Firewall Accessibility Diagrams for Network Security Assessment
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Solution Overview
Problem
The complexity of modern computer networks makes it difficult for network administrators to accurately assess and configure security settings, leading to potential security weaknesses where sensitive information may be inadvertently accessible despite security policies.
Innovation Solution
A computing device is configured to receive firewall configurations, generate standardized configurations, monitor network traffic, and create visual representations of the network security configuration, enabling administrators to easily identify defects and ensure compliance with security policies.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If network administrators manually configure security settings in complex modern networks, then security policies can be implemented, but the complexity of the network makes it difficult to accurately assess and configure security settings, leading to potential security weaknesses
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary system that acts as a mediator between network administrators and complex network security configurations. This system automatically analyzes network topology, identifies security risks, and provides remediation recommendations, thereby reducing the direct burden of manual configuration on administrators while maintaining security policy implementation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service by automatically discovering network devices, analyzing their security configurations, and generating remediation recommendations without requiring deep manual intervention from administrators. The network infrastructure essentially configures and audits itself through automated scanning and analysis tools.
2Extent of automation
If automated analysis tools are used to assess network security, then security posture can be determined, but the volume and complexity of information presented may overwhelm the user
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts and separates critical security findings from the bulk of analysis data, presenting only the most important risks and remediation steps to users. This filtering approach removes unnecessary complexity while retaining essential security assessment capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
Different parts of the interface provide different levels of detail appropriate to user needs. Summary views provide high-level security posture information, while detailed views are available for specific devices or issues, allowing users to access comprehensive data only when needed rather than being overwhelmed by it continuously.
3Measurement precision
If comprehensive security monitoring is implemented across the entire network, then all security configurations can be assessed, but immense time and effort are required to determine whether the combination of configurations operates consistently with security policies
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the network into manageable units (devices, interfaces, security zones) and analyzes each segment independently. This modular approach allows comprehensive security verification across the entire network while breaking down the complex analysis into smaller, parallelizable tasks that reduce overall assessment time.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary analysis by pre-establishing security baselines, pre-identifying common vulnerability patterns, and pre-configuring analysis rules. This preliminary work reduces the time required for actual assessment by having reference frameworks ready before comprehensive scanning begins.
Data Source
AI summary
A computer-implemented method of generating in a display a dynamic accessibility diagram representing a firewall configuration of a firewall in a computer network. A computer generates in the display a pair of concentric rings representing the firewall, including outer and inner concentric rings each having segments respectively representing remote address ranges and local address ranges of the ACL rules. Selection of a segment causes generation of an accessibility curve between the selected segment and a pairing segment, thereby graphically representing accessibility between the corresponding remote and local address ranges.