Default configurations for network devices are geared for ease-of-deployment and ease-of-use – not security. Potential default vulnerabilities include open services and ports, default accounts and passwords (including service accounts), support for older vulnerable protocols, and pre-installation of unneeded software. Attackers search for vulnerable default settings, gaps or inconsistencies in firewall rule sets, routers, and switches and use those holes to penetrate defenses. They exploit flaws in these devices to gain access to networks, redirect traffic on a network, and intercept data while in transmission.