When your firewall works perfectly, it’s easy to get complacent and forget about the myriad of threats lurking outside your network. But with cyber risk on the rise — a trend that shows no signs of slowing down — failing to prioritize and continuously update network firewall security can be a huge downfall for companies.
Network firewall security is, after all, a fundamental part of your organization’s overall safety, but it’s far from infallible — especially if you take a set-it-and-forget-it approach to your cybersecurity measures.
In this article, we’ll look at what can go wrong when your network firewall security fails, as well as some of the most common and serious threats facing businesses in this area today.
Why Is Network Firewall Security so Important?
Network firewalls are designed to control access to your private networks. They do this by constantly monitoring traffic and granting access based on some pre-set rules and policies, blocking any traffic that doesn’t meet the requirements or appears suspicious. This process is extremely important, and any failings here can lead to severe and lasting consequences.
Security breaches can lead to sensitive data being compromised, long periods of downtime, and lasting damage to your company’s reputation. On top of the financial losses involved (which are escalating year on year, according to Statista), you could also face legal challenges related to data privacy regulations.
To make matters worse, network security is getting more complex by the day. This is because threats are evolving rapidly — driven by emerging technologies like AI — and becoming both more common and more sophisticated. On top of that, as your networks grow and scale, they become harder to protect and require more advanced approaches to network firewall security.
Top Network Firewall Security Vulnerabilities & Threats
The threats facing network firewall security are always changing, and new ones can emerge fast and without warning. Let’s explore some of the most common and serious vulnerabilities and threats in this area.
Outdated Software
As is often the case in cybersecurity, some of the biggest threats come from within. To perform effectively, your network firewall software needs to be properly maintained and regularly updated. If your OS is out of date, it becomes much easier to exploit and opens you up to a wide range of vulnerabilities.
Make sure to pay close attention to your firewall’s software and make necessary updates as soon as they’re required.
Insider Attacks
Continuing the theme of threats from within, insider attacks can be a major vulnerability when it comes to network security. At first glance, these attacks seem to render the firewall useless — the attacker is a member of your organization with access to the networks, so there’s no need to bypass the firewall in the first place.
One solution here is to set up internal firewalls. Unlike perimeter firewalls, which act as a barrier between the entire network and the outside, internal firewalls segment your network and defend specific assets or zones, so even an internal attacker will be limited in the amount of damage they can inflict.
Ransomware Attacks
Ransomware is one of the most common attack vectors today, and organizations with weak network firewall security are sitting ducks.
Ransomware attacks work by gaining access to your network, accessing critical information and then locking or seizing it until you pay money for its return. In the case of sensitive information, like customer financial data, hackers may threaten to make the data public unless you pay.
These breaches can be devastating, leading to massive costs and irreparable damage to your reputation among both stakeholders and customers. A well-maintained network firewall strategy with strict, regularly updated policies can significantly reduce your risk.
DDoS Attacks
Distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks work by bombarding your network with enormous volumes of junk traffic until your firewall and other security resources are exhausted and overwhelmed.
They’re notoriously tough to deal with and require a multifaceted approach. Network firewalls are one piece of the puzzle, but you’ll also need to take a more specific approach — analyzing and comparing different elements of your incoming traffic like HTTP headers and IP addresses to filter the good from the bad.
Backdoors
Backdoors are hidden vulnerabilities inside a firewall’s code, which can be exploited at a future date by attackers who know what to look for. These backdoors allow attackers to gain access to your networks without going through normal authorization procedures, bypassing your firewall.
The best way to defend against backdoors is constant vigilance — you’ll need to monitor and verify firewall configurations and carry out software scans to discover any suspicious signs. But backdoors are extremely difficult to identify and remove.
Network Firewall Security: What’s the Solution?
In the face of so many threats and challenges, network firewall security can feel like a constant uphill battle. How can you ensure secure networks with so much to worry about?
The only reliable solution to network firewall security is a multipronged approach that blends ongoing monitoring with state-of-the-art technology. This is best achieved with the help of an experienced team of professionals — which is exactly what we offer at DYOPATH.
If you’re tired of your networks being vulnerable and exposed, and you want to take a more robust and reliable approach to network firewall security, schedule a call with DYOPATH.
