Most firewalls in small businesses don’t fail because the hardware is old. They fail because the configuration is. A firewall is set up carefully once, and then the business changes around it. This guide explains how configurations age, and five checks to run before every long break.
How firewall configurations age
- A vendor needs temporary remote access, and the rule is never removed.
- A port is opened to troubleshoot an issue, and stays open.
- Staff leave, but their VPN accounts don’t.
- Firmware updates are postponed because “nothing’s broken”.
Three years later, the box is still running, but it’s protecting a network that no longer exists, with rules nobody can explain.
Four questions for a rule review
- Does every rule have an owner and a reason?
- Is anything exposed to the internet that doesn’t need to be, especially remote desktop and admin interfaces?
- Is the firmware current, and is the device still supported by the vendor?
- Are logs and alerts going to someone who reads them?
None of this needs new hardware. It needs a few hours and a checklist, at least once a year and after any major change.
Five checks before the holidays
Your firewall works hardest when nobody is in the office. Using Sophos Firewall as the example:
- Firmware: is it on a supported, current version? Old firmware means known holes.
- Admin access: the admin console should not be reachable from the internet. On Sophos Firewall, check that admin services are switched off on the WAN zone.
- Remote access: VPN users and admins sign in with MFA.
- Rules: look for “any to any” rules and old rules for staff, suppliers or projects that have ended.
- Backup: export the configuration and keep a copy off the device.
Ten minutes before a break beats a long call on the first day of it.
How Pentacle IT Solutions can help
Pentacle IT Solutions is a Sophos Gold Partner. We install, upgrade and review Sophos Firewall for businesses in Lucknow and across Uttar Pradesh, and set up secure remote access with VPN and MFA.
