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Explore micro-segmentation: a powerful security strategy. Discover real-world examples, top solutions, and key benefits for enhanced security and reduced risk. Micro-segmentation: Examples, solutions & top benefits Micro-segmentation: What it is, how it works, benefits Micro-segmentation means breaking down enterprise networks into multiple segments and using security policies to dictate how the data and applications in each segment will be accessed. These determinations are made by limiting traffic based on zero trust and least privilege principles. It provides a viable solution to flawed network security policies that weaken enterprise security. A micro-segmentation strategy enables organizations to reduce the size of their attack surface and make their networks safer against potential breaches. It also allows them to improve incident response, contain the impact of breaches, and maintain compliance with relevant laws and regulations. Schedule a Demo The need for micro-segmentation All organizations must protect their data centers with robust and effective firewall policies. Without these policies and associated security controls, smart and devious cybercriminals can easily hack into enterprise networks and systems. Micro-segmentation provides an effective way to install strong, clean, and easily-manageable security policies that help to create a more secure on-prem or hybrid cloud environment. This environment can keep traffic safe and block potential breaches from corrupting servers or compromising data. Moreover, creating multiple logical segments that are isolated from each other and enforced with least-privileged access keeps threat actors out of the network and also helps to contain a breach if it does happen. Schedule a Demo How micro-segmentation works Micro-segmentation can be applied in both on-prem data centers and cloud environments. It isolates network workloads which enable security teams to create security policies. These policies dictate the type of traffic passing in and out of each micro-segment. The policies are used to manage and create secure network segments and determine how these segments or zones will be accessed. They dictate how applications and workloads will access the resources they need, how they will share data within a system, and in which direction. Micro-segmentation also enables security teams to determine what kind of security or authentication measures are required for the environment. There are three main micro-segmentation approaches. Micro-segmentation works differently depending on which approach is adopted. Agent-based/host-based micro-segmentation Agent-based micro-segmentation utilizes a software agent deployed on the workload. It doesn’t rely on static network-level rules based on network ports or IP addresses. The agent allows security teams to enforce granular isolation, better control individual hosts, and implement automated segmentation policies with human-readable labels. Agent-based micro-segmentation security solutions are infrastructure-independent so they can be deployed across both data center and cloud infrastructure. One drawback of the method is that not all workloads can have an agent installed on them. Also, attackers can exploit the trust in the network with host firewall-based micro-segmentation. Network-based micro-segmentation Network-based micro-segmentation leverages the network infrastructure to enforce security policies. The policies are configured and enforced using access control lists (ACLs) or IP constructs. There’s no need to deploy agents on workloads. A drawback of this method is that the policies can only be enforced per endpoint, so network firewalls cannot distinguish between legitimate software and malware and will therefore block or allow both. Also, the policies are static, which can cause performance issues in more dynamic (e.g., cloud) environments. Finally, the approach can be complicated to manage when more granular micro-segments and a higher number of firewall rules are created. Hypervisor-based micro-segmentation This method depends on virtualized environments and hypervisors to create overlay networks and enforce micro-segmentation. The approach does not require network hardware changes. Also, its policy constructs are easy to learn for security teams. The chief drawback of the approach is that it doesn’t support bare metal servers, container workloads, or public cloud environments. Also, it doesn’t provide host-level visibility into its software, processes, vulnerabilities, etc. Schedule a Demo Examples of micro-segmentation One common example of micro-segmentation is the separation of development and testing environments from production environments. Granularly limiting the connections between these environments prevents careless or dangerous activities, such as using sensitive/live data for testing. Other examples include: Application micro-segmentation: Restricting access to sensitive data in applications to prevent unauthorized use or malicious exfiltration User micro-segmentation: Leveraging user identity services to control access to applications and services Tier-level micro-management: Separating application components to allow only authorized users to access specific components and keep unauthorized users out Schedule a Demo Network segmentation vs. Micro-segmentation Network segmentation divides the enterprise network into multiple security zones. In traditional data center environments, network segmentation is usually accomplished using firewalls, VLANs, and access control lists (ACLs). In more modern, cloud-based environments, Virtual Private Clouds (VPCs), subnets, and Security Groups (SGs). Microsoft Azure, for example, provides numerous network segmentation options, such as subscriptions (platform-powered separation between entities), virtual networks (isolated and secure networks to run virtual machines and applications), network security groups (access control mechanisms to control traffic between resources within a virtual network), and Azure firewall (a cloud-native stateful firewall-as-a-service to filter traffic flowing between cloud resources, the Internet, and on-premise). Regardless of the environment type, the zones created with network segmentation consist of multiple devices and applications. Admins can set access controls that permit only specific traffic between zones. Micro-segmentation is a more granular form of network segmentation. It involves placing each device or application within its own logically isolated segment instead of simply breaking a network into multiple, large segments. It thus provides more granular visibility and greater control than network segmentation. Unlike network segmentation which breaks the network based on north-south traffic (traffic running between clients and servers and crossing the security perimeter), micro-segmentation focuses on east-west traffic that moves laterally across and within the network. Moreover, it usually uses software policies and software-defined networking (SDN). With SDN, all network traffic is routed through an inspection point (e.g., a next-generation firewall) that can identify an attacker’s lateral movement and block inappropriate accesses to the network and its resources. Some SDN solutions, such as Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI), can automatically assign endpoints to logical security zones called endpoint groups (EPGs). These EPGs may have a contract that is used to control traffic flow between EPGs within the ACI fabric. Schedule a Demo Network segmentation challenges and how micro-segmentation Helps Dividing a network into multiple smaller segments can improve both its security and performance. Effective network segmentation allows security teams to spot an attack and act early to mitigate its impact and prevent its spread across the network. Even so, it can be challenging to implement network segmentation. For one, dividing the network into many VLANs and subnets requires a lot of manual effort. Also, the network may need to be re-architected, which can be difficult, time-consuming, and expensive. Micro-segmentation is a better and easier approach to securing a network, especially if host-based micro-segmentation is adopted. This is because the host-based approach is infrastructure-independent, provides more granular control, and enables micro-segmentation based on human-understandable policies instead of static network-level rules. Plus, the model can be deployed across both, cloud and data center environments without “coupling” to them. In addition, it decouples security policy enforcement from the physical infrastructure, simplifying administration and allowing more granular control. Also, it does not require network re-architecting so it is less time-consuming, less complex, and more cost-effective than network segmentation. Schedule a Demo Micro-segmentation: Essential for zero trust security Micro-segmentation is increasingly used to implement zero trust security . This new security model considers all users and devices untrustworthy by default. To gain access to network resources and become “trusted”, the user or device must meet the network’s conditions, for example, undergo a virus scan or complete multi-factor authentication (MFA). The zero trust model enables organizations to move away from traditional perimeter-based network security which is inadequate for modern-day remote workers and cloud environments. And micro-segmentation supports the model by: Dividing the network into smaller zones Creating a mini-perimeter around each endpoint to secure it individually Providing enhanced network visibility and stronger access controls In sum, zero trust, and micro-segmentation work in tandem by securing workloads in dynamic environments and preventing the lateral movement of unauthorized users in the network. Schedule a Demo The top 7 benefits of micro-segmentation The need for micro-segmentation is increasing because it provides all these benefits: Effective security through enhanced endpoint protection Micro-segmentation provides effective and cost-efficient security, particularly in modern network environments that are complex, dynamic, and fast-expanding. By logically dividing the data center into distinct security segments, it enables security architects to define security controls for each segment. This then reduces the size of the attack surface and enables the organization to better resist attacks or intrusions. Protection against network-based threats Micro-segmentation protects networks against network-based threats like DDoS attacks and WiFI attacks. It also allows admins to implement robust controls to restrict the flow of traffic on detecting a threat. Protection for cloud workloads and data Micro-segmentation can secure dynamic cloud systems, workloads, and data. With granular microsegments, security teams can easily monitor cloud traffic, identify suspicious or malicious traffic, and respond quickly once they detect dangerous breaches. Protection from advanced persistent threats (APTs) Individual micro-segments contain security checkpoints that help to keep cyber threats from spreading across the network. So, even if one part of a network is compromised, attackers cannot move laterally and reach or persist in other parts of the network. Thus, micro-segmentation protects the network from APTs. Improves breach containment Even if the network is breached, security staff can contain its impact with micro-segmentation. By monitoring traffic against secure policies, they can reduce the impact of a breach as well as their response time. Support for centralized policy management Organizations can use micro-segmentation to create and enforce granular security policies and to centralize policy management across networks. Without it, they would have to manually manage policies across a large fleet of devices and resources, which is a complex and time-consuming task. In addition, they can enforce zero-trust security policies, where access is allowed based on need, which can reduce the organization’s cyber risk. Endpoint separation enables regulatory compliance Micro-segmentation using the host-based approach helps isolate separately-secured endpoints, allowing security staff to easily control the traffic in systems that are subject to regulations. Policy granularity and visibility ensure that distributed devices are always protected by unified network security and also reduce the risks of non-compliant usage. Schedule a Demo Near-effortless micro-segmentation with AlgoSec By utilizing AlgoSec’s micro-segmentation method of network security, businesses can immediately feel safer against possible hackers and potential data breaches. Our application workload security platform will secure your compute instances across any infrastructure and any cloud. It will also enable trusted access through automated, exhaustive context from various systems to automatically adapt security policies. But there are always obstacles when installing new systems on existing servers, whether it’s evolving the firewalls already in place to accept the micro-segmented data center or navigating possible network segmentation pitfalls. Our team can work with you all the way from strategy to execution to ensure these challenges are met and handled with ease so your security improves and your data is confidently protected. We will make sure that all your segmentation policies will be applied beyond the native software and hardware sensors, extending them to all supported on-premise, cloud, and SDN technologies. By using AlgoSec, you will get consistent and defense-in-depth security across your entire hybrid network. You can also maximize your current investment by leveraging existing security technologies for micro-segmentation. Plus, we will help you secure your environment in minutes rather than days or weeks. Talk to us to know more about our business-driven security management. Schedule a Demo Select a size Micro-segmentation: What it is, how it works, benefits The need for micro-segmentation How micro-segmentation works Examples of micro-segmentation Network segmentation vs. Micro-segmentation Network segmentation challenges and how micro-segmentation Helps Micro-segmentation: Essential for zero trust security The top 7 benefits of micro-segmentation Near-effortless micro-segmentation with AlgoSec Get the latest insights from the experts Use these six best practices to simplify compliance and risk mitigation with the AlgoSec platform White paper Learn how AlgoSec can help you pass PCI-DSS Audits and ensure continuous compliance Solution Overview See how this customer improved compliance readiness and risk management with AlgoSec Case study Choose a better way to manage your network

Boost Cisco ACI adoption with AlgoSec. Simplify security management, enhance visibility, and streamline policy automation for your ACI environment. Increasing Cisco ACI adoption with AlgoSec Overview Cisco ACI, an industry-leading software-defined networking solution, facilitates application agility and data center automation. ACI enables scalable multi-cloud networks with a consistent policy model and provides the flexibility to move applications seamlessly to any location or any cloud while maintaining security and high availability. But, using Cisco ACI alone, has limits. Schedule a Demo Better together: Cisco ACI and AlgoSec AlgoSec Security Management for Cisco ACI delivers application-centric security policy change management, providing unified visibility across the entire network estate. It leverages policy-driven automation to manage security changes, assess risk, and maintain compliance. Integrating AlgoSec with Cisco ACI, extends the capabilities of Cisco ACI, accelerating adoption and retention of ACI, by providing complete network security management for the entire multi-vendor and multi-cloud network. Schedule a Demo Enterprise-wide ACI visibility With Cisco ACI alone, users only have visibility within the Cisco ACI fabric. However, by integrating with AlgoSec, gain full visibility across your multi-vendor hybrid network, including your on-premises and multi-cloud network estate like firewalls and other security control. With AlgoSec, users can search across multi-site Cisco ACI estates for tenants, endpoints, contracts, EPGs, and more. Visibility also extends beyond Cisco ACI, including items outside the ACI fabric so you can get visibility over your entire network estate. This provides a unified view of multiple environments including cloud, SDN, and on-premise deployments. Gain quick access to key findings via the AlgoSec App for the Cisco ACI App Center. As a result of full visibility over the traffic flows across your entire network, troubleshooting is simplified. With traffic simulation queries, you can easily see what breaks, so you know exactly what needs to be fixed. Once the ACI fabric is in production, AlgoSec can even help troubleshoot applications and connectivity issues for connections that enter, exit, and traverse the fabric itself. Schedule a Demo Why integrate AlgoSec with Cisco ACI? Automate for scale – Extend ACI’s policy-based automation to all security devices across the enterprise, including multi-cloud and on-premises environments. Reduce the attack surface – Enhance visibility into the security posture of the ACI fabric and across multiple on-premises, multi-cloud, and multi-vendor instances Security and compliance – Get risk and compliance analysis for Cisco ACI contracts alongside firewall security policies Application-centric security management – Map application connectivity to ACI contracts and EPGs, as well as in-fabric firewall policies Troubleshoot data center connectivity challenges using advanced network traffic simulation Schedule a Demo Application-centric connectivity mapping AlgoSec natively provides visibility into Cisco ACI network topology, while tying the ACI fabric into the rest of the data center. This provides a complete network topology map for your entire hybrid network. In addition, you can connect your network to the applications and their associated traffic flows. With Cisco ACI alone, applications are not connected to items outside of the ACI fabric or associated with all of the business applications on devices. By integrating Cisco ACI with the AlgoSec Security Management Solution, your organization is also able to connect network and business applications for items within and also outside of the ACI fabric. As a result, you can map application connectivity to ACI contracts and EPGs, as well as in-fabric firewall policies. Schedule a Demo Risk management Integrating the AlgoSec Security Management Solution with Cisco ACI enables to manage risk both within Cisco ACI and over your entire network, including identifying already existing risky security policies and flagging risk when creating new policies. AlgoSec helps identify risky rules for your entire network . In order to minimize outages, AlgoSec users can assess the impact of network changes on application availability. Risk and vulnerabilities can also be identified from the business application perspective. Potential changes can be recommended to the application policies in the ACI fabric. As a result, your application, security, and network teams are aligned. Schedule a Demo Proactive regulatory compliance By integrating Cisco ACI with AlgoSec, you can gain a complete picture of both items within the ACI fabric to meet compliance requirements, as well as items outside the fabric. AlgoSec generates automatic audit-ready compliance reports on each Cisco ACI tenant for major regulations, flags issues upon changes, uncovers gaps, and even remediates problems throughout your entire network, ensuring a state of continuous compliance and even provides insights into your entire network’s compliance state. Schedule a Demo Intelligent automation Cisco ACI provides automation for workflows and policies within the ACI fabric. But by integrating with AlgoSec, you can automate both inside and outside of the ACI fabric, including service graphs that control firewalls within the fabric. AlgoSec’s intelligent automation workflow enables automated deployment of contracts, EPGs, and filters on Cisco ACI. This allows clients to use a single process to deploy security policy across not only the Cisco ACI fabric, but rather across the entire hybrid, multi-vendor data center. Schedule a Demo Select a size Overview Better together: Cisco ACI and AlgoSec Enterprise-wide ACI visibility Why integrate AlgoSec with Cisco ACI? Application-centric connectivity mapping Risk management Proactive regulatory compliance Intelligent automation Get the latest insights from the experts Choose a better way to manage your network

Enhance your network security with application segmentation solutions from Guardicore and AlgoSec, providing advanced visibility and control to protect critical assets. Application segmentation: Guardicore and AlgoSec ---- ------- Schedule a Demo Select a size ----- Get the latest insights from the experts Choose a better way to manage your network

Streamline security management for Cisco ACI with AlgoSec's solution, offering visibility, policy automation, and risk management for your network infrastructure. AlgoSec security management solution for Cisco ACI Introduction With the integration of AlgoSec into the Cisco® Application Centric Infrastructure (Cisco ACI™) architecture, customers can monitor security policy changes across their Cisco ACI system, obtain risk and compliance context for both managed and unmanaged security devices, and extend automation across their entire security environment. Schedule a Demo Policy-driven, multi-tenant, application-centric security management for data centers AlgoSec Security Management Solution for Cisco ACI™ extends ACI’s policy-driven automation to security devices in the fabric, helping customers automate policy enforcement for security devices in the fabric and ensure continuous compliance across multicloud ACI environments. The need The growing demand to support diverse applications across the data center and ensure that these applications are secure and compliant poses significant challenges to data center administrators. Managing network security policies in multicloud environments, with multivendor security devices spread out across physical and virtual devices is a delicate balancing act. There is a tradeoff between reducing risk and provisioning connectivity for critical business applications. With thousands of firewall rules across many different security devices, frequent changes, a lack of trained security personnel, and lack of visibility, managing security policies manually is now impossible. It is too complex, too time-consuming, and riddled with errors – causing outages, security risks, and compliance violations. The solution AlgoSec Security Management for Cisco ACI delivers application-centric security policy change management, providing unified visibility across the entire network estate. It leverages policy-driven automation to manage security changes, assess risk, and maintain compliance. About Cisco ACI Cisco ACI, an industry-leading software-defined networking solution, facilitates application agility and data center automation. ACI enables scalable multicloud networks with a consistent policy model and provides the flexibility to move applications seamlessly to any location or any cloud while maintaining security and high availability. Schedule a Demo The AlgoSec solution The network security management solution from AlgoSec and Cisco comprises several key components: AlgoSec Firewall Analyzer (AFA) – Network security policy analysis, auditing, and compliance AlgoSec Firewall Analyzer delivers visibility and analysis of complex network security policies across Cisco ACI, firewalls attached to the ACI fabric, and other upstream security devices. The solution automates and simplifies security operations, including troubleshooting, auditing policy cleanup, risk and compliance analysis, and audit preparations. AlgoSec FireFlow (AFF) – Automation of security policy changes AlgoSec FireFlow helps you process security policy changes in a fraction of the time, so you can respond to business requirements with the agility they demand. AlgoSec FireFlow automates the entire security policy change process — from design and submission to proactive risk analysis, implementation, validation, and auditing with support for automated policy enforcement on Cisco ACI and multivendor security devices. AlgoSec AppViz – Application Visibility Add-On The AppViz add-on accelerates identification and mapping of all the network attributes and rules that support business-critical applications – making it easier for organizations to make changes to their applications across any on-premise and cloud platform, and to troubleshoot network and change management issues across the entire enterprise environment. AlgoSec AppChange – Application Lifecycle Change Management Add-On AlgoSec’s AppChange automatically updates network security policy changes on all relevant devices across the entire network. This saves time for IT and security teams and eliminates manual errors and misconfigurations. AppChange addresses the critical issues of human error and configuration mistakes which are the biggest causes of network and application outages. About the AlgoSec Security Policy Management Solution (ASMS) AlgoSec Security Policy Management Solution (ASMS) intelligently automates and orchestrates network security policy management to make enterprises more agile, more secure, and more compliant — all the time. Through a single pane of glass, users can determine application connectivity requirements, proactively analyze risk from the business perspective, and rapidly plan and execute network security changes — all with zero-touch deployment and provisioning, seamlessly orchestrated in multicloud network environments. AlgoSec integrates with Cisco ACI to extend ACI’s policy-based automation to all security devices across their data center, on its edges, and in the cloud. AlgoSec Security Management Solution for ACI enables customers to ensure continuous compliance and automates the provisioning of security policies across the ACI fabric and multivendor security devices connected to the ACI fabric, helping customers build secure data centers Schedule a Demo The integrated Cisco ACI and AlgoSec offering Through a seamless integration, AlgoSec complements Cisco ACI by extending and enhancing its policy-based automation to all security devices across the enterprise network – inside and outside the data center. With AlgoSec’s enhanced visibility and unified security policy management capabilities, customers can now process and apply security policy changes quickly, assess and reduce risk, ensure compliance, and maintain a strong security posture across their entire environment – thereby rapidly realizing the full potential of their Cisco ACI deployment. Key features of the integrated solution Visibility Provides complete visibility into tenants, endpoints, EPGs and contracts in the ACI fabric Provides a detailed change history for every firewall and other managed devices, current risk status, and device topology Quick access to key findings via the AlgoSec App for the Cisco ACI App Center Compliance Proactively performs a risk assessment for the policies (contracts) defined in the ACI fabric and policies defined for firewalls in the fabric; It also recommends the necessary changes to eliminate misconfigurations and compliance violations Proactively assesses risks for new policy change requests (before enforcement) to ensure continuous compliance Automatically generates audit-ready regulatory compliance reports for the entire ACI fabric Policy automation Automatically pushes security policy changes to Cisco ACI by creating contracts and filters to enforce data center whitelist policy Automatically pushes changes to firewalls in the ACI fabric and other network security controls in the data center Policy-driven application connectivity management Map application connectivity to ACI contracts and EPGs as well as in-fabric firewall policies Migrate application connectivity to Cisco ACI Visualize and instantly provision connectivity for business applications Assess the impact of network changes on application availability to minimize outages View risk and vulnerabilities from the business application perspective and recommend potential changes to the application policies in the ACI fabric Key benefits of the integrated solution for Cisco ACI customers Provides visibility into the security posture of the Cisco ACI fabric Delivers risk and compliance analysis and supports all major regulatory standards Reduces time and effort through security policy automation Facilitates and automates network segmentation within the data center Helps avoid outages and eliminate security device misconfigurations Significantly simplifies and reduces audit preparation efforts and costs Schedule a Demo AlgoSec App for Cisco ACI App Center AlgoSec also delivers an App for the Cisco ACI App Center, making key benefits of the integrated solution easily accessible from the APIC-user interface. The AlgoSec App for ACI provides visibility into security and compliance posture of the ACI fabric (including firewalls in the ACI fabric) and enables contract connectivity troubleshooting and the automating of security policy changes on firewalls connected to the ACI fabric. Schedule a Demo Key use cases of the integrated solution Automated security policy change management Automate security policy change management for multivendor firewalls Automatically create and push ACI contracts and EPGs “On-the-fly” risk and compliance assurance during policy changes of ACI and in-fabric firewalls Design rule changes and validate correct implementation Push policy changes directly to the device Document changes and generate an audit trail Seamlessly integrate with existing ticketing systems Risk mitigation and compliance reporting Instantly generate audit-ready reports for all major regulations, including PCI DSS, HIPAA , SOX, NERC, GDPR, and many others Risk and compliance analysis for Cisco ACI contracts and for firewall security policies Proactively uncover gaps in your firewall compliance posture across your entire estate Proactively check every change for compliance violations – and remediate problems before an audit Get a complete audit trail of all firewall changes and approval processes Application connectivity and security modeling Map application connectivity to ACI contracts and EPGs Map application connectivity to ACI fabric firewall polices Simplify application and server migrations to the data center Accelerate application delivery Reduce the cost of manual application connectivity mapping efforts Avoid application outages due to network device misconfigurations Provide risk and compliance per application Align application, security, and network teams Data center and cloud migration Provide application connectivity mapping assistance by connecting to CMDBs among other ways Map the security devices and policies to ACI’s application data constructs Provide risk assessment to application connectivity as depicted by ACI Minimize business disruption and avoid application outages during migration In-depth visibility of the security migration process Unify security policy management across multicloud environments Schedule a Demo How it works AlgoSec uses NoAPIC northbound REST APIs to learn the APIC policy configuration. AlgoSec then uses this information from Cisco ACI and adds to it the configurations and policies of the network firewalls, routers, load balancers, web proxies, and cloud security controls, to deliver a unified security policy management solution for the ACI fabric. This, in turn, provides benefits including compliance, automation, and visibility of the entire network estate. Schedule a Demo Summary Integrating Cisco ACI with AlgoSec lets you do the following: Automatically design and push security policy change s to Cisco ACI by creating contracts and filters to enforce the data center whitelist policy, and also changes to firewalls connected to the ACI fabric and to other network security controls in a multicloud environment Proactively assess risk in Cisco ACI contracts and recommend changes needed to eliminate misconfigurations and compliance violations both while making policy changes and, periodically, for the entire multicloud environment Application policy reflection of the data center’s underline security policies as implemented on firewalls and other security devices Schedule a Demo AlgoSec software components compatible with Cisco ACI AlgoSec component: AlgoSec Firewall Analyzer (AFA) V2017.3 and higherCisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA), Cisco Firepower® Threat Defense (FTD), Palo Alto Networks, Fortinet, Check Point Firewalls, and cloud-native security devices. Please refer to the link below for a complete list of supported devices: https://www.algosec.com/ supported-devices/ AlgoSec FireFlow (AFF) AlgoSec AppVizAlgoSec AppChangeActiveChange (for AFF) v2018.1 and higher Schedule a Demo Product availability The AlgoSec Security Policy Management Solution for Cisco ACI is available on the Cisco Global Price List (GPL) through the Cisco SolutionsPlus Program. Please contact Cisco sales or the Cisco partner network for more details. For more information Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure https://www.cisco.com/site/us/en/products/networking/cloud-networking/application-centric-infrastructure/index.html The AlgoSec Connectivity and Compliance App on ACI App Center https://dcappcenter.cisco.com/connectivitycompliance.html AlgoSec and Cisco https://www.algosec.com/cisco-algosec/. Schedule a Demo Select a size Introduction Policy-driven, multi-tenant, application-centric security management for data centers The AlgoSec solution The integrated Cisco ACI and AlgoSec offering AlgoSec App for Cisco ACI App Center Key use cases of the integrated solution How it works Summary AlgoSec software components compatible with Cisco ACI Product availability Get the latest insights from the experts Choose a better way to manage your network

Discover the best RedSeal alternatives for robust network security in 2024. Find solutions that excel in network visibility, risk assessment, and compliance. Top 7 RedSeal Alternatives for Network Security in 2024 Top 7 RedSeal Alternatives for Network Security in 2024 RedSeal is a cybersecurity solution that provides security risk management and network visibility for cloud-enabled organizations. It provides security leaders with the data they need to prioritize risks and meet compliance goals with end-to-end visibility. This approach is important for organizations with complex cloud deployments, but Redseal isn’t for everyone . Some vendors offer similar capabilities at lower prices, while others have superior risk management software for specific industry niches. You may be interested in switching from RedSeal to another network visibility solution because you might need additional support for a multi-vendor cloud platform. We’ve put together a comprehensive list of security policy management platforms that can provide insight into your organization’s attack surface and cloud security capabilities. Read on to find out more about how the cybersecurity industry’s most important RedSeal competitors stack up. We’ll cover the features of each technology along with its pros and cons so you can make the best decision for your organization’s budget and security posture. Schedule a Demo Is RedSeal the best option for end-to-end visibility? RedSeal gathers data about endpoints and network devices and analyzes that data in real-time. This gives network administrators the ability to conduct vulnerability assessments and endpoint security audits as needed, enabling security service providers to keep up with emerging threats. Key features: Security analytics and network visualization. RedSeal’s security platform prioritizes analytics and visualization, allowing network administrators to quickly gauge their overall risk profile and track down vulnerabilities before attackers can exploit them. Intuitive dashboards and high-level reporting. Security leaders rely on RedSeal’s data visualization capabilities to decide where future security investments should be made. The platform is designed to make risk prioritization easy while allowing key stakeholders to communicate clearly about cyber risk. Pros: Ease of installation use. RedSeal is designed for enterprise users who need to gain visibility into their networks with minimal technical configuration requirements. As a high-level reporting tool, it provides programmatic API integration with a variety of third-party services without drowning users in unnecessary details. Comprehensive network mapping. RedSeal ingests information about your network configuration, including your firewalls, switches, routers, and load balancers. It also connects to your public cloud and private cloud instances using APIs and builds a complete connectivity model of your network. Agent-free low-consumption model. RedSeal’s connectivity model does not rely on agents, SPAN ports, or TAPs. It creates a comprehensive network model without compromising production traffic or using up NetFlow data. Cons: Costs do not scale well. RedSeal charges a subscription fee based on the number of layer 3 and layer 2 devices on the network, plus support and maintenance costs that include perpetual software licensing fees. These fees are calculated as a percentage of the overall subscription cost, which can present problems for growing organizations. Lack of community support. While other solutions have thriving communities built around open source security solutions, RedSeal has almost no community to speak of. The company provides security teams with technical documentation, but top competitors have much more to offer. Lack of advanced features. Beyond mapping and analytics, RedSeal does not actually provide a great deal of value compared to many other options. It should feature more in-depth capabilities for integrating incident response operations, threat intelligence, and malware remediation for cloud environments. Schedule a Demo 7 RedSeal Competitors to Consider: AlgoSec FireMon Tufin Skybox Security Cisco Defense Orchestrator ManageEngine Qualys Vulnerability Management Schedule a Demo 1. AlgoSec AlgoSec is the top-ranking RedSeal competitor because of its comprehensive set of features for managing network security policies while proactively protecting against cyber threats. The platform provides the same degree of end-to-end network visualization that RedSeal promises, but with additional capabilities. It provides secure application delivery across public and private clouds, containers, and on-premises hardware devices while supporting compliance and visibility. Key features: Comprehensive coverage and compatibility. AlgoSec enables security leaders to automate asset discovery and policy management across the entire hybrid network . That includes public cloud infrastructure like AWS, on-premises hardware, and third-party software-as-a-service (SaaS) solutions are all covered. Real-Time network mapping. Security teams can use AlgoSec to unlimited visibility into their network’s connectivity stream . Additionally, they can implement changes, reinforce policies, and update security controls directly from the interface. Simulated configuration modeling. AlgoSec allows security professionals to test network configuration changes and identify potential risks before committing those changes. This removes much of the guesswork and risk that goes into changing network and firewall configurations. Pros: Automated change management reduces the errors that come from manual configuration. Firewall rule optimization automatically protects your organization from new and emerging threats. Regulatory analysis can help you demonstrate compliance with complex frameworks like NIST and PCI-DSS . Cons: The platform could benefit from more in-depth integration support. Some patches and hotfixes arrive late when compared to competitors. Schedule a Demo 2. FireMon FireMon is a network security vendor that specializes in provisioning network security policies and managing them from a central interface. It provides hybrid organizations with a comprehensive set of tools for reviewing policies in real-time and making changes to those policies in response to new analysis. Like RedSeal, it provides end-to-end visibility into cloud-enabled networks and gives IT teams visibility into their security risk profile. Key features: Distributed alarm and response capabilities. FireMon provides visibility into application connectivity and supports complex alarming configurations in multi-vendor environments. Out-of-the-box reporting tools. Security leaders who implement FireMon in order to gain fast access to in-depth reports are able to get these features working with minimal setup and configuration time. Customization tools included. Organizations that need customized reporting or policy management solutions can rely on FireMon to deliver. Pros: FireMon’s policy error analysis is accurate, providing in-depth data about which policies get triggered the most frequently and which ones do not. The unified visibility and management tool provides a great starting place for standardizing security policy management, especially across complex multi-vendor environments. Cons: FireMon’s licensing model can be inconsistent. Some customers report having their license terms changed over time. The platform’s automation capabilities are not quite as advanced as some other entrants on this list. Network mapping isn’t always accurate in certain network topologies, such as those that use asymmetric routing. Schedule a Demo 3. Tufin Tufin’s Orchestration Suite is a comprehensive network security management platform designed around automation and compliance. It supports multi-vendor networks, and runs on a variety of operating systems and devices. It enables security practitioners to audit firewall rules against a universal standard, providing in-depth insight into the organization’s overall exposure to risk . Key features: High quality automation capabilities. Tufin allows security teams to cleanly automate low-impact tasks like policy duplication. It makes addressing unused objects, address groups, and service objects easy. Advanced scheduling. You can use Tufin to schedule policy modifications to take place overnight. Depending on your security needs, you can distribute resources where they are needed when they are needed most. Multiple tools. Tufin provides organizations with a variety of policy management tools. It can manage firewall policies, VPN policies, and perform compliance verifications via API. Pros: Using Tufin to manage security policies is easy. Most security professionals will be able to quickly learn how the software works and begin using it right away. Tufin allows security teams to manage firewall policies and integrate change processes into their workflows. Security teams with multiple firewalls from different vendors can easily control and manage their firewall fleet through Tufin’s centralized interface. Cons: The product is not particularly fast or user-friendly. It features a user interface that looks dated compared to many other entrants on this list. Tufin does not support advanced customization or reports. These limitations are even more pronounced for organizations with complex network management needs . The cost of implementing Tufin can be high for growing organizations. It seems priced for the large enterprise market. Schedule a Demo 4. Skybox Security Skybox Security Suite is a suite of cybersecurity management solutions that helps organizations reduce data breach risks and improve their security ratings. It provides continuous exposure management, which means it continuously monitors and analyzes organizations’ networks for vulnerabilities and threats. Key features: Skybox Security Suite includes two main policy management tools: Network Security Policy Management : This tool helps organizations develop and enforce consistent security policies for their networks. Vulnerability and Threat Management : This tool helps organizations identify and prioritize vulnerabilities in their networks and mitigate the associated risks. Pros: Automated firewall management helps organizations automate the provisioning, configuration, and management of their firewalls. Network visibility and vulnerability control enables security teams to prioritize the vulnerabilities Skybox detects in their networks. Threat Intelligence: Skybox includes its own threat intelligence service, which provides organizations with information about new vulnerabilities and active exploits. Cons: Skybox can present a steep learning curve to new users, even if they’re experienced network security professionals. Skybox relies on an accurate inventory of devices and networks. If the inventory is not up-to-date, it may not provide accurate results. Schedule a Demo 5. Cisco Defense Orchestrator Cisco Defense Orchestrator is a cloud-based security policy management service that helps organizations unify their policies across multi-cloud networks. It provides comprehensive asset discovery and visibility for cloud infrastructure, and network administrators can use it to manage security configurations and assess their risk profile. However, it only supports Cisco products and hardware. Key features: Single reference point for policy management: Cisco Defense Orchestrator provides a pane of glass for managing and configuring Cisco security devices across the network. Cloud-delivered software: Cisco Defense Orchestrator deploys rapidly and quickly. The process is defined by scalability made possible through the product’s cloud-delivered SaaS format. Built-in compliance management: The solution lets security teams deploy policies to Cisco security devices and demonstrate that those policies are compliant with industry-wide frameworks like NIST, PCI-DSS, and others. Pros: Administrators can easily manage the organization’s fleet of security devices and other network assets from a single location. Cisco’s cloud-delivered approach is cost-efficient and scalable, while remaining powerful enough to enhance security for large enterprises as well as growing organizations. Visibility is built into the software package, granting security teams the ability to map out network assets and identify vulnerabilities proactively. Cons: The cost of implementing Cisco Defense Orchestrator may be too high for some organizations. Cisco Defense Orchestrator only supports Cisco products. If your organization has to rip and replace its existing fleet of firewalls, switches, and routers, the cost of deploying this solution will rise dramatically. Schedule a Demo 6. ManageEngine Firewall Analyzer ManageEngine Firewall Analyzer enhances network security by providing real-time insights into firewall traffic and rule configurations. It also enables administrators to generate comprehensive reports and alerts on security events and potential risks. It supports a wide range of hardware vendors and can provide vulnerability management solutions to security teams that need better visibility into their security posture. Key features: Agentless deployment . Real-time monitoring is available without requiring endpoints and other assets to run client-side agents that can draw resources away from mission-critical business tasks. Out-of-the-box compliance management. Security teams can automate compliance management using ManageEngine without requiring additional configuration or painstaking customization. Network traffic monitoring. ManageEngine enables security teams to conduct behavioral analysis on network traffic, monitoring for unusual activity and getting detailed insights about how users are interacting with company assets. Pros: The software allows administrators to monitor and respond to security threats quickly, and grants real-time information about how firewall rules are being used. ManageEngine helps administrators keep track of security incidents and vulnerabilities and provides compliance reporting ideal for popular regulatory standards like NIST and PCI-DSS. The user interface is easy to use and understand, making it suitable for IT professionals with different levels of skill and experience. Cons: The software may be too costly for some organizations, especially growing organizations with a single shared budget for IT and security expenses. ManageEngine Firewall Analyzer may not work with all firewall vendors, so organizations should verify compatibility before deploying the software. Installing ManageEngine requires a high level of technical knowledge and specialist talent, which increases the cost. Schedule a Demo 7. Qualys Vulnerability Management Qualys provides network administrators with a comprehensive suite of tools for defining and managing cyber risk. Its software package includes solutions that grant end-to-end visibility into networks and map network assets out so that security teams can prioritize them effectively. It also supports automation and network security policy management, all through a single interface. Key features: Quantifiable cyber risk statistics . The product uses a proprietary system for tracking and quantifying cyber risk, giving security leaders an easy way to communicate the organization’s risk profile to executives and stakeholders. Automated no-code workflows . IT teams can use Qualys Vulnerability Management to orchestrate security updates and patching without writing complex scripts for the purpose. Comprehensive network discovery and mapping . Qualys detects all IT assets on the network, and also extends its discovery to operating technology and Internet of Things (IoT) devices. It enriches asset inventories with vendor lifecycle data and additional information. Pros: Risk-based prioritization puts critical vulnerabilities first. Security leaders can allocate resources to the most important tasks and manage less-critical vulnerabilities later. The product supports integration with existing IT management tools, making it easy for network administrators to use effectively. It also connects with security platforms like SIEM, support ticketing tools, and other third-party software. Cons: Qualys is not compatible with some modern enterprise data architectures. It has trouble reading containerized files and may not work correctly in organizations with a microservices architecture. Customer support often experiences delays, making it hard for customers to get immediate help solving time-sensitive security issues. The product’s built-in reporting capabilities are outdated compared to many other entrants on this list. Producing custom visualizations and combining data from multiple sources can be more difficult than it needs to be. Schedule a Demo Select a size Top 7 RedSeal Alternatives for Network Security in 2024 Is RedSeal the best option for end-to-end visibility? 7 RedSeal Competitors to Consider: 1. AlgoSec 2. FireMon 3. Tufin 4. Skybox Security 5. Cisco Defense Orchestrator 6. ManageEngine Firewall Analyzer 7. Qualys Vulnerability Management Get the latest insights from the experts Use these six best practices to simplify compliance and risk White paper Learn how AlgoSec can help you pass PCI-DSS Audits and ensure Solution overview See how this customer improved compliance readiness and risk management with AlgoSec Case study Choose a better way to manage your network

Gain comprehensive visibility and control over your network security with AlgoSec Firewall Analyzer. Simplify audits, optimize configurations, and enhance protection. AlgoSec Firewall Analyzer- See the whole picture ---- ------- Schedule a Demo Select a size ----- Get the latest insights from the experts Choose a better way to manage your network

Implement micro-segmentation effectively, from strategy to execution, to enhance security, minimize risks, and protect critical assets across your network. Micro-segmentation from strategy to execution Overview Learn how to plan and execute your micro-segmentation project in AlgoSec’s guide. Schedule a Demo What is Micro segmentation Micro-segmentation is a technique to create secure zones in networks. It lets companies isolate workloads from one another and introduce tight controls over internal access to sensitive data. This makes network security more granular. Micro-segmentation is an “upgrade” to network segmentation. Companies have long relied on firewalls, VLANs, and access control lists (ACL) to segment their network. Network segmentation is a key defense-in-depth strategy, segregating and protecting company data and limiting attackers’ lateral movements. Consider a physical intruder who enters a gated community. Despite having breached the gate, the intruder cannot freely enter the houses in the community because, in addition to the outside gate, each house has locks on its door. Micro-segmentation takes this an additional step further – even if the intruder breaks into a house, the intruder cannot access all the rooms. Schedule a Demo Why Micro-segment? Organizations frequently implement micro-segmentation to block lateral movement. Two common types of lateral movements are insider threats and ransomware. Insider threats are employees or contractors gaining access to data that they are not authorized to access. Ransomware is a type of malware attack in which the attacker locks and encrypts the victim’s data and then demands a payment to unlock and decrypt the data. If an attacker takes over one desktop or one server in your estate and deploys malware, you want to reduce the “blast radius” and make sure that the malware can’t spread throughout the entire data center. And if you decide not to pay the ransom? Datto’s Global State of the Channel Ransomware Report informs us that: The cost of downtime is 23x greater than the average ransom requested in 2019. Downtime costs due to ransomware are up by 200% year-over-year. Schedule a Demo The SDN Solution With software-defined networks, such as Cisco ACI and VMware NSX, micro-segmentation can be achieved without deploying additional controls such as firewalls. Because the data center is software-driven, the fabric has built-in filtering capabilities. This means that you can introduce policy rules without adding new hardware. SDN solutions can filter flows both inside the data center (east-west traffic) and flows entering or exiting the data center (north-south traffic). The SDN technology supporting your data center eliminates many of the earlier barriers to micro-segmentation. Yet, although a software-defined fabric makes segmentation possible, there are still many challenges to making it a reality. Schedule a Demo What is a Good Filtering Policy A good filtering policy has three requirements: 1 – Allows all business traffic The last thing you want is to write a micro-segmented policy and have it break necessary business communication, causing applications to stop functioning. 2 – Allows nothing else By default, all other traffic should be denied. 3 – Future-proof “More of the same” changes in the network environment shouldn’t break rules. If you write your policies too narrowly, then any change in the network, such as a new server or application, could cause something to stop working. Write with scalability in mind. How do organizations achieve these requirements? They need to know what the traffic flows are as well as what should be allowed and what should be denied. This is difficult because most traffic is undocumented. There is no clear record of the applications in the data center and what network flows they depend on. To get accurate information, you need to perform a “discovery” process. Schedule a Demo A Blueprint for Creating a Micro-segmentation Policy Micro-segmentation Blueprint Discovery You need to find out which traffic needs to be allowed and then you can decide what not to allow. Two common ways to implement a discovery process are traffic-based discovery and content-based discovery. Traffic-Based Discovery Traffic-based discovery is the process of understanding traffic flows: Observe the traffic that is traversing the data center, analyze it, and identify the intent of the flows by mapping them to the applications they support. You can collect the raw traffic with a traffic sniffer/network TAP or use a NetFlow feed. Content-based or Data-Based Approach In the content-based approach, you organize the data center systems into segments based on the sensitivity of the data they process. For example, an eCommerce application may process credit card information which is regulated by the PCI DSS standard. Therefore, you need to identify the servers supporting the eCommerce application and separate them in your filtering policy. Discovering traffic flows within a data center Micro-segmentation Blueprint Using NetFlow for Traffic Mapping The traffic source on which it is easiest to base application discovery is NetFlow. Most routers and switches can be configured to emit a NetFlow feed without requiring the deployment of agents throughout the data center. The flows in the NetFlow feed are clustered into business applications based on recurring IP addresses and correlations in time. For example, if an HTTPS connection from a client at 172.7.1.11 to 10.3.3.3 is observed at 10 AM, and a PostgreSQL connection from the same 10.3.3.3 to 10.1.1.1 is observed 0.5 seconds later, it’s clear that all three systems support a single application, which can be labeled with a name such as “Trading System”. 172.7.1.0/2410.3.3.3 TRADE SYS HTTPS10.3.3.3 TRADE SYS 10.1.1.11 DB TCP/543210.3.3.7 FOREX 10.1.1.11 DB TCP/5432 Identifying traffic flows in common, based on shared IP addresses NetFlow often produces thousands of “thin flow” records (one IP to another IP), even for a single application. In the example above, there may be a NetFlow record for every client desktop. It is important to aggregate them into “fat flows” (e.g., that allows all the clients in the 172.7.1.0/24 range). In addition to avoiding an explosion in the number of flows, aggregation also provides a higher-level understanding, as well as future-proofing the policies against fluctuations in IP address allocation. Using the discovery platform in the AlgoSec Security Management Suite to identify the flows in combination with information from your firewalls can help you decide where to put the boundaries of your segments and which policies to put in these filters. Micro-segmentation Blueprint Defining Logical Segments Once you have discovered the business applications whose traffic is traversing the data center (using traffic-based discovery) and have also identified the data sensitivity (using a content-based approach) you are well positioned to define your segments. Bear in mind that all the traffic that is confined to a segment is allowed. Traffic crossing between segments is blocked by default – and needs to be explicitly allowed by a policy rule. There are two potential starting points: Segregate the systems processing sensitive data into their own segments. You may have to do this anyway for regulatory reasons. Segregate networks connecting to client systems (desktops, laptops, wireless networks) into “human-zone” segments. Client systems are often the entry points of malware, and are always the source of malicious insider attacks. Then, place the remaining servers supporting each application, each in its own segment. Doing so will save you the need to write explicit policy rules to allow traffic that is internal to only one business application. Example segment within a data center Micro-segmentation Blueprint Creating the Filtering Policy Once the segments are defined, we need to write the policy. Traffic confined to a segment is automatically allowed so we don’t need to worry about it anymore. We just need to write policy for traffic crossing micro-segment boundaries. Eventually, the last rule on the policy must be a default-deny: “from anywhere to anywhere, with any service – DENY.” However, enforcing such a rule in the early days of the micro-segmentation project, before all the rest of the policy is written, risks breaking many applications’ communications. So start with a (totally insecure) default-allow rule until your policy is ready, and then switch to a default-deny on “D-Day” (“deny-day”). We’ll discuss D-Day shortly. What types of rules are we going to be writing? Cross segment flows – Allowing traffic between segments: e.g., Allow the eCommerce servers to access the credit-card Flows to/from outside the data center – e.g., allow employees in the finance department to connect to financial data within the data center from their machines in the human-zone, or allow access from the Internet to the front-end eCommerce web servers. Users outside the data center need to access data within the data center Micro-segmentation Blueprint Default Allow – with Logging To avoid major connectivity disruptions, start your micro-segmentation project gently. Instead of writing a “DENY” rule at the end of the policy, write an “ALLOW” rule – which is clearly insecure – but turn on logging for this ALLOW rule. This creates a log of all connections that match the default-allow rule. Initially you will receive many logs entries from the default-allow rule; your goal in the project is to eliminate them. To do this, you go over the applications you discovered earlier, write the policy rules that support each application’s cross-segment flows, and place them above the default-allow rule. This means that the traffic of each application you handle will no longer match the default-allow (it will match the new rules you wrote) – and the amount of default-allow logs will decrease. Keep adding rules, application by application, until the final allow rule is not generating any more logs. At that point, you reach the final milestone in the project: D-Day. Micro-segmentation Blueprint Preparing for “D-Day” Once logging generated by the default-allow rule ceases to indicate new flows that need to be added to your filtering policy, you can start preparing for “D-Day.” This is the day that you flip the switch and change the final rule from “default ALLOW” to “default DENY.” Once you do that, all the undiscovered traffic is going to be denied by the filtering fabric, and you will finally have a secured, micro-segmented, data center. This is a big deal! However, you should realize that D-Day is going to cause a big organizational change. From this day forward, every application developer whose application requires new traffic to cross the data center will need to ask for permission to allow this traffic; they will need to follow a process, which includes opening a change request, and then wait for the change to be implemented. The free-wheeling days are over. You need to prepare for D-Day. Consider steps such as: Get management buy-in Communicate the change across the organization Set a change control window Have “all hands on deck” on D-Day to quickly correct anything that may have been missed and causes applications to break Micro-segmentation Blueprint Change Requests & Compliance Notice that after D-Day, any change in application connectivity requires filing a “change request”. When the information security team is evaluating a change request – they need to check whether the request is in line with the “acceptable traffic” policy. A common method for managing policy at the high-level is to use a table, where each row represents a segment, and every column represents a segment. Each cell in the table lists all the services that are allowed from its “row” segment to its “column” segment. Keeping this table in a machine readable format, such an Excel spreadsheet, enables software systems to run a what-if risk-check that compares each change-request with the acceptable policy, and flags any discrepancies before the new rules are deployed. Such a what-if risk-check is also important for regulatory compliance. Regulations such as PCI and ISO27001 require organizations to define such a policy, and to compare themselves to it; demonstrating the policy is often part of the certification or audit. Schedule a Demo Enabling Micro-segmentation with AlgoSec The AlgoSec Security Management Suite (ASMS) makes it easy to define and enforce your micro-segmentation strategy inside the data center, ensuring that it does not block critical business services and does meet compliance requirements. AlgoSec’s powerful AutoDiscovery capabilities help you understand the network flows in your organization. You can automatically connect the recognized traffic flows to the business applications that use them. Once the segments are established, AlgoSec seamlessly manages the network security policy across your entire hybrid network estate. AlgoSec proactively checks every proposed firewall rule change request against the segmentation strategy to ensure that the change doesn’t break the segmentation strategy, introduce risk, or violate compliance requirements. AlgoSec enforces micro-segmentation by: Generating a custom report on compliance enforced by the micro-segmentation policy Identifying unprotected network flows that do not cross any firewall and are not filtered for an application Automatically identifying changes that violate the micro-segmentation strategy Automatically implementing network security changes Automatically validating changes Security zones in AlgoSec’s AppViz Want to learn more? Get a personal demo Schedule a Demo About AlgoSec AlgoSec, a global cybersecurity leader, empowers organizations to secure application connectivity by automating connectivity flows and security policy, anywhere.  The AlgoSec platform enables the world’s most complex organizations to gain visibility, reduce risk and process changes at zero-touch across the hybrid network.   AlgoSec’s patented application-centric view of the hybrid network enables business owners, application owners, and information security professionals to talk the same language, so organizations can deliver business applications faster while achieving a heightened security posture.  Over 1,800 of the world’s leading organizations trust AlgoSec to help secure their most critical workloads across public cloud, private cloud, containers, and on-premises networks, while taking advantage of almost two decades of leadership in Network Security Policy Management.  See what securely accelerating your digital transformation, move-to-cloud, infrastructure modernization, or micro-segmentation initiatives looks like at www.algosec.com Want to learn more about how AlgoSec can help enable micro-segmentation? Schedule a demo. Schedule a Demo Select a size Overview What is Micro segmentation Why Micro-segment? The SDN Solution What is a Good Filtering Policy A Blueprint for Creating a Micro-segmentation Policy Enabling Micro-segmentation with AlgoSec About AlgoSec Get the latest insights from the experts Choose a better way to manage your network

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ROI calculator See how much money you can save with AlgoSec by automating security policy management in just 5 easy steps ROI Calculator AlgoSec Security Management Solution ROI Results Here's how much money you can save every year Here's how the savings break down Start Over Disclaimer The AlgoSec ROI Calculator is intended to provide an example of your potential savings when using the AlgoSec Security Management Solution, the results are based on your input and some assumptions derived from AlgoSec's experience. The ROI Calculator is provided "as is" and AlgoSec does not warrant nor make any representations regarding the use, validity, or accuracy of the results of this tool. AlgoSec undertakes to keep in confidentiality all information provided within the tool. Actual savings may vary and a more accurate result, that will also take into account the investment in purchasing the AlgoSec Security Management Solution, may be obtained by contacting us via the online contact form.

Firewall configuration: What is it? How does it work? Firewalls can greatly increase the security of enterprise networks, and enable organizations to protect their assets and data from malicious actors. But for this, proper firewall configuration is essential. Firewall configuration involves configuring domain names and Internet Protocol (IP) addresses and completing several other actions to keep firewalls secure. Firewall policy configuration is based on network types called “profiles” that can be set up with security rules to prevent cyber attacks. Schedule a demo Watch a video Firewall configuration challenges Configuring firewalls can raise many challenges Finding the right firewall It can be overwhelming to decide between a hardware or software firewall, so make sure you first determine your business needs and network configuration. Software firewalls can protect individual machines against harmful traffic; hardware firewalls are suitable for protecting enterprise networks. Broad firewall policy configurations During firewall setup, broad approvals policies that allow traffic from any source to any destination can expose the network to several security risks. It’s safer to implement narrow permissions from the start by following the Principle of Least Privilege (POLP). These firewall rule configurations can be widened later as required. Non-standard authentication With non-standard authentication methods, your firewall could accept weaker passwords or place less stringent limits on the number of login attempts allowed. This increases the risk of cybersecurity breaches. For safety, use only standard authentication methods. Open ports and risky management services Cybercriminals leverage open firewall ports and dynamic routing protocols to penetrate and exploit enterprise networks. Disable open ports at the time of firewall configuration. Other open ports should be adequately protected. Inadequate firewall monitoring If firewalls are not monitored, you may miss signs of unusual traffic that could indicate the presence of cyber attackers. Always monitor and log outputs from security devices so you will be alerted if you’re under attack. If an attacker does break through, alerts reduce the time to response. Guest or public networks: Use this profile when the system is connected to a public network. It’s best to set restrictive access because the other systems on the network could be potentially harmful. Private networks: Use this profile when connected to a network in workgroup mode. Set access to medium levels since the other systems can be mostly trusted. Domain networks: This profile is used when networks are connected to an Active Directory (AD) domain. A group policy controls the firewall settings. What are the network profiles for firewall configuration? A typical enterprise-level network is segregated into multiple security zones or “rings”: Ring 1: The Internet Edge Ring 2: The Backbone Edge Ring 3: The Asset Network Edge Ring 4: Local Host Security These zones are a logical way to group the firewall’s physical and virtual interfaces, and control traffic. Traffic can flow freely within a zone, but not between different zones until you define and allow it within the firewall policy configuration. In general, more zones means a more secure network What is the role of security zones in firewall settings? Yes, you can create a filter with a list of words, phrases and variations to be blocked. Configure your firewall settings to “sniff” each packet of traffic for an exact match of this text. Can I configure my firewall to block specific words or phrases? For each network profile, a firewall displays status information like: Profile currently in use Firewall state (On or Off) Incoming connections and current policy Active networks Notification state What information does a firewall display for each network profile? You can set firewall filters for all these protocols: Internet Protocol (IP) to deliver information over the Internet Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) to break apart and reconstruct information over the Internet HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) for web pages User Datagram Protocol (UDP) for information that requires no user response File Transfer Protocol (FTP) to upload/download files Simple Mail Transport Protocol (SMTP) for sending text-based information via email Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) to collect system information from a remote computer Telnet to perform commands on a remote computer What are the protocols you can set firewall filters for? Here’s a 6-step secure firewall setup process: Secure the firewall Update with the latest firmware Replace default passwords with strong, unique passwords Avoid using shared user accounts Disable Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) or configure it securely Restrict incoming/outgoing traffic for TCP Create firewall zones Group assets into zones based on functions and risk levels Set up the IP address structure to assign zones to firewall interfaces Configure Access Control Lists (ACLs) Make them specific to the source and destination port numbers and IP addresses Create a “deny all” rule to filter out unapproved traffic Create an ACL (inbound/outbound) for each interface and sub-interface Disable admin interfaces from public access Disable unencrypted firewall management protocols Configure firewall logging Critical if PCI DSS compliance is a requirement Disable extra/unused services Test the firewall configuration Ensure the correct traffic is being blocked Perform penetration testing and vulnerability scanning Securely back up the configuration After you complete the firewall setup, manage and monitor it continuously to ensure that it functions as intended What are the firewall configuration steps? FAQ Get answers to your firewall configuration and firewall setting questions Want to see it in action? Schedule a demo Resources Learn from the experts. Get the latest industry insights Common network misconfiguration risk & how to avoid them Watch the Webinar Remediating misconfiguration risks in public clouds Read blog Examining the most common firewall misconfigurations Watch the Webinar More firewall features AlgoSec’s range of firewall configuration and management tools enable organizations to identify and block cyber attacks. All our offerings are up-to-date to protect your enterprise even from the latest threats. Get enhanced visibility into on-prem and cloud networks Automate security troubleshooting, application discovery, network auditing, and risk analysis with AlgoSec Firewall Analyzer . Optimize your firewall configuration for ongoing, reliable security and uninterrupted compliance. Network security policy management Manage your network security policy lifecycle across on-premises firewalls and cloud security controls. Reduce risk through effective security configuration and network segmentation, while enhancing productivity, collaboration, and agility. Automatically process security policy changes Zero-touch automation saves time, prevents manual errors, and reduces risk. Design firewall rules to minimize complexity and make changes at the business application level. AlgoSec FireFlow integrates with existing business processes for continuous security and compliance. Simplify firewall audits AlgoSec provides detailed audit reports that flag non-compliant firewall rules so you can remediate problems before audits and improve firewall performance and compliance. Mitigate network issues Integration between firewall configuration and business security policies is the key to effective network security. Firewall management tools secure the IT infrastructure against unauthorized and potentially harmful traffic. Optimize applications and rule sets Review firewall rules quickly and easily with AlgoSec’s Firewall Analyzer with AppViz. Uncover unused, duplicate, overlapping or expired rules, and tighten overly-permissive “ANY” rules to mitigate risk. Learn more Schedule time with one of our experts

The NIST Cybersecurity Framework as well as other NIST security standards help set clear best practices for organizational cyber and network security NIST standards & cybersecurity framework explained The National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) is a US government agency, under the Commerce Department, whose mission is to set several types of standards, including security standards. Some NIST data security standards include NIST 800-53, which offers security controls and privacy controls in the areas of application security, mobile, and cloud computing, and supply chain security, NIST 800-53/FI, which establishes standards to implement FISMA , NIST 800-30, which provides guidelines for conducting risk assessments, NIST 800-171, pertaining to the physical security of data centers, and ISO 27001 . White Paper Solution Overview Understanding the NIST Cybersecurity Framework One of the most widely used NIST security standard is the NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF). This internationally recognized framework offers voluntary guidance, based on existing standards, guidelines, and practices for organizations to better manage and reduce cybersecurity risk. It provides companies with an easy-to-understand common language for talking about cybersecurity risk, no matter where they are on the org chart – from the server room to the board room. The NIST Cybersecurity Framework identifies five core functions: Identify Protect Detect Respond Recover The framework describes desired outcomes that are understandable by everyone, applies to any kind of risk management, defines the entire breath of cybersecurity, and spans both prevention and reaction. Webinar Infographic FAQ ABOUT NIST CYBERSECURITY STANDARDS Understanding NIST Cybersecurity Standards is a crucial part of your network security compliance posture. There are many international regulations that your organization needs to be compliant with, including HIPPA , PCI DSS , GDPR , NIST , ISO 27001, and Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX). Do the NIST Cybersecurity Standards provide a checklist of what all organization should do? No. The framework provides guidance that should be customized by different organizations to best suit their unique risks, situations, and needs. Organizations have different risks, threats, vulnerabilities, and risk tolerance. They will also differ in how they implement the practices in the framework. It should not be implemented as an un-customized checklist or take a one-size-fits-all approach How does my firewall management help with NIST Standards and the NIST Cybersecurity Framework? NIST Special Publication 800-41 establishes guidelines for firewalls and firewall policies, which govern standards and best practices for firewall policy management. According to the guidelines, an organization’s firewall policies should be based on a comprehensive risk-assessment. Firewall policies should be based on blocking all inbound and outbound traffic (“Default Deny”), with exceptions made for desired traffic. Policies should consider the source and destination of the traffic, in addition to the content. Many types of IPv4 traffic, such as those with invalid or private addresses, should be blocked by default. Organizations also should have policies for handling incoming and outgoing IPv6 traffic. Organizations should also determine which applications may send traffic into and out of its network and make firewall policies to block traffic for other applications. According to the guidelines (5.2.2), “if multiple firewalls need to have the same rules or a common subset of rules, those rules should be synchronized across the firewalls. This is usually done in a vendor-specific fashion.” AlgoSec provides out-of-the-box regulatory compliance reports for NIST SP 800-41. What about NIST SP 800-53? NIST SP 800-53, Security and Privacy Controls for Federal Information Systems and Organizations, relates to systems, including firewalls, that monitor and control at the external boundaries of the network and systems that connect to parts of the network. It provides extensive standards for firewall management. AlgoSec provides out-of-the-box regulatory compliance reports for NIST SP 800-53. Do NIST standards also relate to FISMA compliance? How AlgoSec Helps with NIST Standards? FISMA sets out guidelines for managing information security that must be followed for all information systems used or operated by a U.S. federal government agency in the executive or legislative branches, or by a contractor or other organization on behalf of a federal agency in those branches. By following NIST Cybersecurity Guidelines and NIST’s guidelines for firewalls and firewall policies, organizations get closer to FISMA compliance. AlgoSec helps identify traffic flows and associate it with the relevant business applications, and design firewall policies that work across your hybrid network, all with zero-touch automation to reduce the chances of manual misconfigurations. AlgoSec also helps manage and synchronize rules across the multi-vendor estate, so there is holistic and unified management across a network made up of multiple vendors. By using AlgoSec, organizations can be sure that their security management practices follow best practices such as NIST standards. AlgoSec automatically generates pre-populated, audit-ready compliance reports for leading industry regulations, including NIST SP 800-53, NIST SP 800-41, SOX, GLBA, PCI DSS, and ISO 27001— which helps reduce audit preparation efforts and costs. AlgoSec also uncovers gaps in organization’s compliance posture and proactively checks every change for compliance violations. AlgoSec also provides daily audit and compliance reporting across the entire heterogeneous network estate. What are some common regulations that customers must be compliance with? RESOURCES See how AlgoSec can help you meet NIST Cybersecurity Standards. Check out these resources. Firewall audit checklist for security policy rules review Read More Regulations and compliance for the data center – A Day in the Life Read Document Choose a better way to manage your network

Learn about the 6 levels of intelligent automation and understand how to practically implement and apply them. Get insights into the hands-on aspects of incorporating intelligent automation into various network security processes. This exploration will help you become aware of the feasible side of using intelligent automation in real-world situations. Six levels of automation Join the journey to network security automation Choose a better way to manage your network LEVEL 01 Manual control AlgoSec’s central visibility capability is in place without any policy management solutions. All policy changes and processes are done manually by SecOps. Security operators are implementing policy changes through various existing tools, driven by the valuable insights gained from the Firewall Analyzer . These insights encompass a comprehensive understanding of security estate policies , applications, and associated risks . LEVEL 02 Assisted control Basic policy management solution provides structured workflow that enables SecOps to effectively plan, carry out, and approve the changes. The Policy Management Solution with FireFlow facilitates structured, audited workflow for executing changes, enabling operators to efficiently plan and carry out all tasks. Within this workflow, the evaluation and approval of risks are seamlessly integrated. LEVEL 03 Partial automation Policy management solution provides planning recommendations , while SecOps validate, carry out, and approve the changes. The Policy Management Solution provides valuable support in the planning process by offering intelligent recommendations regarding the methods for implementing changes. Operators can then focus on task validation and authorization with confidence. LEVEL 04 Conditional automation Policy management solution provides assistance , while SecOps validate & authorize all tasks. The Policy Management Solution streamlines provisioning up to the firewall level by providing a network plan and recommendations for rule and object modifications . This empowers operators to concentrate on task validation and authorization. LEVEL 05 High automation Policy management solution automatically implements low-risk policy changes , freeing up SecOps to work on critical tasks. The Solution automatically implements low-risk policy changes as per a customized risk profile, freeing up operators to focus on critical tasks. Furthermore, the Policy Management Solution offers the flexibility of integrating with external solutions . LEVEL 06 Very high automation Policy management solution autonomously provisions low-risk scenarios with zero intervention. SecOps assist in unique environments or cases. The Policy Management Solution efficiently processes change requests from application owners , autonomously provisioning low-risk scenarios with zero intervention . Operators are then available to provide support in specialized environments or for unique cases