1. Purpose
Establish requirements for managing changes to [ORGANIZATION]'s network infrastructure to maintain stability, security, and compliance.
2. Scope
This policy applies to all changes to network infrastructure including routers, switches, firewalls, load balancers, wireless access points, VPN concentrators, and cloud network configurations.
3. Policy
3.1 Change Process
All network changes shall follow [ORGANIZATION]'s change management process, including: documented change request with business justification, impact assessment and rollback plan, approval from [CUSTOMIZE: Network Security Team/Change Advisory Board], scheduled implementation window, and post-change verification.
Emergency changes bypassing the standard process shall require verbal approval from [CUSTOMIZE: CISO/IT Director] and shall be documented within [CUSTOMIZE: 24/48] hours post-implementation.
Network device configurations shall be version-controlled, with the ability to compare current configurations against approved baselines.
3.2 Configuration Standards
Network devices shall be configured according to [ORGANIZATION]'s secure baseline standards (based on CIS Benchmarks or vendor hardening guides).
Unused ports, protocols, and services shall be disabled on all network devices.
SNMP community strings, if used, shall use SNMPv3 with authentication and encryption. SNMPv1 and SNMPv2c are prohibited.
Network device management shall be performed exclusively through encrypted protocols (SSH, HTTPS). Telnet and HTTP are prohibited.
4. Compliance
Compliance with this policy is mandatory for all personnel within its scope. Compliance will be monitored through periodic audits, automated controls, and management review.
Exceptions to this policy must be documented with a business justification, approved by [CUSTOMIZE: CISO/Security Team], and reviewed at least annually.
5. Enforcement
Violations of this policy may result in disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment or contract, and may result in civil or criminal penalties where applicable law has been violated.
[ORGANIZATION] reserves the right to audit compliance with this policy at any time, with or without notice.
6. Review and Revision
This policy shall be reviewed at least annually by [CUSTOMIZE: CISO/Policy Owner] and updated as necessary to reflect changes in the threat landscape, regulatory requirements, or organizational structure.
All revisions shall be documented with version number, date, author, and description of changes.
Policy Approval
Approved By
Title
Date
Document Control