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The Cisco switch must be configured to synchronize its clock with the primary and secondary time sources using redundant authoritative time sources.

An XCCDF Rule

Description

<VulnDiscussion>The loss of connectivity to a particular authoritative time source will result in the loss of time synchronization (free-run mode) and increasingly inaccurate time stamps on audit events and other functions. Multiple time sources provide redundancy by including a secondary source. Time synchronization is usually a hierarchy; clients synchronize time to a local source while that source synchronizes its time to a more accurate source. The network device must utilize an authoritative time server and/or be configured to use redundant authoritative time sources. This requirement is related to the comparison done in CCI-001891. DoD-approved solutions consist of a combination of a primary and secondary time source using a combination or multiple instances of the following: a time server designated for the appropriate DoD network (NIPRNet/SIPRNet); United States Naval Observatory (USNO) time servers; and/or the Global Positioning System (GPS). The secondary time source must be located in a different geographic region than the primary time source.</VulnDiscussion><FalsePositives></FalsePositives><FalseNegatives></FalseNegatives><Documentable>false</Documentable><Mitigations></Mitigations><SeverityOverrideGuidance></SeverityOverrideGuidance><PotentialImpacts></PotentialImpacts><ThirdPartyTools></ThirdPartyTools><MitigationControl></MitigationControl><Responsibility></Responsibility><IAControls></IAControls>

ID
SV-220498r879746_rule
Severity
Medium
References
Updated



Remediation - Manual Procedure

Configure the Cisco switch to synchronize its clock with redundant authoritative time sources as shown in the example below:

SW1(config)# feature ntp
SW1(config)# ntp distribute 
SW1(config)# ntp server 10.1.12.10
SW1(config)# ntp server 10.1.22.13