Best Practices for Firewall Audits from P J Networks

Introduction

Today robust cybersecurity is significant as the Two edges of the technology i.e. Business & Threats; are advancing equally side by side since long! In an age with a more significant number of cyber threats, companies have to keep their defenses constantly updated. The firewall is a staple ingredient for any cybersecurity strategy. Firewalls are the first line of defense as they inspect and approve or deny incoming/outgoing network traffic. Nevertheless, just implementing a firewall is not enough; for maintaining it effective periodic audits are essential. As a pioneer in the field of cybersecurity, P J Networks is known for offering holistic Fortinet firewall audits to help businesses stay secure. This particular blog will cover why regular firewall audits are necessary as well how our team at P J Networks approaches these audits to ensure the security of our clients.

Why Regular Audits Matter

1. Maintains Security Policies Up-to-Date

Firewalls work from security policies established in advance. Business requirements and threats also change over time, requiring changes to these policies as well. Frequent audits help make sure your firewall security policies match to the current environment, thereby keeping new threats and vulnerabilities at bay.

2. Detects Misconfigurations

And minor misconfigurations alike can result in high-profile security breaches. Configurations like these are often the result of human error with a skillful hacker seeking to exploit them. So, performing regular audits can help in identifying and fixing such misconfigurations before it is abused by an attacker. Taking the preventive step means it reduces vulnerabilities, data breaches, and system downtime.

3. Ensures Compliance

A lot of regulatory compliance makes routine security audits compulsory in most industries. If you are not compliant, fines can cost a business huge amounts of money and more broadly damage its reputation. Compliance: A variety of rules and regulations require that companies keep a check on their firewalls, to maintain existing compliance standards so as not to fall foul of the law.

4. Optimizes Performance

In addition to providing security, a well-maintained firewall can help improve network performance. This ensures that superfluousfw rules can be detected and deleted from the topology, which helps achieve ideal firewall performance with maximum network efficiency.

5. Full Security Profile

Firewall audits done on a regular basis help you get the full perspective of your current security landscape. The ability to see all aspects of the business — from employee behavior, application development processes, and management practices, enables businesses to proactively detect any security discrepancies before they become cybersecurity vulnerabilities.

Audit Process Overview

1. Pre-Audit Planning

Planning: The audit process initiates with efficient planning. This includes knowing how the network architecture looks in a specific organization, existing security policies or requirements. Clear objectives and scope to emphasize the importance of a focused audit are established.

2. Data Collection

This phase involves having the right data retrieved from the firewall such as configuration files, security policy, and logs. The process of extracting this data utilizes the advanced tools and scripts capable of capturing all associated information in a tremendously accurate way.

3. Analysis and Evaluation

The data is then put under stringent analysis so that the discrepancies, misconfigurations or obsolete rules can be located. This is the evaluation from experts who use their in-depth field knowledge and expertise to find possible vulnerabilities/loopholes which need improvement.

4. Reporting

A report is produced based on results from the audit. Summary of identified problems and their potential impacts along with suggested mitigating measures. The report seems large because it has been designed to be detailed but simple so that all stakeholders are kept in the loop.

5. Intervention in the Implementation of Suggestions

Next is the last phase implementation, done on the basis of recommended changes. For example, it may be that you need to update your security policies or correct misconfigured firewalls or other firewall rules. Following implementation, a further verification is completed to confirm that the changes have been made and are functioning as intended.

P J Networks’ Approach

P J Networks is known for laser-focus on the attention to detail required when conducting a review of Fortinet firewalls, using methodical and systematic processes. We create a process for attention to detail and meticulousness, so our clients have the peace of mind they deserve.

1. Expert Team

Each of our audits is performed by a team with decades of combined experience. They have huge exposure and expertise on Fortinet firewall so very well they can spot all the minor issues that are actually a threat to your network.

2. Advanced Tools and Technologies

Our audits are done using cutting-edge tools and best-practices. They allow us to extract and study the data well so that we do not consider any detail. Our upgraded systems help us in getting precise and trusted results.

3. Tailored Solutions

And we KNOW that not every business is the same and will have different needs. We also maintain an adaptive approach according to the firm-specific context of each client. We therefore want to ensure that the recommendations we make are just as relevant and effective, tackling head-on not just some other problem organizations may struggle with but those exact issues faced at the organization.

4. Emphasis on Compliance

The other thing that is really important to cybersecurity in any organization relating their mifid compliance. It conducts audits to determine compliance with regulatory specifications. We typically update our clients with the latest regulations and standards so that legally they do not falter.

5. Ongoing Support

It does not stop with the audit when it comes to our relationship with clients. We continue to support efforts to implement the changes proposed in AREJs, and ensure they are maintained over time. We are at your service to answer any question or concern you might have, 24/7 support and continuous help.

6. Pre-emption of Threats

Our auditors, who are NIST framework experts specialize in not just finding and squashing what vulnerabilities exist but also the mitigation of impending threats. We keep current on the latest cyber threats and trends supplying our clients with firewalls capable of handling new as well as emerging threats. The proactive mindset is a fundamental part of our audit approach, and allows us to deliver secure solutions that can withstand changes.

7. Click here to view the Infographic

Our audits are not only geared towards the firewalls, we focus on your security eco-system as a whole. A total solution like this offers the most mitigation and is a far better security model than other products that only focus on one piece of the problem.

Conclusion

At a time when cyber threats are always on the rise, it is essential to perform firewall audits in best practice for high-security levels. PJ Networks ensure that their diligent approach to firewall audits, specifically of the Fortinet variety helps businesses be just secure as they are compliant and efficient too. With our experienced team, the latest tools, and customized solutions; businesses can leave all of their stressful security concerns to us in order to focus on what they do best.

This is even more important for businesses that rent firewalls, servers and routers. You also just end up introducing more moving parts and potential points of failure. P J Networks does not only audits themselves but also makes sure the same high level of accuracy and thorough auditing is done for clients that rent their equipment.

Firewall Audits should not just be a part of the best practices but also an essential component of your cybersecurity hygiene. Work with P J Networks to make sure the firewalls you rent or own are doing their utmost for your security and meeting all compliance requirements.