A firewall used to be the main way to protect your network against external threats. Now, that’s not the case. Firewalls are an essential part of a unified security strategy – but they’re just as susceptible to threat actors as the rest of the technology in your toolbox. Recently, major providers including SonicWall and Fortinet have announced high-risk vulnerabilities impacting their firewalls. In this blog, we’ll share why firewalls need to be properly maintained, and how you can reduce your risk through professional management.
Firewalls as part of your defense in depth strategy
Firewalls are still a necessary tool to help defend your network from threats. They create a barrier between networks you trust – such as your internal network, and ones you don’t – like the public internet.
Using predetermined rules and configurations, firewalls monitor traffic and the transmission of data from your network and devices. They can block unauthorized traffic and data transmissions, helping you keep your private data and activity safe.
As part of a unified security approach, they’re a helpful asset. Combining firewalls with tools like Managed ITDR, endpoint detection and response (EDR), Managed SIEM, Security Awareness Training, MFA, and other tools helps contribute to comprehensive protection for your network and devices.
What are the biggest risks to firewalls?
As with most vulnerabilities, letting your firewalls become outdated becomes a big risk. The longer technology is available, the more time threat actors have to discover weaknesses and find ways to exploit them. As issues are discovered, companies push out updates to help keep their customers safe. Missing these updates, or even delaying installing them, can be critical.
Another risk is having a “set it and forget it” mindset. Anything connected to your network should be regularly reviewed to ensure that it’s configured in a way that meets best practices. If you had a firewall installed and configured a few years ago, it’s likely that the guidance has changed. Staying vigilant and keeping your systems optimized helps reduce risk.
What happens if my firewall is vulnerable?
Exploited firewall vulnerabilities can lead to a variety of security events. This includes things like account takeovers, business email compromise (BEC), and ransomware. There’s also a risk of network access and dwell time while a threat actor is in your systems.
Essentially, a firewall compromise means your activity, your traffic, data transmission, and your network are no longer private.
Keeping your network and devices protected
There are many ways to keep your firewalls – and by extension your networks and devices – safer. Here are our top tips.
- Keep firewalls updated: Regular patching is key to limit vulnerabilities that can impact your firewall. Automatic patching and updating is a great way to ensure that updates aren’t missed and are installed promptly. A firewall management service can help with this if you don’t have the time or ability to do it in-house.
- Regularly review devices and configurations: Are you still adhering to best practices? Is it set up in a way that allows full functionality while reducing risk?
- 24×7 monitoring: Firewalls monitor your network traffic, but someone should be monitoring your firewalls. Regular monitoring can alert you to issues before they become bigger problems.
- Firewall hardening: There are additional steps that can be taken to enhance the security of your firewalls. ADNET offers hardening as a project. Our experts will optimize your firewalls to increase their security in a way that’s functional to your business. This can include things like limiting access, implementing specific rules and requirements, and reviewing and auditing connected systems. We recommend this for all clients.
- Cybersecurity Assessments and Penetration Testing: Regularly assessing your environment is extremely helpful (and necessary for many types of compliance and cyber liability insurance). We recommend having a Security Risk Assessment (SRA) done annually. An SRA can help show gaps in your cybersecurity strategy, and things like Penetration Testing can give you a more comprehensive picture of the security of your network.
How can I keep my firewalls secure?
As always, cybersecurity is a moving target. The reality is that new vulnerabilities are discovered every day, and it’s only a matter of time before one impacts your business. The best thing you can do is ensure that you have a trusted team of professionals in your corner. As your trusted IT partner, ADNET can monitor your firewalls and systems, provide expert management, keep devices and systems up to date, provide guidance on current vulnerabilities, and help you adhere to best practices.
The bottom line? Don’t ignore your firewalls. Keep them updated, have them managed, and harden wherever possible. If you need help with firewall management or hardening, or implementing a unified security approach, reach out to ADNET. We’re here to help.
