Common firewall features and security assessment approaches

Even the most advanced NGFWs rely on some fundamental configurations to control network traffic flow. As an IT auditor, you should always try to have an in-depth understanding of these core features, which are necessary to ensure robust security and alignment with an organization’s needs. In this section, we will explore three essential firewall features – Access Control Lists (ACLs), Network Address Translation (NAT), and security zones. We will discuss the purpose of each feature, common auditing considerations, and potential security risks.

To better understand how these common firewall features and security assessment approaches apply in a real-world context, we will introduce a fictional healthcare organization, Healthy Bones Health Services, and examine how these concepts relate to their network infrastructure. By using this example, we can make the technical concepts more tangible and demonstrate how...