The contingency plans must be formally documented and tested to ensure a stable and secure network platform is available
Firewall Contingency plans must be prepared which address the response and action procedures that are to be taken in the event of various network firewall security related issues. These events include system / host compromise, security attacks, system malfunction and firewall (gateway) outages. The contingency plans must be kept up to date to reflect changes both within the corporate environment and Internet security best practices. The contingency plans must be formally documented and tested to ensure a stable and secure network platform is available within the corporate network at all times.
As part of firewall security standards – developing a security contingency plan is essential to maintaining the operation health and security of the corporate network. It also provides a framework to which disaster recovery procedures can be followed. The minimum requirement with regards to “Contingency Planning” is:
- A documented plan must be developed that defines the procedures involved to recover from security related incidents.
- A contingency plan must be periodically tested to ensure that it accurately reflects any changes made to the network environment
There are two areas we need to pay attention to regarding firewall contingency planning:
1. Prevention
Preventative strategies include methods, which should be taken to avoid a potential disaster from happening. Such measures are crucial to the mitigation of the risk and are usually implemented upon the identification of a potential risk. Examples of preventative strategies include:
- System and data configuration backup
- Firewall physical security
- Two redundant firewall system
2. Recovery
Recovery strategies include steps that are taken when a disaster occurs. These steps are required to be swiftly executed to avoid prolonged timeframes in regaining an acceptable level of operation. Examples of Recovery strategies include:
- System or data configuration restoration from backup media
- Restoring the faulty one to be operational if redundant system is deployed
By not developing a contingency plan, security related issues may cause uncontrolled security breaches and unnecessary network down-time.
In the previous discussion about firewall functional requirements, you should also read the other series about firewall security – firewall access privileges. Privileges to modify the firewall configuration (rule base) must be restricted to authorized security personnel.
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