Access to the internet is no longer an option. Accessibility has become a requirement for everyone. Internet connection has its own set of benefits for an organization; the availability of the internet also allows the outside world to communicate with the organization’s internal network.
Visiting another website requires a connection to a specialized computer which is technically known as a web server. This web server can be easily hacked by any of the hackers by the medium of any other computer. Attackers have the potential to infect the host computer with malware and start D-DoS attacks when they connect to a foreign machine.
What is the requirement of the firewall?
What is Firewall?
Have you ever heard of the name firewalls? If no! Then let us learn something about firewalls. A firewall is a type of network security device that has the role of monitoring and controlling incoming and outgoing traffic. Network security is either done on hardware or software. It permits the factors of rejecting or blocking specific traffic based on a predetermined set of rules. It helps in protecting the network from both external and internal threats.
What is the workability of the firewall?
At the time of encountering unauthorized traffic, a firewall scans and tries to match the traffic with its defined set of rules. There are sets of rules that are further matched with the network; appropriate actions are taken for that specified network. If the incoming traffic is seen as a security risk, the firewall prevents it from entering the internal network.
The vulnerability of networks connected to the internet necessitates the use of firewalls. A third party can infect an unprotected network. The hacked website or server can actively infect or harm the network with the usage of malware, and all this can be done the gain control of the network. D-DoS (Distributed-Denial-of-Service) attacks, which can force a website or server to crash, can render your network vulnerable in case of the unavailability of the firewalls.
The Importance of proper Firewall Configuration
A firewall is an important part of network security and must be configured correctly. They help in protecting the company against cyberattacks and data breaches. Hackers can obtain unauthorized access to a protected internal network and can even steal critical information in the absence of the firewall configuration.
A properly configured firewall can protect the server from harmful cyberattacks to the fullest extent possible.
Ways to Secure Configure a Firewall
A firewall setting is critical for ensuring that only authorized administrators have access to a network.
The following actions are required:
- Secure the Firewall to authorized personnel- Secure your firewall and hand over the credentials to the authorized personnel that can access the internal network.
- Update your firewall to the latest firmware.
- A firewall should never be put into production without the proper configurations.
- Delete, disable, or rename the default accounts and make the utilization of unique and complex passwords.
- Never use shared accounts managed by multiple administrators.
- Disable Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP).
- Create Firewall Zones and Establish IP Addresses
Make the decision regarding which assets need to be safeguarded and map out the network so that these assets can be grouped together and assigned to different networks or zones based on their functions and sensitivity levels. The greater the number of zones you construct, the more secure the network will be generated.
Management of more zones consumes more effort, this is the only reason why assigning zones to firewall interfaces, and subinterfaces requires establishing associated IP addresses.
- Configuring Access Control Lists (ACLs)
Access Control Lists are used by organizations in order to determine which traffic is permitted to pass or banned (ACLs). ACLs are the types of rules that a firewall uses to determine. They have a track of what actions should be taken in response to unauthorized traffic attempting to access the network.
The actual source and destination port numbers and IP addresses should be specified in ACLs. Each ACL should have a “Deny All” rule to filter traffic. The interface and subinterface should be inbound and outgoing to guarantee that only allowed traffic reaches a zone.
- Configuring Firewall Services and Logging
Among the various services like an Intrusion Prevention System (IPS) and a Network Time Protocol (NTP) server, all can be built within some firewalls. It’s critical to turn off any firewall-supported extra services that aren’t in use.
- Testing the Firewall Configuration
It becomes relevant to do regular testing of your firewall settings once you’re confident. Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing (VAPT) is crucial for ensuring that the correct traffic is permitted to pass and that the firewall is working as intended. In case the firewall configuration fails during the testing phase, it creates a backup.