Securing Your MikroTik Router: Best Practices and Common Pitfalls

In this article, we'll dive into how to secure a MikroTik router by following guidelines from the official MikroTik Wiki and industry standards and also point out some common mistakes often made by network administrators.

Best Practices for MikroTik Router Security

Update Firmware

Keeping your router's firmware up-to-date is the first line of defence against potential vulnerabilities.

1. Log in to your MikroTik router's admin panel.

2. Go to System > Packages.

3. Click on the Check For Updates button and ensure you have the latest stable release.

4. If you don’t have the latest stable release, select the newest release then click download and reboot.

Strong Passwords

Use a strong password for admin access. A password should be a mix of alphanumeric characters and symbols, making it difficult to guess.

1. Navigate to System > Users.

2. Update the password for the admin user.

3. Another way to put on a layer of security is to create a new user for every day use and disable the admin user account, alternatively you can change the username of the default user from admin to a custom username.

Disable Unnecessary Services

Limit the attack surface by turning off unused services and ports. Services such as ssh, ftp, telnet and web can be used to brute force your Mikrotik by attackers.

1. Navigate to IP > Services.

2. Disable any service that is not needed.

3. Alternatively, changing the default ports of services you might use in the future would mitigate such attacks.

Firewall Rules

Use of firewall rules in Mikrotik provides a myriad of customizations and security features including:

1. Packet filtering to specify how packets should be processed as they pass through the router

2. NAT (Network Address Translation) that allows private addresses to be mapped to a single public address or multiple addresses

3. Logging and monitoring can be customized and made more robust in the mangle rules of a mikrotik device to provide detailed logs of Access and Packet flow.

VPN Access

If you require remote management, consider setting up VPN access instead of exposing your admin panel to the internet.

Logging and Monitoring

1. Go to System > Logging and set up logs for critical events.

2. Regularly check logs for any suspicious activities.

3. Alternatively, if you have setup SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) on your devices, you can use software such as Zabbix or other SNMP trappers to monitor uptime of your device, cpu usage, reboots and get alerts when specific conditions are met.

It is recommended to make changes only when there is low traffic on your Mikrotik routers.

Common Mistakes

1. Default Credentials

Many network administrators neglect to change the default credentials. This is a significant risk, as these can be easily found online

2. No Firewall Rules

Failing to set up firewall rules exposes your network to various types of attacks including DDoS and unauthorized access.

3. Allowing All Traffic

Allowing all incoming and outgoing traffic without filtering can lead to potential security vulnerabilities.

4. Lack of Monitoring

Network administrators sometimes ignore monitoring and logging, which makes it difficult to detect and prevent unauthorized access or other suspicious activities.

5. Not Backing Up Configurations

Failing to backup configurations can be detrimental when you need to restore to a safe state quickly in case of any issues.

Conclusion

Securing your MikroTik router is essential in today’s landscape filled with various security threats. By adhering to best practices and avoiding common pitfalls, you can significantly improve the security posture of your network.

Whether you're responsible for a large network serving over a thousand users or a smaller one, these best practices are crucial in maintaining a robust, secure networking environment.

We understand the crucial need for strong firewall management in the realm of network administration, particularly for those utilizing MikroTik routers. To address this, Centipid Technologies delivers a comprehensive Network Management Software solution aimed at elevating security measures, boosting performance, and streamlining administrative tasks.