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Common Firewall Threats Do you really know what vulnerabilities currently exist in your enterprise firewalls? Your vulnerability scans... Cyber Attacks & Incident Response Top 10 common firewall threats and vulnerabilities Kevin Beaver 2 min read Kevin Beaver Short bio about author here Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur. Vitae donec tincidunt elementum quam laoreet duis sit enim. Duis mattis velit sit leo diam. Tags Share this article 7/16/15 Published Common Firewall Threats Do you really know what vulnerabilities currently exist in your enterprise firewalls? Your vulnerability scans are coming up clean. Your penetration tests have not revealed anything of significance. Therefore, everything’s in check, right? Not necessarily. In my work performing independent security assessments , I have found over the years that numerous firewall-related vulnerabilities can be present right under your nose. Sometimes they’re blatantly obvious. Other times, not so much. Here are my top 10 common firewall vulnerabilities that you need to be on the lookout for listed in order of typical significance/priority: Password(s) are set to the default which creates every security problem imaginable, including accountability issues when network events occur. Anyone on the Internet can access Microsoft SQL Server databases hosted internally which can lead to internal database access, especially when SQL Server has the default credentials (sa/password) or an otherwise weak password. Firewall OS software is outdated and no longer supported which can facilitate known exploits including remote code execution and denial of service attacks, and might not look good in the eyes of third-parties if a breach occurs and it’s made known that the system was outdated. Anyone on the Internet can access the firewall via unencrypted HTTP connections, as these can be exploited by an outsider who’s on the same network segment such as an open/unencrypted wireless network. Anti-spoofing controls are not enabled on the external interface which can facilitate denial of service and related attacks. Rules exist without logging which can be especially problematic for critical systems/services. Any protocol/service can connect between internal network segments which can lead to internal breaches and compliance violations, especially as it relates to PCI DSS cardholder data environments. Anyone on the internal network can access the firewall via unencrypted telnet connections. These connections can be exploited by an internal user (or malware) if ARP poisoning is enabled via a tool such as the free password recovery program Cain & Abel . Any type of TCP or UDP service can exit the network which can enable the spreading of malware and spam and lead to acceptable usage and related policy violations. Rules exist without any documentation which can create security management issues, especially when firewall admins leave the organization abruptly. Firewall Threats and Solutions Every security issue – whether confirmed or potential – is subject to your own interpretation and needs. But the odds are good that these firewall vulnerabilities are creating tangible business risks for your organization today. But the good news is that these security issues are relatively easy to fix. Obviously, you’ll want to think through most of them before “fixing” them as you can quickly create more problems than you’re solving. And you might consider testing these changes on a less critical firewall or, if you’re lucky enough, in a test environment. Ultimately understanding the true state of your firewall security is not only good for minimizing network risks, it can also be beneficial in terms of documenting your network, tweaking its architecture, and fine-tuning some of your standards, policies, and procedures that involve security hardening, change management, and the like. And the most important step is acknowledging that these firewall vulnerabilities exist in the first place! Schedule a demo Related Articles 2025 in review: What innovations and milestones defined AlgoSec’s transformative year in 2025? AlgoSec Reviews Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read Navigating Compliance in the Cloud AlgoSec Cloud Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read 5 Multi-Cloud Environments Cloud Security Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read Speak to one of our experts Speak to one of our experts Work email* First name* Last name* Company* country* Select country... Short answer* By submitting this form, I accept AlgoSec's privacy policy Schedule a call

Learn about the essential firewall change management process. Understand how to implement, track, and control changes to your firewall configurations for optimal security and compliance. Firewall change management process: How does It work? Are network firewalls adequately managed in today's complex environment? For more than two decades, we have been utilizing network firewalls, yet we’re still struggling to properly manage them. In today’s world of information-driven businesses there’s a lot more that can go wrong— and a lot more to lose—when it comes to firewalls, firewall policy management and overall network security. Network environments have become so complex that a single firewall configuration change can take the entire network offline and expose your business to cyber-attacks. Schedule a Demo Why you need firewall change management processes Improperly managed firewalls create some of the greatest business risks in any organization, however often you don’t find out about these risks until it is too late. Outdated firewall rules can allow unauthorized network access which result in cyber-attacks and gaps in compliance with industry and government regulations, while improper firewall rule changes can break business applications. Often, it is simple errors and oversights in the firewall change management process that cause problems, such as opening the network perimeter to security exploits and creating business continuity issues. Therefore, firewall configuration changes present a business challenge that you need to address properly once and for all. Schedule a Demo Firewall change management FAQs Frequently asked questions about the firewall change management process How can I manage firewall changes? In IT, things are constantly in a state of flux. The firewall change management process is one of the biggest problems that businesses face, however, if you can manage the firewall configuration changes consistently over time, then you’ve already won half the battle. You’ll not only have a more secure network environment, but you will allow IT to serve its purpose by facilitating business rather than getting in the way. To manage firewall changes properly, it’s critical to have well-documented and reasonable firewall policies and procedures, combined with automation controls, such as AlgoSec’s security policy management solution, to help with enforcement and oversight. With AlgoSec you can automate the entire firewall change management process: Process firewall changes with zero-touch automation in minutes, instead of days – from planning and design through to deployment on the device – while maintaining full control and ensuring accuracy Leverage topology awareness to identify all the firewalls that are affected by a proposed change Proactively assess the impact of every firewall change before it is implemented to ensure security and continuous compliance with regulatory and corporate standards Automate rule recertification processes while also identifying firewall rules which are out of date, unused or unnecessary Reconcile change requests with the actual changes performed, to identify any changes that were performed “out of band” Automatically document the entire firewall change management workflow It is also important to analyze the impact firewall changes will have on the business. The ideal way is to utilize AlgoSec’s firewall policy management solution to test different scenarios before pushing them out to production. Once AlgoSec and your processes are integrated with your overall change management workflow, you can set your business up for success instead of creating a “wait and see” situation, and “hoping” everything works out. Simply put, if you don’t have the proper insight and predictability, then you’ll set up your business and yourself for failure. How can I assess the risk of my firewall policies? As networks become more complex and firewall rulesets continue to grow, it becomes increasingly difficult to identify and quantify the risk caused by misconfigured or overly permissive firewall rules. A major contributor to firewall policy risks is lack of understanding of exactly what the firewall is doing at any given time. Even if traffic is flowing and applications are working, it doesn’t mean you don’t have unnecessary exposure. All firewall configuration changes either move your network towards better security or increased risks. Even the most experienced firewall administrator can make mistakes. Therefore, the best approach for minimizing firewall policy risks is to use automated firewall policy management tools to help find and fix the security risks before they get out of control. Automated firewall policy management tools, such as AlgoSec, employ widely-accepted firewall best practices and can analyze your current environment to highlight gaps and weaknesses. AlgoSec can also help tighten overly permissive rules (e.g., “ANY” service) by pinpointing the traffic that is flowing through any given rule. Combining policy analysis with the right tools allows you to be proactive with firewall security rather than finding out about the risks once it’s too late. How can I maintain optimized firewall rulesets? Maintaining a clean set of firewall rules is one of the most important functions in network security. Unwieldy rulesets are not just a technical nuisance—they also create business risks, such as open ports and unnecessary VPN tunnels, conflicting rules that create backdoor entry points, and an enormous amount of unnecessary complexity. In addition, bloated rulesets significantly complicate the auditing process, which often involves a review of each rule and its related business justification. This creates unnecessary costs for the business and wastes precious IT time. Examples of problematic firewall rules include unused rules, shadowed rules, expired rules, unattached objects and rules that are not ordered optimally (e.g. the most hit rule is at the bottom of the policy, creating unnecessary firewall overhead). Proactive and periodic checks can help eliminate rule base oversights and allow you to maintain a firewall environment that facilitates security rather than exposes weaknesses. To effectively manage your firewall rulesets, you need the right firewall administrator tools, such as AlgoSec, that will provide you with the visibility needed to see which rules can be eliminated or optimized, and what the implications are of removing or changing a rule. AlgoSec can also automate the change process, eliminating the need for time-consuming and inaccurate manual checks. You also need to ensure that you manage the rulesets on all firewalls. Picking and choosing certain firewalls is like limiting the scope of a security assessment to only part of your network. Your results will be limited, creating a serious false sense of security. It’s fine to focus on your most critical firewalls initially, but you need to address the rulesets across all firewalls eventually. Schedule a Demo Additional use cases AlgoSec’s Firewall Policy Management Solution supports the following use-cases: Auditing and Compliance Generate audit-ready reports in an instant! Covers all major regulations, including PCI, HIPAA, SOX, NERC and more. Business Continuity Now you can discover, securely provision, maintain, migrate and decommission connectivity for all business applications and accelerate service delivery helping to prevent outages. Micro-segmentation Define and implement your micro-segmentation strategy inside the datacenter, while ensuring that it doesn’t block critical business services. Risk Management Make sure that all firewall rule changes are optimally designed and implemented. Reduce risk and prevent misconfigurations, while ensuring security and compliance. Digital Transformation Discover, map and migrate application connectivity to the cloud with easy-to-use workflows, maximizing agility while ensuring security. DevOps Integrate security with your DevOps tools, practice, and methodology enabling faster deployment of your business applications into production. Schedule a Demo Select a size Are network firewalls adequately managed in today's complex environment? Why you need firewall change management processes Firewall change management FAQs Additional use cases Get the latest insights from the experts Network management & policy change automation Read more https://www.algosec.com/webinar/security-change-management-agility-vs-control/ Watch webinar Security policy change management solution Read more Choose a better way to manage your network

Explore Algosec's customer success stories to see how organizations worldwide improve security, compliance, and efficiency with our solutions. SANOFI FINDS THE CURE FOR TIME-CONSUMING APPLICATION MIGRATION WITH ALGOSEC Organization Sanofi Industry Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals Headquarters Paris, France Download case study Share Customer
success stories "Using AlgoSec during our data center migration allowed us to give technical project leaders access to all of the rules involved in the migration of their applications, which reduced the IT security team’s time on these projects by 80%. The application was very useful, simple to use and made everybody happy." AlgoSec Business Impact Simplify data center migration projects Reduce rule migration process time by 80% Streamline and improve firewall operations Background A multinational pharmaceutical company, Sanofi, has 112 industrial sites in 41 countries and operations in more than 100 countries. The company’s 110,000 employees are committed to protecting health, enhancing life, providing hope and responding to the potential healthcare needs of seven billion people around the world. Challenge The sensitive nature of Sanofi’s business and its wide ranging global operations require an extensive and well secured network, which currently has 120 firewalls all over the world. In the midst of a data center consolidation project, the company needed to understand how its security devices would be affected by application migrations. Sanofi was also eager to improve change management processes and gain key performance indicators (KPIs) for risk analysis.“Our main concern with the data center consolidation project was to enable various technical project leaders to see the different rules impacting the migration of their applications, and to avoid any outages. For that, we needed pre-migration and post-migration documentation on security,” says Bruno Roulleau, Network Security Architect at Sanofi. “We also needed metrics on the risk associated with different policies on the firewalls.” Solution When looking for a solution, Sanofi evaluated several vendors. “A key point for us was the ability to easily integrate the security devices in our current infrastructure, into the solution. We also wanted detailed reporting that would allow us to delegate policy management to project leaders,” Roulleau notes.Because Sanofi constantly upgrades its devices, its systems need to evolve and incorporate the new devices and rules seamlessly. “We chose the AlgoSec Security Management solution because its graphical interface is very user-friendly, it easily supports new devices and generates detailed reports and metrics on risks,” says Roulleau.Sanofi also appreciated AlgoSec’s flexibility. “AlgoSec is very open to developing new capabilities. We can ask to have some new features available by a certain date and they will deliver on time,” according to Roulleau. For a company with a complex network and rapidly evolving security needs, that responsiveness proved key to the decision to go with AlgoSec. Results Sanofi’s security team is now able to delegate responsibility for rule changes both during migration and on an ongoing basis. “Using AlgoSec during our data center migration allowed us to give technical project leaders access to all of the rules involved in the migration of their applications, which reduced the IT security team’s time on these projects by 80%. The application was very useful, simple to use and made everybody happy,” Roulleau says.Additionally, with AlgoSec’s reports Sanofi can now easily and clearly document the status of their firewalls as well as the impact of any changes on the network throughout the migration project. “We can now generate detailed reports in just three clicks!” Roulleau adds.Furthermore, AlgoSec’s optimization reports enabled Sanofi to clean up its security policies. Because they could clearly see all of the rules and their impact on network security, Roulleau’s team was able to safely eliminate unused and duplicate rules, which increased the efficiency of the firewalls. Those reports also provided insight into the risks associated with the current system and various changes being made. Schedule time with one of our experts

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Are you tired of playing whack-a-mole with cloud security risks? Do endless compliance reports and alert fatigue leave you feeling... Cloud Security Unleash the Power of Application-Level Visibility: Your Secret Weapon for Conquering Cloud Chaos Asher Benbenisty 2 min read Asher Benbenisty Short bio about author here Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur. Vitae donec tincidunt elementum quam laoreet duis sit enim. Duis mattis velit sit leo diam. Tags Share this article 7/22/24 Published Are you tired of playing whack-a-mole with cloud security risks? Do endless compliance reports and alert fatigue leave you feeling overwhelmed? It's time to ditch the outdated, reactive approach and embrace a new era of cloud security that's all about proactive visibility . The Missing Piece: Understanding Your Cloud Applications Imagine this: you have a crystal-clear view of every application running in your cloud environment. You know exactly which resources they're using, what permissions they have, and even the potential security risks they pose. Sounds like a dream, right? Well, it's not just possible – it's essential. Why? Because applications are the beating heart of your business. They're what drive your revenue, enable your operations, and store your valuable data. But they're also complex, interconnected, and constantly changing, making them a prime target for attackers. Gain the Upper Hand with Unbiased Cloud Discovery Don't settle for partial visibility or rely on your cloud vendor's limited tools. You need an unbiased, automated cloud discovery solution that leaves no stone unturned. With it, you can: Shine a Light on Shadow IT: Uncover all those rogue applications running without your knowledge, putting your organization at risk. Visualize the Big Picture: See the intricate relationships between your applications and their resources, making it easy to identify vulnerabilities and attack paths. Assess Risk with Confidence: Get a clear understanding of the security posture of each application, so you can prioritize your efforts and focus on the most critical threats. Stay Ahead of the Game: Continuously monitor your environment for changes, so you're always aware of new risks and vulnerabilities. From Reactive to Proactive: Turn Your Cloud into a Fortress Application-level visibility isn't just about compliance or passing an audit (though it certainly helps with those!). It's about fundamentally changing how you approach cloud security. By understanding your applications at a deeper level, you can: Prioritize with Precision: Focus your remediation efforts on the applications and risks that matter most to your business. Respond with Agility: Quickly identify and address vulnerabilities before they're exploited. Prevent Attacks Before They Happen: Implement proactive security measures, like tightening permissions and enforcing security policies, to stop threats in their tracks. Empower Your Teams: Give your security champions the tools they need to effectively manage risk and ensure the continuous security of your cloud environment. The cloud is an ever-changing landscape, but with application-level visibility as your guiding light, you can confidently navigate the challenges and protect your organization from harm. Don't be left in the dark – embrace the power of application understanding and take your cloud security to the next level! Schedule a demo Related Articles 2025 in review: What innovations and milestones defined AlgoSec’s transformative year in 2025? AlgoSec Reviews Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read Navigating Compliance in the Cloud AlgoSec Cloud Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read 5 Multi-Cloud Environments Cloud Security Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read Speak to one of our experts Speak to one of our experts Work email* First name* Last name* Company* country* Select country... Short answer* By submitting this form, I accept AlgoSec's privacy policy Schedule a call

AlgoSec Cloud Services Security Practices Download PDF Schedule time with one of our experts Schedule time with one of our experts Work email* First name* Last name* Company* country* Select country... Short answer* By submitting this form, I accept AlgoSec's privacy policy Continue

Migrate Application Connectivity to the Cloud Download PDF Schedule time with one of our experts Schedule time with one of our experts Work email* First name* Last name* Company* country* Select country... Short answer* By submitting this form, I accept AlgoSec's privacy policy Continue

Containers aren’t VMs. They’re a great lightweight deployment solution, but they’re only as secure as you make them. You need to keep... Cloud Security Best Practices for Docker Containers’ Security Rony Moshkovich 2 min read Rony Moshkovich Short bio about author here Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur. Vitae donec tincidunt elementum quam laoreet duis sit enim. Duis mattis velit sit leo diam. Tags Share this article 7/27/20 Published Containers aren’t VMs. They’re a great lightweight deployment solution, but they’re only as secure as you make them. You need to keep them in processes with limited capabilities, granting them only what they need. A process that has unlimited power, or one that can escalate its way there, can do unlimited damage if it’s compromised. Sound security practices will reduce the consequences of security incidents. Don’t grant absolute power It may seem too obvious to say, but never run a container as root. If your application must have quasi-root privileges, you can place the account within a user namespace , making it the root for the container but not the host machine. Also, don’t use the –privileged flag unless there’s a compelling reason. It’s one thing if the container does direct I/O on an embedded system, but normal application software should never need it. Containers should run under an owner that has access to its own resources but not to other accounts. If a third-party image requires the –privileged flag without an obvious reason, there’s a good chance it’s badly designed if not malicious. Avoid running a Docker socket in a container. It gives the process access to the Docker daemon, which is a useful but dangerous power. It includes the ability to control other containers, images, and volumes. If this kind of capability is necessary, it’s better to go through a proper API. Grant privileges as needed Applying the principle of least privilege minimizes container risks. A good approach is to drop all capabilities using –cap-drop=all and then enabling the ones that are needed with –cap-add . Each capability expands the attack surface between the container and its environment. Many workloads don’t need any added capabilities at all. The no-new-privileges flag under security-opt is another way to protect against privilege escalation. Dropping all capabilities does the same thing, so you don’t need both. Limiting the system resources which a container guards not only against runaway processes but against container-based DoS attacks. Beware of dubious images When possible, use official Docker images. They’re well documented and tested for security issues, and images are available for many common situations. Be wary of backdoored images . Someone put 17 malicious container images on Docker Hub, and they were downloaded over 5 million times before being removed. Some of them engaged in cryptomining on their hosts, wasting many processor cycles while generating $90,000 in Monero for the images’ creator. Other images may leak confidential data to an outside server. Many containerized environments are undoubtedly still running them. You should treat Docker images with the same caution you’d treat code libraries, CMS plugins, and other supporting software, Use only code that comes from a trustworthy source and is delivered through a reputable channel. Other considerations It should go without saying, but you need to rebuild your images regularly. The libraries and dependencies that they use get security patches from time to time, and you need to make sure your containers have them applied. On Linux, you can gain additional protection from security profiles such as secomp and AppArmor . These modules, used with the security-opt settings, let you set policies that will be automatically enforced. Container security presents its distinctive challenges. Experience with traditional application security helps in many ways, but Docker requires an additional set of practices. Still, the basics apply as much as ever. Start with trusted code. Don’t give it the power to do more than it needs to do. Use the available OS and Docker features for enhancing security. Monitor your systems for anomalous behavior. If you take all these steps, you’ll ward off the large majority of threats to your Docker environment. Schedule a demo Related Articles 2025 in review: What innovations and milestones defined AlgoSec’s transformative year in 2025? AlgoSec Reviews Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read Navigating Compliance in the Cloud AlgoSec Cloud Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read 5 Multi-Cloud Environments Cloud Security Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read Speak to one of our experts Speak to one of our experts Work email* First name* Last name* Company* country* Select country... Short answer* By submitting this form, I accept AlgoSec's privacy policy Schedule a call

What to do if your network is infected by ransomware How to prepare a ransomware playbook, using the existing capabilities of network security policy management tools Webinars How to stop ransomware in its tracks Stop ransomware in its tracks. Yes, it’s possible. But the time to prepare is now — before it strikes. In this session, security expert Dania Ben Peretz will demonstrate what to do if your network is infected by ransomware. She will show how to prepare a ransomware playbook, using the existing capabilities of network security policy management tools, so you can handle a ransomware incident as it happens. Join us and learn: The dangers of ransomware How to prepare the playbook How to stop ransomware when it strikes March 31, 2021 Dania Ben Peretz Product Manager Relevant resources Reducing your risk of ransomware attacks Keep Reading Ransomware Attack: Best practices to help organizations proactively prevent, contain and respond Keep Reading Fighting Ransomware - CTO Roundtable Insights Keep Reading Choose a better way to manage your network Choose a better way to manage your network Work email* First name* Last name* Company* country* Select country... Short answer* By submitting this form, I accept AlgoSec's privacy policy Continue

Learn about the nuances of cloud network security and why it’s a strategic imperative. Cloud network security strategic imperative Select a size Which network Can AlgoSec be used for continuous compliance monitoring? Yes, AlgoSec supports continuous compliance monitoring. As organizations adapt their security policies to meet emerging threats and address new vulnerabilities, they must constantly verify these changes against the compliance frameworks they subscribe to. AlgoSec can generate risk assessment reports and conduct internal audits on-demand, allowing compliance officers to monitor compliance performance in real-time. Security professionals can also use AlgoSec to preview and simulate proposed changes to the organization’s security policies. This gives compliance officers a valuable degree of lead-time before planned changes impact regulatory guidelines and allows for continuous real-time monitoring. Cloud network security explained What is cloud network security? Core components of cloud network security Why is cloud network security critical? Recommendations for cloud network security How AlgoSec tackles complex cloud network security challenges Conclusion FAQs Get the latest insights from the experts Schedule time with one of our experts Work email* First name* Last name* Company* country* Select country... Short answer* By submitting this form, I accept AlgoSec's privacy policy Continue

Webinars Micro-Segmentation Implementation – Taking the Leap from Strategy to Execution Micro-segmentation helps protect the enterprise network against the lateral movement of malware and insider threats. Maybe you’re in the process of developing a micro-segmentation strategy or just about to start a micro-segmentation project, but don’t know where to begin and concerned about mistakes along the way. In this practical webinar, Professor Avishai Wool, AlgoSec CTO and co-founder, will walk you through each step of your micro-segmentation project – from developing the right micro-segmentation strategy to successfully implementing and maintaining your micro-segmented network. Join our live webinar to learn: Why micro-segmentation is a critical part of your network security posture. Common pitfalls in micro-segmentation projects and how to avoid them. The stages of a successful micro-segmentation project. How to monitor and maintain your micro-segmented network. The role of policy management, change management, and automation in micro-segmentation. Prof. Avishai Wool CTO & Co Founder AlgoSec Relevant resources How to Structure Network Objects to Plan for Future Policy Growth Watch Video Data Center Segmentation Best Practices Watch Video Microsegmentation - Ongoing Maintenance Watch Video Create & Manage a Micro-Segmented Data Center – Best Practices Keep Reading Microsegmentation for Network Security – AlgoSec / SANS Webinar Keep Reading Choose a better way to manage your network Choose a better way to manage your network Work email* First name* Last name* Company* country* Select country... Short answer* By submitting this form, I accept AlgoSec's privacy policy Continue