Security: Secure Sensitive Data Management
SSD Rules
445 Cisco 500 Series Stackable Managed Switch Administration Guide Release 1.3
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NOTE When doing a file transfer initiated by an XML or SNMP command, the 
underlying protocol used is TFTP. Therefore, the SSD rule for insecure 
channel will apply.
SSD Rules and User Authentication 
SSD grants SSD permission only to authenticated and authorized users and 
according to the SSD rules. A device depends on its user authentication process 
to authenticate and authorize management access. To protect a device and its 
data including sensitive data and SSD configurations from unauthorized access, it 
is recommended that the user authentication process on a device is secured. To 
secure the user authentication process, you can use the local authentication 
database, as well as secure the communication through external authentication 
servers, such as RADIUS and TACACS servers. The configuration of the secure 
communication to the external authentication servers are sensitive data and are 
protected under SSD. 
NOTE The user credential in the local authenticated database is already protected by a 
non SSD related mechanism
If a user from a channel issues an action that uses an alternate channel, the device 
applies the read permission and default read mode from the SSD rule that match 
the user credential and the alternate channel. For example, if a user logs in via a 
secure channel and starts a TFTP upload session, the SSD read permission of the 
user on the insecure channel (TFTP) is applied 
Default SSD Rules
The device has the following factory default rules: 
Table 3 Default SSD Rules 
Rule Key  Rule Action 
User  Channel  Read 
Permission 
Default Read Mode 
Level 
15 
Secure XML 
SNMP 
Plaintext Only  Plaintext 
Level 
15 
Secure Both  Encrypted 
Level 
15 
Insecure Both  Encrypted 
All Insecure XML 
SNMP 
Exclude Exclude