Beyond the Firewall: Understanding the Multi-Layered Approach to Cyber Security

Going Beyond the Firewall – How to Gain Defense in Depth

Multi layered approaches to firewall architecture can be easily divided into three categories: physical, administrative and technical. 

Physical cyber security tactics include protecting physical touchpoints that must be secured by restricting access to only the intended user: 

• Endpoint Protection

Endpoints include items such as employee security cards, laptops, smartphones, and servers that are physical devices connected to a network system that are interacted with regularly by staff. Endpoints can be attractive targets for cybercriminals. Robust endpoint security, including  tools such as antivirus software, intrusion detection systems, and firewalls, is a crucial step in any cyber security plan.

Administrative tactics are largely tied to the human aspect of cyber security. 

• Staff Awareness and Training

Persistent threats can enter company networks and linger undetected through a simple click on an innocent-seeming emails. Phishing emails are common entry points through which malicious attackers can gain access to sensitive data. Staff training around cyber security is becoming increasingly necessary due to the remote work format of professional life. 

• Identity and Access Management (IAM)

Restricting access is often a necessary method to reduce points of vulnerability in a business network. Zero trust, microsegmentation, and network segmentation are policies that help govern employee access and operations within a network, providing a secure foundation for business processes. Zero trust refers to the practice of requiring identity verification for every employee before they are given access to internal systems or data. 

To enforce Zero Trust, IAM is used to grant each user the least privilege access necessary to perform their role, drastically reducing attack surfaces. To enable IAM, network segmentation, and further, microsegmentation, divide company network into separate blocs based on roles or functions in order to improve security and performance. Microsegmentation defines a network as even smaller segments, enforcing unique access controls for each. By defining  IAM policies in detail, microsegmentation reduces the risk of lateral movement of an attacker within a network. 

Technical security measures refer to the hardware and software used to secure data. 

• Application Security

  Source Code Reviews, Penetration Testing, and Application Firewalls are some of the tools that can be used to ensure application security. These tools allow visibility for organizations into their applications, indicating what is normal behavior so that anomalies can be quickly identified. Organizations may utilize advanced behavioral analytics to track and learn the patterns of applications, users, and service accounts – setting baselines of approved behavior. This helps to detect any deviations from normal behavior patterns, which can sound the alarm on potential security threats. 

• Data Security
  

  Encryption, secure key management, data loss prevention tools, and stringent access controls are all tools that add a protective layer of cyber security to fortify data, which may be dormant or in transit. Utilizing one or a combination of these services can prevent unauthorized access, tampering, or theft.

• Incident Response Plan

An incident response plan lays out how to identify, respond to, and recover from a cybersecurity incident. A comprehensive Incident Response Plan will examine the possible risks to a company’s IT network, and then plan for swift recovery in the event that any breaches occur. Incident Response Plan is a crucial layer of cyber security, as the effectiveness of a firm’s response can significantly reduce the damage that they incur. 

A multi layered cybersecurity architecture is crucial for a company's cyber resilience because it provides comprehensive protection against a wide range of threats. By implementing multiple defense mechanisms, such as firewalls, encryption, and access controls, companies can detect, prevent, and mitigate various cyberattacks more effectively. The steps outlined in this article to a layered approach ensure that even if one security measure is breached, additional layers continue to protect the company's data and systems. 

Rewterz offers tailored cyber security solutions that utilize layers of detection and prevention. To learn how your business can implement deep defensive cyber security strategies, contact our experts today.