What is AWS Firewall?

• AWS Firewall is a built-in security feature. It provides advanced network protection for Amazon Virtual Private Cloud (VPCs) on AWS.
• It enables users to define and manage security group rules. It governs network ingress and egress filtering to EC2 instances behind the VPC’s NAT instances.
• It uses Security Group Ingress Rules and Network Access Control Lists (NACLs).
• It allows users to define and enforce firewall rules across multiple VPCs.
• It protects their network traffic from threats like viruses, malware, and unauthorized access.

How does AWS Firewall Work?

AWS Firewall applies a set of predefined rules known as Security Groups and Network ACLs. These rules filter incoming and outgoing network traffic using source IP address ranges, destination ports, and protocol types. Combining these rule sets creates a robust system for controlling network access into and out of your AWS infra. AWS provides templates and guidelines for building security groups to simplify the process. It provides visibility on their security posture. It facilitates the automation of their security policies. It also integrates with AWS services such as AWS Security Hub and AWS CloudFormation.

Is AWS Firewall Enough for Cloud Protection?

AWS Firewall provides the first-level basic security for sure. But we also need “specialized” Cloud Security solutions which are a crucial component of a comprehensive security strategy for cloud infra. They address different aspects of cloud security. Specialized Cloud security solutions are a broader category of security tools designed for cloud protection. These security solutions protect against Malware, Ransomware, Phishing, and other cyber threats. These solutions include Encryption, Identity & Access Management (IAM), IDS/IPS, and Vulnerability Scanning. They secure cloud data, applications, and infra. They also include compliance reporting and audit log features.

Specialized Cloud-Native Security Solutions to Protect Your Business

Putting additional specialized cloud security solutions other than AWS Firewall is vital. Let us see some of these specialized Cloud-native Security Solutions below: FortiCNP offers multi-layered security across cloud infra, including public, private & hybrid. It uses ML, behavioral analysis & threat intelligence to protect against known and unknown threats. Trend Micro Cloud One platform provides a suite of security services for the cloud infra. It secures cloud deployments and protects them against Malware, Ransomware, and Data breaches. It includes cloud security posture management, network security, and API security. It supports cloud platforms- AWS, Azure, GCP, and VMware. Palo Alto Prisma Cloud is a complete cloud-native application protection platform. It provides security for containers, serverless, workloads, applications, and Kubernetes. It interacts with cloud-native architectures providing complete security coverage. Check Point CloudGuard works as a multi-cloud security solution. It secures all the cloud platforms, on-prem data centers, and public IaaS.

Wrap Up

AWS Firewall is a powerful tool for securing network traffic on AWS. Users can manage their network traffic and apply firewall rules based on business needs. It provides both stateful and stateless inspection capabilities. However, for enhanced security, only AWS firewall is not enough, and we need specialized third-party cloud security solutions. AWS Firewall and specialized third-party Cloud Security solutions, both are required in an organization’s cloud security strategy. They may be used together to provide multiple layers of security. With growing cloud-based cyber threats, it is necessary to enforce AWS Firewall security with third-party specialized cloud security solutions as mentioned above. For Cloud Security solutions-related queries & requirements, please write to [email protected].