Optimizing Mikrotik-Based Network Security using Address List, Firewall Filter Rules, and Raw Firewall

The rise of hacking access rights in computer networks has made it easy for cybercriminals to steal personal data. Based on Surfshark data during January 2020 - January 2024 explain that Indonesia became the country with the 8th most breached accounts in the world with an estimated 94.22 million breached digital accounts. Until now cyber sequrity in Indonesia is still weak in average. To minimize the occurrence of router hacking and cyber sequirty this research will implement network security optimization using the address list method, firewall filter rules, and firewall raw on Mikrotik Routers with conduct several tests. Security tests using Denial of Service (DoS) and Brute Force attack techniques carried out results evident that the use of firewall filter rules is effective to preventing Brute Force attacks that try to get the router device password with the CPU Load value dropping from 95% to 5%. However it is less effective to prevent DoS attacks with 800,000 attack packets because the CPU Load value only drops from 95% to 72%. This is still far from normal conditions. Security optimization using the raw firewall method proved more effective in preventing DoS attacks with the CPU Load value successfully dropping to 43%. So to secure the network from DoS attacks it is not enough just to use the built-in features of the Mikrotik router but also requires the support of other additional devices to increase its effectiveness in reducing the CPU load to a normal number below 10%.