Switch Firmware v5.00: Service Access Control Logs

Zyxel_Claudia

With the firmware update in version 5.00, Zyxel has enhanced its logging capabilities for switches by introducing the Service Access Control Log. This new feature allows administrators to track changes to remote access services, helping ensure accountability and improved network visibility.

What Is Service Access Control Logging?

Service Access Control refers to the enablement or disablement of remote access services such as:

• Telnet
• SSH
• FTP
• HTTP/HTTPS
• ICMP
• SNMP

The new logging feature ensures that whenever an administrator enables or disables any of these services, a recorded event is added to the system log.

What Information Is Logged?

When a service access change is made, the following information is captured in the system log:

• Service changed (e.g., Telnet disabled)
• Action taken (enabled or disabled)
• Source IP address
• Username who performed the action
• Timestamp of the change

This allows administrators to trace who made critical changes to the device's remote access policy, which is particularly important for audit trails and incident investigations.

Important Notes

• Only enable/disable actions are logged.
• Changes to configuration parameters (e.g., session timeout or login timeout values) are NOT logged.

This distinction is important — while enabling or disabling a service is a security-critical event, modifying its timeout settings is treated as less sensitive.

How to Access This Feature

1. Navigate to Security > Service Access Control in the switch’s Web GUI.
2. Enable or disable a service (e.g., Telnet).
3. Go to Monitor > System Log to view the entry.
4. The log entry will include all relevant details for tracking.

Summary

The Service Access Control Log feature adds valuable visibility to switch management by logging access service changes. It empowers administrators to Audit configuration actions more effectively.