Why Firewalls Are a Critical Component of Today’s IT Environment

Today’s complex cyber threats require a layered security approach, and firewalls remain a critical component of that architecture. Traditionally, firewalls use predefined rules to control traffic entering and exiting the network. Today, firewalls play a more strategic role as part of the zero-trust model.

When all authorized users remained inside the network perimeter, the “castle-and-moat” model was used to defend against external threats. Now, users need access to network resources from anywhere, so the network perimeter has all but dissolved. This makes it far more difficult to prevent unauthorized users from accessing systems and data. According to Daisy’s State of Networking Report 2024, cybersecurity threats are the biggest networking challenges for 71 percent of organizations. Remote and hybrid work has contributed to an increase in cyber threats, according to 85 percent of survey respondents.

The zero-trust model is designed to close this gap. Zero trust assumes that every user and device attempting to access the network is a threat until authenticated and validated. It also assumes that threats may exist inside the network after the authentication process.

How Firewalls Enable Zero Trust

Zero trust is not a technology but an architecture that requires multiple security tools — including firewalls. In fact, firewalls play a key role in several zero-trust functions. They help to enforce authentication and access control, ensuring that only authorized users can access network resources. Most firewalls also provide virtual private networks (VPNs), enabling secure remote access.

Continuous monitoring is another key feature of modern firewalls. Firewalls inspect network traffic to detect suspicious activity that could represent a threat. The firewall can then block that traffic or trigger an alert. Firewalls also log network activity and security events, giving IT teams the data they need for incident response, audits and regulatory compliance.

Network segmentation is a core principle of zero trust. By subdividing the network into segments, organizations can isolate threats by preventing attackers from moving laterally throughout the environment. Firewalls are used to create network segments and microsegments, each of which may have distinct access controls and security policies.

Firewall Misconfigurations Create Risk

To be effective, firewalls must be configured correctly. Unfortunately, growing complexity and human error have combined to make misconfigurations common. Misconfigurations often leave security gaps or create vulnerabilities, while failure to update firewalls and perform basic maintenance adds to the risk.

Common firewall misconfigurations include:

• Access controls that are too permissive
• Unnecessary or improperly identified open ports
• VPNs that aren’t properly integrated with firewall rules
• Inadequate segmentation and security zones

Redundant and outdated firewall rules are another serious problem. As the IT environment changes, firewall rules need to be updated to ensure robust security. However, many organizations have redundant or conflicting rules that can affect policy enforcement. In one study, 80 percent of small and midsize enterprises said they didn’t know what all their firewall rules do.

Despite these well-documented issues, few organizations audit their firewalls regularly to ensure that they’re up to date and functioning properly. Many organizations audit their firewalls annually or even less frequently, and as many as 1 in 5 never audit.

How SageNet Can Help

The networking and security experts at SageNet can assess your environment to determine if your firewalls are meeting your needs. We may be able to boost your security posture by turning on firewall features and changing configurations. If upgrades are required, we can assist you through that process. We can also help you utilize firewalls as part of a zero-trust model.

If firewall management is causing too many IT headaches, you could benefit from our managed firewall solution. We’ll ensure that your firewalls are kept up to date and patched and that firewall rules meet your access control and compliance requirements. Our team will also monitor and support your firewalls around the clock to quickly identify threats.

Let SageNet help ensure that you get the most benefit from this vital security tool.