

October 1, 2009 By 1 Comment

In some popular online forums people have been talking about how the number of candidates that have passed the CCIE Security since the new version is very low, almost non-existant.  While there may be issues with the lab itself, a claim on commenter made, I wonder how much of this is related to a lack in understanding of core knowledge concepts.  See, as an instructor its easy to get into the trap of knowing all the technical details of how something works because you teach it so often and yet you lack in practical configurations.  This is something I have always fought against, one reason I spend as much time as I can on the equipment.

But when it comes to the CCIE you have to face the Open Ended Questions (OEQs).  I hear a lot of talk about them and I know that people struggle with them.  So I have to ask the question: How do you get your core knowledge?  I think this information can be obtained in a few different ways.

  1. Cisco Certified Courses
  2. Cisco Press Books
  3. Third Party Books
  4. Non-Certified Courses
  5. Cisco Documentation
  6. Blogs, Wikis, Forums, and whatever else is out there on the Web.

What do you use?

[poll id="9"]

Now back to the point of this post.  Is core knowledge key?  Absolutley!  So let me share with you something I know alot about- The Cisco Certified Courses.  I’m going to relate this to CCIE Security, but if anyone wants to know about Voice or R&S we can get Patrick to put that post together.

So lets break down the CCIE Security Lab Blueprint and see what courses would cover the information.

Topic 1:

  1. Implement secure networks using Cisco ASA Firewalls
    1. Perform basic firewall Initialization
    2. Configure device management
    3. Configure address translation (nat, global, static)
    4. Configure ACLs
    5. Configure IP routing
    6. Configure object groups
    7. Configure VLANs
    8. Configure filtering
    9. Configure failover
    10. Configure Layer 2 Transparent Firewall
    11. Configure security contexts (virtual firewall)
    12. Configure Modular Policy Framework
    13. Configure Application-Aware Inspection
    14. Configure high availability solutions
    15. Configure QoS policies

For this section you’re going to want to look at the SNAF course.  This class goes into all the topics of the ASA that are defined here.  The only drawback to this course is that the labs are primarily using ASDM, something you’re not going to use on the lab.  You can look at the outline for the course here.

Next section looks like this:

  1. Implement secure networks using Cisco IOS Firewalls
    1. Configure CBAC
    2. Configure Zone-Based Firewall
    3. Configure Audit
    4. Configure Auth Proxy
    5. Configure PAM
    6. Configure access control
    7. Configure performance tuning
    8. Configure advanced IOS Firewall features

All of this information is going to be found in IINS and SND.  IINS is the CCNA Security course and it was developed by Ascolta for Cisco.  It’s entry level but teaches you a wide range of security concepts.  If you want to start somewhere- this is it.  SND is much more involved technically.  It includes the topics in this section in detail.  You can find the course information here.

The next topic relates to VPN.

  1. Implement secure networks using Cisco VPN solutions
    1. Configure IPsec LAN-to-LAN (IOS/ASA)
    2. Configure SSL VPN (IOS/ASA)
    3. Configure Dynamic Multipoint VPN (DMVPN)
    4. Configure Group Encrypted Transport (GET) VPN
    5. Configure Easy VPN (IOS/ASA)
    6. Configure CA (PKI)
    7. Configure Remote Access VPN
    8. Configure Cisco Unity Client
    9. Configure Clientless WebVPN
    10. Configure AnyConnect VPN
    11. Configure XAuth, Split-Tunnel, RRI, NAT-T
    12. Configure High Availability
    13. Configure QoS for VPN
    14. Configure GRE, mGRE
    15. Configure L2TP
    16. Configure advanced Cisco VPN features

When  it comes to VPN things get a little more difficult.  VPN is covered in SND, which i mentioned in the above section.  However, the coverage in SND is only Router-to-Router VPN.  You do get some WebVPN on the routers, as well as Easy VPN on the Routers.  If you want VPN on the ASA you have to look at the SNAA course.  This is the “Advanced” version of the ASA course, bit really it should be called ASA VPNs.  The reason I say this is that it is mostly VPNs (Anyconnect, Clientless SSL, Easy VPN Server and Client, DAP, CSD, and IPSec) but it does include a few other topics- Advanced Nat, Routing and Switching, and Layer 7 MPF.  You also get to cover the SSMs in this course.  The details can be found here.

The IPS topics are pretty straight forward.  They include the following:

  1. Configure Cisco IPS to mitigate network threats
    1. Configure IPS 4200 Series Sensor Appliance
    2. Initialize the Sensor Appliance
    3. Configure Sensor Appliance management
    4. Configure virtual Sensors on the Sensor Appliance
    5. Configure security policies
    6. Configure promiscuous and inline monitoring on the Sensor Appliance
    7. Configure and tune signatures on the Sensor Appliance
    8. Configure custom signatures on the Sensor Appliance
    9. Configure blocking on the Sensor Appliance
    10. Configure TCP resets on the Sensor Appliance
    11. Configure rate limiting on the Sensor Appliance
    12. Configure signature engines on the Sensor Appliance
    13. Use IDM to configure the Sensor Appliance
    14. Configure event action on the Sensor Appliance
    15. Configure event monitoring on the Sensor Appliance
    16. Configure advanced features on the Sensor Appliance
    17. Configure and tune Cisco IOS IPS
    18. Configure SPAN & RSPAN on Cisco switches

For these topics you want to look at Implementing Cisco Intrusion Prevention Systems v6.0.  Every one of these topics is covered in the IPS course in great detail. This is another course that was written by Ascolta for Cisco.  You can get the details here.

The next section is going to spread things out a bit.

  1. Implement Identity Management
    1. Configure RADIUS and TACACS+ security protocols
    2. Configure LDAP
    3. Configure Cisco Secure ACS
    4. Configure certificate-based authentication
    5. Configure proxy authentication
    6. Configure 802.1x
    7. Configure advanced identity management features
    8. Configure Cisco NAC Framework

Now the Radius and TACACS+ is covered in SNAF, SND, and IINS but they only cover the topics related to the respective course.  In otherwords, SNAF covers RADIUS and TACACS+ and Cisco Secure ACS for the ASA.  SND and IINS cover RADIUS and TACACS+, Cisco Secure ACS, Certificate Based Authentication, Proxy Authentication, and 802.1x for the Cisco Routers.  SND covers the Switches.  NAC is coverd in a NAC course but I dont even see it on the Ascolta Course list and I haven’t had to teach it in about 3 years.  It was a good course though.  There is a course called Implementing Cisco NAC Appliance v2.1 (CANAC), but its the NAC appliance and not the stuff Cisco used to call “Cisco NAC.”

As far as Advanced Identity Management features go…that could mean anything.  And I only know of 1 class- CIPT1 that has LDAP information in it but it is not related to Security at all.

On to the next topic:

  1. Implement Control Plane and Management Plane Security
    1. Implement routing plane security features (protocol authentication, route filtering)
    2. Configure Control Plane Policing
    3. Configure CP protection and management protection
    4. Configure broadcast control and switchport security
    5. Configure additional CPU protection mechanisms (options drop, logging interval)
    6. Disable unnecessary services
    7. Control device access (Telnet, HTTP, SSH, Privilege levels)
    8. Configure SNMP, Syslog, AAA, NTP
    9. Configure service authentication (FTP, Telnet, HTTP, other)
    10. Configure RADIUS and TACACS+ security protocols
    11. Configure device management and security

This is a mish-mash of topics.  You’re going to find a ton of them in SND.  I can’t recall is the Service Authentication is in SND though.  Everything else is.

Second to last topic….

  1. Configure Advanced Security
    1. Configure mitigation techniques to respond to network attacks
    2. Configure packet marking techniques
    3. Implement security RFCs (RFC1918/3330, RFC2827/3704)
    4. Configure Black Hole and Sink Hole solutions
    5. Configure RTBH filtering (Remote Triggered Black Hole)
    6. Configure Traffic Filtering using Access-Lists
    7. Configure IOS NAT
    8. Configure TCP Intercept
    9. Configure uRPF
    10. Configure CAR
    11. Configure NBAR
    12. Configure NetFlow
    13. Configure Anti-Spoofing solutions
    14. Configure Policing
    15. Capture and utilize packet captures
    16. Configure Transit Traffic Control and Congestion Management
    17. Configure Cisco Catalyst advanced security features

Much of this is covered in SND.  I dont think that RTBH filtering (Remote Triggered Black Hole) is in any of the Cisco courses but I may be wrong.  NBAR and CAR are in the QOS class as well as Policing on the routers.  SNAF covers policing on the ASA.  Antispoofing is covered in SND and Netflow is kinda covered in the MARS class but I wouldnt take the MARS class for Netflow alone.  It’s very light on the Netflow but it does cover it.  BCMSN has a pretty good security section for the switches so if you combine the information in there with the information in the SND course you should have it covered.  BCMSN in part of the CCNP program.

And finally….

Identify and Mitigate Network Attacks
  1. Identify and protect against fragmentation attacks
  2. Identify and protect against malicious IP option usage
  3. Identify and protect against network reconnaissance attacks
  4. Identify and protect against IP spoofing attacks
  5. Identify and protect against MAC spoofing attacks
  6. Identify and protect against ARP spoofing attacks
  7. Identify and protect against Denial of Service (DoS) attacks
  8. Identify and protect against Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks
  9. Identify and protect against Man-in-the-Middle (MiM) attacks
  10. Identify and protect against port redirection attacks
  11. Identify and protect against DHCP attacks
  12. Identify and protect against DNS attacks
  13. Identify and protect against Smurf attacks
  14. Identify and protect against SYN attacks
  15. Identify and protect against MAC Flooding attacks
  16. Identify and protect against VLAN hopping attacks
  17. Identify and protect against various Layer2 and Layer3 attacks

This information is going to primarily be covered in SND. You will find some of it spread through the other classes I mentioned.

Wow thats a ton of information right?  Yeah.  I know.  But let me just be clear on one thing.  While the courses I mentioned are a great source of information on these CCIE Security topics they are not designed to teach you what you need to know to be a CCIE.  They should however give you a solid foundation to build upon with a great deal of study of the Cisco Documentaion as well as Lab time.

Filed Under: CCIE Security Tagged With: ,
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