How to configure passwords to secure Cisco Router

How to password protect Console Port

To configure the console password, follow these steps.

Router(config)# line console 0
Router(config-line)# password CISCO
Router(config-line)# login
Router(config-line#Ctrl-Z
Router#

How to password protect Auxilary (AUX Port) Port

To configure the auxilary password, follow these steps.

Router#config t
Router(config)#line aux 0
Router(config-line)#password cisco
Router(config-line)#login
Router(config-line)# Ctrl-Z
Router#

How to password protect VTY Ports (Telnet Ports)

Configuring the VTY password is very similar to doing the Console and Aux ones. The only difference is that there are 5 VTY virtual ports, which are named 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4. You can use the shortcut 0 4 (a zero, a space, and 4) to set all 5 passwords at the same time. To configure the VTY password, follow these steps.

Router#config t
Router(config)#line vty 0 4
Router(config-line)#password cisco
Router(config-line)#login
Router(config-line)# Ctrl-Z
Router#

How to password protect Privileged Mode

The Enable Password is the old form of the password for "Privileged Mode". Here the password is stored un-encrypted.

Router#config t
Router(config)#enable password cisco
Router(config-line)# Ctrl-Z
Router#

Enable Secret provides better security since password is kept encrypted using irreversible encryption algorithm.

Router#config t
Router(config)#enable secret cisco
Router(config-line)# Ctrl-Z
Router#