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Firewalls are a key component of any enterprise network security solution. But, like any other network hardware, firewalls can be exploited to gain access to sensitive information. Fortunately, by following best practices for firewall configurations and management, companies can minimize the risks of hacking and exploitation.

Firewall rules determine what types of network traffic can enter and leave your network. Essentially, the firewall matches incoming and outgoing data to its rules table and decides to either allow or block the network connection. Typical filtering criteria includes examining IP addresses, ports and basic packet protocols like UDP and ICMP (type code that identifies purpose of a network communication). A more advanced type of firewall filtering examines application-level data to ensure only data intended for your applications is allowed through.

A good rule of thumb is only to let in incoming data that serves an important business function – that way you can minimize risk and limit unwanted cross-network activity. It’s also a good idea to regularly review firewall logs and alerts to identify potential unauthorized activities.

A popular method of deploying firewalls is FWaaS – firewall-as-a-service. This firewall solution is hosted in the cloud instead of on your premise and can deliver improved performance over traditional on-premise solutions. It’s also worth noting that most commercial firewall products offer a number of preconfigured rules for you to use. By adjusting these defaults to more restrictive rules, you can better protect your network from hackers and malware.