Your firewall is the primary entry point for all traffic on your network. This makes it a key piece of your overall security posture. Traffic allowance is determined by pre-defined rules, but when was the last time those rules were reviewed or assessed?
The firewall’s configuration is so essential that the SANS Institute promotes regular firewall rule evaluation. The SANS Institute (SysAdmin, Audit, Network, and Security) is a highly respected organization dedicated to cybersecurity training, certification, and research, which develops industry standards and best practices for information security professionals. In fact, “Secure Configurations for Network Devices” is documented on SANS’s 20 Critical Security Controls.
Why Regular Firewall Audits Are Essential
A common misconception is that a set-it-and-forget-it approach works for firewalls. However, in an evolving threat landscape, outdated or poorly configured rules can become significant liabilities. The SANS Institute suggests firewall audits for several compelling reasons:
- Prevent Unauthorized Access: Obsolete rules can be exploited to obtain unauthorized access to your network7.
- Mitigate Risk: An improper configuration of a rule can put the firewall and/or network at risk.
- Optimize Performance: The rule position is important and can improve the performance of the firewall. Conversely, the use of groups can cause performance issues.
What a Firewall Rule Evaluation Entails
A professional evaluation helps ensure your rules are up-to-date, meet current threat standards, and will actively protect your network. This process is performed by a certified security auditor.
The auditor uses a combination of automated and manual tests to review your current firewall rules and posture against four key areas:
- Best practice security audit report
- Software vulnerability audit report
- SysAdmin Audit Network Security (SANS) policy compliance report
- Configuration report
The audit covers approved firewall configuration baselines, security standards, and policies that support business deliverables. Each uncovered issue is rated based on its severity (critical, high, medium, low, and informational) and its classification (administration, authentication, best practice, etc).
Get an Expert Firewall Assessment from Microman
Microman can deliver a Firewall Rule Audit Assessment to help you regain control, ensuring that your firewall is secure and optimized for today’s threats.
Our evaluation process is performed by a certified security auditor and can be performed on firewalls from all major vendors.
You’ll receive a final Firewall Rule Evaluation Report with an expert analysis of the information collected. Most importantly, this report includes a remediation plan based on the level of severity for each deficiency.
Secure Your Network Today
A regular, certified audit is a critical component of maintaining a robust, secure, and performant network. Don’t leave your network exposed to obsolete or misconfigured rules.
Contact Microman Services today for service registration submissions or quote requests.
