Port Forwarding
Why is port forwarding essential for online gaming and peer-to-peer applications?
It enables direct communication between devices by bypassing NAT restrictions, reducing latency and improving download speeds for P2P applications like BitTorrent.
Differentiate between a forward proxy and a reverse proxy in terms of functionality and security benefits.
A forward proxy sits in front of clients, anonymizing their requests, whereas a reverse proxy sits in front of origin servers, protecting them by managing incoming traffic, load balancing, and mitigating attacks.
Why is it recommended to configure firewalls to block traffic by default?
Blocking traffic by default ensures that only explicitly allowed connections can pass through, reducing the risk of unauthorized access and potential security vulnerabilities.
Explain how Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) solutions help organizations detect and respond to security threats.
SIEM solutions aggregate, consolidate, and analyze event data from various sources, enabling real-time monitoring and detection of anomalies. They use AI and machine learning to automate incident response, reducing mean time to detect (MTTD) and mean time to respond (MTTR).
What are the differences between TCP and UDP protocols in the context of port forwarding?
TCP provides reliable, connection-oriented communication, making it ideal for applications like web hosting and email. UDP is connectionless and faster but less reliable, used for gaming and VoIP applications.
How does a reverse proxy help in load balancing?
It distributes incoming traffic among multiple backend servers, preventing any single server from becoming overloaded, ensuring better performance and high availability.
Explain the principle of least privilege and its application in firewall security.
The principle of least privilege ensures users and applications have only the necessary access permissions. In firewall configurations, this limits access to sensitive resources, minimising exposure to cyber threats.
Describe the role of event correlation in SIEM solutions and its importance in security analysis.
Event correlation identifies patterns in security events to detect threats quickly. It analyses logs from multiple sources to reveal complex attack chains, improving an organisation’s ability to mitigate security risks.
Define port forwarding and explain its primary function in network security.
Port forwarding allows external devices to access services within a private network by directing incoming traffic to specific devices. It is used for remote access, hosting servers, and improving application performance.
Explain how a reverse proxy enhances protection against DDoS attacks.
By masking the IP addresses of origin servers, a reverse proxy absorbs and mitigates DDoS attacks before they reach the actual infrastructure, reducing downtime and service disruption.
How does specifying source IP addresses improve firewall security?
By restricting access to predefined IP addresses, organizations can prevent unauthorized entities from connecting to their network, reducing the attack surface.
How does SIEM contribute to regulatory compliance management?
SIEM automates data collection and reporting, ensuring compliance with standards like PCI-DSS, GDPR, HIPAA, and SOX. It provides real-time audits and generates compliance reports, reducing manual workload.
Describe a scenario where port forwarding might pose a security risk.
If an administrator opens unnecessary ports without proper security controls, attackers can exploit them to gain unauthorized access to the network, leading to potential data breaches or malware infections.
What role does caching play in a reverse proxy setup?
A reverse proxy stores frequently accessed content to serve it faster, reducing the load on origin servers and improving response times for users.
What security advantage does designating specific destination ports provide?
It ensures that traffic is directed only to necessary services, reducing the risk of unauthorised data access or malware exploitation on open, unused ports.
What are the benefits of integrating SIEM with third-party threat intelligence feeds?
Integrating SIEM with external threat intelligence enhances its ability to detect new and emerging threats by comparing internal security data against known attack signatures, improving proactive defence.
Explain how port forwarding can be used to set up a Virtual Private Network (VPN).
A VPN server can be configured with port forwarding to allow remote users to connect securely. By forwarding specific VPN ports, such as 1194 for OpenVPN, users can establish encrypted connections to their home or office network.
Why is SSL encryption often offloaded to a reverse proxy?
SSL encryption and decryption consume significant server resources. A reverse proxy handles SSL offloading, freeing up the origin server’s processing power and improving overall efficiency.
Describe how firewalls can help mitigate Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks.
Firewalls can detect and block abnormal traffic patterns associated with DDoS attacks, preventing malicious requests from overwhelming network resources.
Discuss two ways SIEM solutions improve organizational efficiency.
(1) SIEM centralizes security monitoring, enabling teams to work collaboratively from a unified dashboard. (2) It automates repetitive security tasks, reducing manual efforts and allowing IT staff to focus on high-priority issues.