Industrial Network Device Password Management: From Defaults to Secure Ops

01 A Easily Overlooked "Old Friend"

During routine network equipment inspections, it's common to encounter some familiar "old friends" — switches that have been running reliably for years, routers operating stably, and firewalls that have been online every day. However, when checking the administrator password, it's often still the factory default or an extremely simple one, like "admin", "admin123", or "123456".

Many on-site engineers believe: "The devices are on the internal network, unreachable from the outside" or "Nothing has happened for years, so it's fine." However, from an industrial network security perspective, this view carries significant risk. Default credentials have always been one of the primary targets for attackers. Keeping default passwords or using weak passwords for extended periods leaves a "master key" that can be exploited at any time within the network.

02 Why Are Device Passwords Left Unchanged?

In practice, the reasons why device passwords remain unchanged or at defaults are often not technical inability but operational inertia:

Temporary Passwords Become Permanent: For the convenience of debugging during initial setup, engineers often set a simple temporary password, planning to change it after deployment. Once the device is live and business-critical, changing the password becomes inconvenient, and over time, no one wants to risk the change. The temporary password stays permanently.

One Password for All Devices: To simplify management, multiple devices on the same network may use the same password, sometimes even dozens of devices sharing one. While this reduces administrative burden, it also means that if one device's password is compromised, an attacker could potentially use it to access other network devices.

Belief That "Internal Devices Are Safe": Many network administrators assume that devices on the internal network are not targets for attack. However, attackers often gain internal network access through compromised employee machines, stolen VPN credentials, or vendor credentials. Once inside, they actively search for high-value targets, and network devices are a prime focus.

III How Weak Passwords Impact Overall Network Security

A single weak password may not cause immediate severe damage, but its risks propagate along a chain:

Information Exposure: An attacker gaining device access can view network configurations and topology, learning which servers and critical devices are connected.
Lateral Movement: Attackers typically don't cause immediate disruption. Instead, they use acquired access to find paths into more devices or systems—a hallmark of Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) attacks.
Privilege Escalation: By modifying device configurations or adding new accounts, attackers can maintain long-term access, turning the device into a launchpad for further attacks.

IV Password Management Principles for Industrial Network Devices

The following fundamental principles can guide password management for industrial network equipment:

Principle	Description
Disable Default Passwords	Integrate password change into the deployment checklist for new devices; prioritize disabling default accounts or reducing their permissions.
Avoid Password Reuse Between Devices	Critical devices (core switches, industrial routers, firewalls) should have unique passwords to prevent a single compromise from affecting the entire network.
Restrict Login Access	Use ACLs or firewall rules to limit management interface access to specific source IP addresses, preventing login attempts from arbitrary locations.
Enable Operation Logging	Enable device management logs to record every login attempt and operational command, crucial for post-incident auditing.
Regular Review and Update	Establish a schedule to review and update passwords, assessing devices that haven't been changed in a long time.
Use Individual Accounts	Avoid shared administrator accounts. For larger deployments, consider RADIUS/TACACS+ for centralized authentication and granular permissions.

V Security Features in MovingComm Industrial Devices

MovingComm ComIn series industrial routers (such as the I2100 and I5100) offer several basic security features to help implement these policies during deployment:

Mandatory Default Password Change: The system guides users to change the default password on first login, preventing credential reuse from the start.
Login Failure Lockout: After multiple failed login attempts, the account is temporarily locked, mitigating brute-force attacks.
Access Control Lists: ACLs allow restricting management IP ranges, ensuring only authorized subnets can access the management interface.
Secure Management Protocol Selection: Supports disabling plaintext protocols like Telnet and uses SSH for encrypted management sessions, preventing password interception during transit.
Local/Remote Authentication: Supports both local password authentication and integration with centralized servers like RADIUS for unified management of large device fleets.

VI Conclusion

In network security, what is often most overlooked isn't sophisticated vulnerabilities, but everyday habits that seem "normal" and are rarely questioned. "admin123" is just one example; what truly matters is establishing a systematic approach to password management for all network devices.

For industrial communication equipment, password management is just one foundational security measure. Integrating practices like changing default passwords, restricting access sources, and enabling operation logging into standard deployment and maintenance routines can significantly enhance the overall security posture of industrial networks.