Firewall Physical Security

Firewall physical security assures the placement of any firewall system (or internal network) within a public accessible area is prohibited.

Firewall physical security means that firewall systems must be physically secure, situated in a locked room or secure cupboard (designed for such purpose). Access to the firewall system(s) must only be permissible by authorized security personnel.

Firewall physical security assures the placement of any firewall system (or internal network) within a public accessible area is prohibited. Physical security is paramount in defining total network security and developing a complete network security solution.

Firewall physical security also assures that firewall systems must be secure against box tampering and unauthorized access. For this reason all firewall systems must be securely located and only accessible to authorized security personnel.

A firewall located in a public or unsecured area can be easily compromised and all facets of the firewall related network security circumvented.

In case of disaster – a backup is needed. Firewall systems and configurations must be maintained, routinely backed up and stored in a secure location. Firewall systems must have a detailed disaster recovery plan documented to ensure a timely recovery process of the firewall system(s).

Maintaining a secure backup strategy of the firewall system is critical in maintaining an effective and timely disaster recovery plan. Ensuring that the firewall data, logs and configuration are not compromised is an important aspect of ensuring firewall integrity

The minimum requirement with regards to Firewall Physical Security is:

1. All firewalls must be physically secure and accessible to only authorized security staff.
2. Firewall system(s) must not be located in common or unsecured areas.
3. All physical firewall connections must be secure and appropriately labeled. It is recommended to use a color coding scheme to differentiate between private, public or DMZ networks.

External firewall has been discussed in the previous article, and this article about firewall physical security has been discussed to complete the series of firewall security guidelines for your organization.

Suggested readings:

• Firewall network security
• Business firewalls,
• firewall ports,
• sample risk assessment,
• and business continuity and disaster recovery plan.