Securing MikroTik RouterOS With Firewall Best Practices

If you are a network administrator or a regular user who is serious about network security, then you know how important it is to secure your router. Routers are the gateways through which all your network traffic flows, and they are also the first point of attack for hackers who are looking to gain access to your network.

MikroTik Firewall : Securing your Router with Port Knocking

One way to enhance router security is through the use of port knocking. Port knocking is a technique that allows you to hide your router's ports from hackers and only allow access to them when you send a specific sequence of connection attempts, or "knocks".

The Benefits of Port Knocking

Port knocking offers several benefits which make it a valuable tool in securing your router, including:

Increased Security: Port knocking makes it harder for hackers to gain unauthorized access to your network by obscuring your router's ports.
No Need for Firewalls: Port knocking can be used in conjunction with a firewall, but it can also be used as a standalone security measure, making it an ideal solution for those looking for a simple yet effective security solution.
Easy to Implement: Port knocking can be implemented in a matter of minutes, making it a quick and easy solution for network administrators and regular users alike.

How Port Knocking Works

Port knocking works by hiding your router's ports from hackers and only allowing access to them when you send a specific sequence of connection attempts. This sequence of connection attempts is known as a "knock".

When a hacker attempts to access your router's ports without sending the correct knock sequence, the ports will remain hidden and the connection attempts will fail. However, when you send the correct knock sequence, the router's ports will become visible and you will be granted access.

Port knocking can be used with any ports that you wish to secure, and you can configure the knock sequence to include any number of connection attempts on any combination of ports.

Implementing Port Knocking with MikroTik Firewall

MikroTik Firewall is a powerful security tool that can be used to implement port knocking on your router. To implement port knocking with MikroTik Firewall, follow these steps:

Log in to your MikroTik Firewall console.
Create a new firewall filter rule by navigating to "IP" > "Firewall" and clicking "Add New".
Under "General", give your new rule a name and set the "Chain" to "input".
Under "Advanced", set the "Connection State" to "New" and set the "Protocol" to "TCP".
Under "Protocols", select the ports that you wish to secure and choose the "Action" to be "drop".
Under "General", click "Add" to create a new action.
Set the "Action" type to "move" and move the "drop" action to the top of the list.
Under "Action Properties", set the "Dst. Port" to "24", which is the port number for the first knock in the knock sequence.
Click "OK" to save your new action and close the "Action Properties" window.
Click "Add" to create a new action for the second knock in the knock sequence.
Set the "Action" type to "move" and move the "drop" action to the top of the list.
Under "Action Properties", set the "Dst. Port" to "45", which is the port number for the second knock in the knock sequence.
Click "OK" to save your new action and close the "Action Properties" window.
Click "Add" to create a new action for the third knock in the knock sequence.
Set the "Action" type to "move" and move the "drop" action to the top of the list.
Under "Action Properties", set the "Dst. Port" to "78", which is the port number for the third knock in the knock sequence.
Click "OK" to save your new action and close the "Action Properties" window.
Click "OK" to save your new firewall filter rule and close the "Filter Rules" window.

Once you have implemented port knocking on your MikroTik Firewall, you can test it by attempting to access the secure ports without sending the correct knock sequence. When you attempt to access the secure ports without sending the correct knock sequence, the connection attempts will fail and the ports will remain hidden. However, when you send the correct knock sequence, the ports will become visible and you will be granted access.

Conclusion

Port knocking is a simple yet effective technique that can be used to enhance router security and protect your network from unauthorized access. By implementing port knocking on your router with MikroTik Firewall, you can enjoy increased security, simplified firewall management, and easy implementation. If you are serious about network security, then port knocking is definitely an option worth considering.