🍍Why Managed Service Providers Misconfigure Firewalls | A Critical Flaw in Security Design🍌

In the realm of cybersecurity, there is one glaring oversight that seems to be increasingly prevalent among Managed Service Providers (MSPs): configuring customer firewalls using the WAN interface without the implementation of a separate management plane. This fundamental flaw in network design exposes businesses to significant vulnerabilities, undermining their security posture.

If MSPs are failing at this basic level of network segmentation, it raises serious questions about their ability to provide comprehensive security services. Fortunately, third-party SD-WAN solutions, such as those from Fusion, offer a much-needed alternative by incorporating a separate management plane. This segmentation enhances overall security and addresses the gaps left by these flawed practices.

The Misconfiguration | Firewalls Managed via the WAN Interface

When MSPs configure firewalls for businesses, many often take a shortcut by managing the firewall via the WAN (Wide Area Network) interface—the same interface used for internet traffic and external communications. This approach not only violates basic network segmentation principles but also introduces several vulnerabilities, including:

1. Exposure to External Threats: By using the WAN interface for management tasks, MSPs create a pathway that could allow attackers to gain access to the firewall’s management console from the public internet. This significantly raises the risk of external breaches, particularly if proper security controls (such as strong access control policies, encryption, or IP whitelisting) are not in place.

2. Lack of Segregation: Management traffic should always be segregated from the traffic used for data exchange. Using the same interface for both management and regular traffic opens the door to packet sniffing and other forms of data interception that could compromise sensitive configuration details.

3. Single Point of Failure: When management access shares the same interface as general traffic, any network disruption on the WAN interface could also disable an MSP’s ability to manage the firewall. This means that if the WAN connection is interrupted, the ability to troubleshoot and mitigate issues becomes significantly harder, prolonging downtime and vulnerability windows.

4. Increased Attack Surface: By using the WAN for management, the attack surface for the firewall is expanded unnecessarily. Threat actors have more opportunities to target the firewall's management capabilities if these are accessible through an externally facing interface.

The Role of the Management Plane | A Better Approach

A fundamental tenet of sound network design is the separation of management traffic from operational traffic. A dedicated management plane isolates administrative functions, ensuring that management tasks are handled over a separate, secure channel that is not exposed to the public internet.

In more sophisticated solutions, like Fusion's SD-WAN offering, a separate management plane is baked into the design. This approach ensures that even if the data plane (responsible for carrying general traffic) is compromised, the management plane remains isolated and secure. The benefits of this separation are clear:

1. Improved Security: Isolating management traffic reduces the exposure of sensitive administrative functions. Attackers cannot easily gain access to the firewall’s control mechanisms if they are not exposed via the WAN interface.

2. Better Fault Tolerance: Having a separate management plane allows administrators to troubleshoot and manage devices even if there are issues with the WAN interface or data plane. This separation ensures that network outages do not cripple the ability to manage and restore services.

3. Granular Access Control: The management plane can be highly restricted, with access limited to internal IP addresses, secured VPN connections, or other isolated channels. This makes it much harder for external attackers to reach the management interface.

4. Regulatory Compliance: Many industries require strict network segmentation as part of their cybersecurity and data protection regulations. A dedicated management plane supports compliance by ensuring sensitive administrative traffic is not mixed with regular user or business data.

The False Promise of Single-Vendor Cybersecurity Solutions

The current push for single-vendor cybersecurity solutions—heavily marketed by Silicon Valley firms—often ignores these fundamental design flaws. Single-vendor solutions tend to emphasize ease of use, promising seamless integration across all components of a business’s IT infrastructure. However, this one-size-fits-all approach introduces its own set of risks:

1. Increased Risk of Vendor Lock-In: Relying on a single vendor for all cybersecurity solutions can trap businesses in a situation where switching or diversifying becomes difficult, even if the vendor’s solutions are not optimal for every aspect of the business. This not only impacts flexibility but also creates a single point of failure.

2. Monolithic Architectures: Many single-vendor solutions encourage monolithic architectures, where all security functions are housed within a single system or application. While this may be convenient, it centralizes risk—meaning if one component is compromised, it can impact the entire security stack.

3. Over-Reliance on the Vendor: Businesses often develop a blind trust in their vendor's capabilities, assuming that the vendor will handle all security concerns. This can lead to complacency and a lack of internal oversight, leaving gaps in protection that can be exploited.

Enter Fusion's SD-WAN | A More Secure Approach

Unlike the false security promised by single-vendor solutions, third-party SD-WAN providers like Fusion understand the importance of segmentation and multi-vendor flexibility. Fusion’s SD-WAN architecture is designed with the following benefits:

• Separate Management Plane: As mentioned earlier, Fusion’s SD-WAN separates management traffic from operational traffic, reducing the risk of attack and ensuring that management functions are always accessible, even during a network outage.

• Zero Trust Model: Fusion’s SD-WAN employs a Zero Trust architecture, where no device or user is automatically trusted. This prevents internal threats and lateral movement across the network, which is crucial for businesses dealing with sensitive data.

• Multi-Vendor Flexibility: Fusion’s solution allows for the integration of various cybersecurity tools, ensuring that businesses are not locked into a single vendor’s ecosystem. This flexibility enables companies to choose the best security solutions for each segment of their network.

Wrap | It's Time to Rethink Firewall Management and Cybersecurity

The practice of managing firewalls via the WAN interface represents a fundamental flaw in security design. MSPs that follow this practice demonstrate a lack of understanding of basic network segmentation principles, leaving businesses exposed to unnecessary risks.

Meanwhile, the trend toward single-vendor cybersecurity solutions offers convenience at the cost of flexibility, introducing vulnerabilities and increasing the risk of catastrophic failure. Businesses should instead focus on solutions like Fusion’s SD-WAN, which incorporates a separate management plane and promotes a flexible, multi-vendor approach to cybersecurity.

The message is clear: segmentation and diversity are key to building a robust and secure network. By moving away from outdated practices and embracing modern, segmented solutions, businesses can protect themselves against both internal and external threats while maintaining operational efficiency.

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Ronald Bartels ensures that Internet inhabiting things are connected reliably online at Fusion Broadband South Africa - the leading specialized SD-WAN provider in South Africa. Learn more about the best SD-WAN provider in the world! 👉 Contact Fusion