Objectives by Chapter

1. Rules to prevent Brute Force attacks:

   • Teach you how to identify and configure rules to limit failed login attempts and temporarily block suspicious IP addresses.
   • Highlight the importance of complex passwords and how to configure the router to require them.

2. Firewall rules to prevent Port Scanning:

   • Explain how to detect and prevent port scanning attempts using specific combinations of TCP flags.
   • Instruct on configuring rules to block IP addresses that perform suspicious scans.

3. Firewall rules to allow access with Port Knocking

   • Demonstrate how to configure a Port Knocking mechanism to hide services until a specific “knock” sequence is performed.
   • Discuss selecting ports and configuring temporary rules to allow access to protected services.

4. Firewall rules against UDP Flood attacks

   • Illustrate configuring rules to block unsolicited UDP traffic, especially on port 53 (DNS), to mitigate UDP Flood attacks.
   • Provide practical examples using attack simulation tools.

5. Firewall rules against ICMP Smurf attacks

   • Teach how to prevent ICMP Flood and Smurf attacks by configuring rules that block unwanted ICMP traffic directed to broadcast addresses.
   • Discuss the importance of properly adjusting these rules to avoid blocking legitimate traffic.

6. Firewall rules against TCP SYN attacks

   • Present methods to block attacks based on unsolicited TCP SYN requests, minimizing the impact on router resources.
   • Offer techniques to test the effectiveness of the implemented rules.

At the end of this Tutorial

By completing this tutorial, students will be able to:

• Understand and apply network security principles to protect MikroTik routers against a variety of common attacks.
• Setup Advanced firewall rules to detect and block malicious traffic while maintaining the functionality of legitimate services.
• Use diagnostic and attack simulation tools to verify and adjust the effectiveness of implemented firewall rules.
• Improve the overall security of your networks by implementing password and access management best practices.
• To adapt and expand the security configurations presented to meet the specific needs of your network environments, thus ensuring robust and flexible protection against emerging threats.

This tutorial provides a solid foundation in MikroTik network security, preparing students to effectively address and mitigate the risks associated with the most common attacks in the cybersecurity space.