FIREWALL SETUP SERVICE
WHAT IS FIREWALL CONFIGURATION, AND WHY DOES IT MATTER?
At this point, you’ve probably coped with selecting a firewall that suits your current business requirements. Great! But the next steps imply error-free installation, setup, and implementation according to all the compliance requirements. If you do everything right, you’ll be able to:
Although installing a firewall may seem like a no-brainer, its setup supposes more than just ticking off a few checkboxes. Firewalls need to be properly configured if you plan on using their functionality to the fullest. In fact, configuring a firewall can be a rather complicated and time-consuming task, depending on the specific company's needs.
At this step, it is essential to:
- Apply the setup and configuration best practices
- Triple-check the firewall configuration
Outsource IT Security’s team of firewall experts and security professionals does its best to avoid misconfigurations at all costs, as we’re well aware of the potential threats a company might face if something is set up incorrectly. Here are a few things you should know about:
30%
Successful cyber attacks occur due to firewall misconfigurations. 70% of successful attacks are related to using default passwords and logins
1 out of 10
Companies for which we conducted audits had “Allow Any-Any” in their configuration. It could have been enabled for testing purposes, but if you permit access to any network traffic, the rest of the firewall rule set becomes pointless
25%
A quarter of all companies suffer from failed disaster recovery and business continuity processes because of firewall misconfiguration
What does Outsource IT Security encourage you to conclude from the above?⤵
⚠️ Your firewall configuration has to be tested regularly ⚠️
Otherwise, the firewall will fail to live up to expectations and may harm the business.
Need an example? Say, you have a cluster of two firewalls set up in different locations. You expect that if one of them goes down, the other will take over, handling all the traffic and ensuring your service continues to operate. If it doesn’t, such firewall misconfigurations can cost your business lots of money due to downtime.
Need a consultation on firewall configuration?
WHAT IS USUALLY CONFIGURED DURING FIREWALL SETUP?
The scope of work that Outsource IT Security’s firewall setup service includes varies from case to case. But to give a general overview, the following is often configured during firewall setup:
| Network segmentation, zero trust security model implementation | Firewall rules, access control list ACL with application and user identification adoption |
|---|---|
| Site-to-site VPN with third-party partners or customers | Remote access VPN (for remote staff and employees) |
| Monitoring and security alerting (in case of threats or malfunctions) | Third-party system integrations (SIEM, DLP, and others) |
| High availability (reserving communication channels and devices and automatic circuit switching between them) | Security profiles for ACLs (vulnerability protection, anti-spyware protection, antivirus protection, DoS protection, user identification, role-based access, etc.) |
HOW LONG DOES FIREWALL SETUP TAKE?
As mentioned before, the resource-intensiveness and scope of firewall configuration processes can differ. Here are a few rough estimates of the average duration:
🕗 - The simplest firewall installation could take as little as 8 business hours (for example, the most basic functionality configuration, including making an addressing scheme and granting Internet access to office employees without the implementation of policies).
🕛 - Installation and setup from scratch may take up to 24 business hours (this includes creating firewall rules and policies).
⏱️ - Custom cases can take a week or more (this may be the scenario of firewall migration, for example).
HOW DO WE APPROACH CONFIGURING A FIREWALL?
There is no one-size-fits-all solution here, as each company’s case is unique. Yet, Outsource IT Security approaches any firewall configurations solely based on best practices.
WHAT WE NEVER DO
We won’t start firewall configuration without getting an in-depth understanding of your business needs. We won’t disrupt your processes.
We’ll first find out whether you have existing firewall policies and network security rules that have to be implemented to the controls, URL filtration functions, threat protection, and other areas.
WHAT WE CAN DO
If you don’t have established security standards and firewall configuration requirements, we can help you create them.
Likewise, you can count on us to implement them, handle the configuration, and assist with its operation. We could also help with firewall management and maintenance, hold regular audits, make upgrades, and IT hygiene clean-ups.
CONFIGURING A FIREWALL IN 8 STEPS
Step 1.
We hold a meeting to discuss the firewall needs and define the scope.
Step 2.
We work on the network connection diagram and confirm it.
Step 3.
An optional phase when we agree on the scope of required security functionality to be configured.
Step 4.
We implement the configuration, setups, and other tasks with a thorough quality check.
Step 5.
Testing the firewall configuration.
Step 6.
Moving to live mode when we enable all the configurations.
Step 7.
Additional configuration testing after launch.
Step 8.
Configuration fine-tuning and shift to regular check-ups.
This is a brief rundown of the steps describing how Outsource IT Security’s firewall configuration services work⤵
