What it asks for. Organisations should actively manage network devices such as routers, switches, firewalls and wireless access points to stop attackers exploiting vulnerable services and weak configurations. It covers keeping infrastructure up to date, documenting architecture and securing management access.
In practice. Network firmware is kept current, configurations are standardised and version controlled, and an up to date architecture diagram shows segments and trust boundaries. Administration happens over secure protocols from dedicated management networks or privileged access workstations, and remote access uses authenticated, encrypted channels. Evidence includes network diagrams, firmware version reports, configuration backups and change records.
Common gaps. Network devices are frequently left on old firmware because patching requires downtime, and management interfaces are sometimes exposed to user networks or the internet. Architecture documentation tends to drift away from reality.