Best Practices of Ensuring Firewall Security

When it comes to the configuration of firewall security, there is a tough challenge that security administrators have to face; they have to balance the users’ need for fast performance and strong security. According to statistics, errors in configuration are the reason why firewall security is compromised in 99% of the cases. According to experts, the best way to keep up with the constant need for performance and security is to revisit your firewall setup and fine tune it every now and then. Following the best practices can ensure that your firewall is able to maintain the balance between security and speed.

What are these practices that should be implemented? Let’s take a look at them:

Always document firewall security rules

You need to have proper firewall documentation to make it easier for your IT security team to keep up with them. You need to keep on track of several factors, such as the purpose of the rules, the services, users and devices they affect, when the rule was introduced and who made it. It is also recommended by experts to use different categories and titles for grouping the rules together. This can be helpful for determining the right order for the firewall security rules.

Create and follow a change procedure for firewall security

Before any firewall security rules are changed, you need to establish a proper formal process that will be used for any modifications. In the case of a small security team, it is tempting to use a less formal process for implementing changes. But, if you want to avoid any lapses in security that are caused due to poor firewall security settings, you have to follow a formal process.

Automate updates in firewall settings

Having an automation solution for updating your firewall configuration is definitely beneficial for improving firewall security. Automation can also be useful in preventing mistakes in the firewall setup procedure. It is usually due to human flaws that firewall breaches occur and not due to flaws in technology. The good thing is that you can also configure other network equipment with the same automation tools, such as switches and routers.

Review firewall security regularly

Networks are constantly changing because you keep on gaining new devices and users, which access new services and applications. Likewise, this means that devices and applications that were once popular have lose their popularity. Due to these changes, you may need to add new rules for firewall security and delete others. These rules are very important and you need to check them regularly to ensure changed are made on time.

Removed overlapping or unused firewall rules

When you go through the rules that you have already established for firewall security, you will realize that you may have more than one rule for doing the same thing. You can boost your network’s performance when you combine a couple of rules together or eliminate some. Likewise, you may also discover that some of your firewall security rules are not applicable at all because none of the traffic you get meets the specific criteria that’s mentioned in the rules. You need to decide whether the rule is necessary or not because it could improve performance.

Audit the logs

There are built-in reporting tools in every firewall, which can give you details about your traffic. Another best practice for ensuring firewall security is to audit the logs on a regular basis for spotting any anomalies or changes so you can modify your settings. This log data can turn out to be a very crucial piece of information about which firewall rules are being implemented more frequently and which ones are not in use. All this information can be very useful in optimizing your firewall security.

With the help of log data, you can also identify ‘false positives’, which is traffic that shouldn’t trigger your firewall security rules and yet it does. When you make changes to the rules you have established, you will be able to cut down these false positives and provide a better service to end users. In the case that you have a particularly active or large network, you may discover that you need additional tools for log analysis other than the ones being provided by the firewall manufacturer. They can help you in making sense of the log data. Some of these advanced tools include machine learning and artificial intelligence capabilities, which can be useful in identifying important details that you may miss out otherwise.

Move some of the traffic blocking

One of the best ways that you can improve your firewall security is by using your routers for handling some of the traffic-blocking activities. When some of the work is offloaded from your firewall, you will be able to get rid of some of the rules you have established and this can improve your network’s throughput. However, with all the network changes being made, you have to monitor and test this approach carefully for making sure you are getting the desired results.

Upgrade the firewall firmware and software

This goes without saying, but as firewall security rules are updated, it is certainly a good time for you to ensure that your firewall is updated. You need to update and install all the latest patches. Even the greatest firewall security measures and rules will not put a stop to any attack if the firewall has an obvious vulnerability because it has not been updated.

Communicate the rules to every party

Last, but not the least, you need to ensure that you are communicating any changes to your firewall security rules to the leaders, employees and end users. Getting input from everyone is also essential because it helps in ensuring that your firewall configuration in fulfilling the needs of the end user.

When the IT department and the business side works together, they will be able to update the firewall security to ensure they are meeting all goals, which include fast performance and security.