Another series we will have periodic posts about will be related to potential controls that would be expected to be in place, almost regardless of the entity in question.

This will be a real basic one to help get everyone up to speed, we will delve into other areas that may be a little more advanced in the future.

Example: Firewalls are in place at all externally facing access points.
The point of this control is to ensure that firewalls are being used at the organization to help prevent hacking attempts, thus, the theft of data. Companies outsourcing their workloads want to have comfort that the company performing the work has adequate security measures in place to lower the chance of their data being stolen.

The Importance of Firewalls

Firewalls act as a barrier between your secure internal network and untrusted external networks such as the internet. Their primary function is to control the incoming and outgoing network traffic by analyzing data packets and determining whether they should be allowed through or not, based on predetermined security rules.

Why Firewalls Are Essential

1. Prevention of Unauthorized Access: Firewalls help prevent unauthorized access to network resources, thereby reducing the risk of data breaches.
2. Data Theft Mitigation: Companies outsourcing their workloads need assurance that their service providers have robust security measures in place. Firewalls provide that first line of defense against potential hacking attempts.
3. Regulatory Compliance: Many industry regulations, such as SOC 2, require the implementation of firewalls as part of their compliance criteria.
4. Monitoring and Logging: Modern firewalls also offer features like traffic monitoring and logging, which can be invaluable for auditing and forensic purposes.

Immediate Action Required

If your organization does not currently have firewalls in place at all externally facing access points, this should be addressed immediately. The absence of this basic control not only exposes you to unnecessary risks but may also result in non-compliance with various regulatory standards.