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Azure Firewall

Azure Firewall is a scalable, cloud-native solution for securing network traffic and ensuring compliance with security policies.


Requirement

A global enterprise needs to secure network traffic to protect against threats and meet compliance requirements. The solution must inspect both east-west (internal) and north-south (external) traffic, use threat intelligence, and integrate with other Azure security services.

Requirement Analysis

Challenges include: - Inspecting internal and external traffic for threats - Using threat intelligence to block malicious traffic - Integrating with other Azure security services - Scaling with network traffic volume - Meeting regulatory and compliance requirements

Solution

Azure Firewall provides: 1. Firewall Deployment: Deploy in a virtual network. Choose SKU (Standard, Premium, Basic) and configure network/application rules. 2. Threat Intelligence: Enable filtering to block traffic from known malicious IPs/domains. 3. Network Segmentation: Segment networks into security zones and control traffic between them. 4. TLS Inspection: Decrypt and inspect outbound traffic for threats. 5. Integration: Integrate with Azure Security Center and Azure Sentinel for enhanced visibility and protection. 6. Monitoring and Alerts: Use Azure Monitor to track firewall performance and health. Set up alerts for security incidents.

Security

  • Encrypt data at rest and in transit
  • Use role-based access control (RBAC)
  • Integrate with Azure Active Directory (AAD)
  • Enable audit logs for tracking access and changes

Best Practices

  • Update network and application rules regularly
  • Monitor network traffic
  • Automate responses to threats
  • Conduct regular security audits

Cost Optimization

  • Use pay-as-you-go pricing
  • Utilize free data ingestion for certain Microsoft sources

Azure Resources

  • Azure Firewall
  • Azure Monitor
  • Azure Active Directory
  • Azure Security Center
  • Azure Sentinel

References