How to Remove Sensitive Data from a Cisco IOS Config Before Sharing

How to Remove Sensitive Data from a Cisco IOS Config Before Sharing

Date: 2026-06-30
Slug: remove-sensitive-data-cisco-config
Product: ScrubForge
Type: How-to / Tutorial técnico (Tipo C)
Keyword: remove sensitive data from cisco config / cisco config sanitizer

Every time a network engineer opens a TAC case or asks an AI assistant to help debug a routing issue, the support engineer asks for the running-config. The problem: show running-config on a Cisco IOS device doesn't just show interfaces and routes — it shows everything. Enable passwords, SNMP community strings, VPN pre-shared keys, RADIUS shared secrets. All in one paste.

What a Cisco IOS Config Actually Contains

• Enable password / enable secret
• SNMP community strings
• VPN pre-shared keys (crypto isakmp key)
• RADIUS and TACACS+ shared secrets
• Username/password pairs (type-7 encoded = reversible)
• BGP neighbor passwords

Before and After

The same community string always becomes the same token throughout the sanitized config. Logical structure — interfaces, ACLs, routing — is preserved.

Steps

1. Install ScrubForge from Chrome Web Store (free)
2. Run show running-config on your Cisco device
3. Open ScrubForge, paste config
4. Review sanitized output
5. Copy and share safely

Why Local Processing Matters

ScrubForge runs entirely in your browser tab. No server, no upload. Critical for production device configs and TAC tickets stored indefinitely in external systems.

Internal links

• /blog/sanitize-network-config-before-sharing/

CTA

Install ScrubForge: https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/pjaohhipefhjfopoaepjbmiienagaffe