AWS Firewall Manager -Centrally configure and manage firewall rules across your accounts EP:44
As organizations scale their cloud infrastructure, security becomes a top priority. Managing security policies across multiple AWS accounts and services can become complex and time-consuming.
AWS Firewall Manager simplifies this by providing a centralized solution to configure, monitor, and manage firewall rules across AWS environments.
In this article, we’ll explore AWS Firewall Manager, its features, benefits, and how to get started with it.
1. Introduction to AWS Firewall Manager
AWS Firewall Manager is a security management service that allows you to centrally configure and manage AWS WAF (Web Application Firewall), AWS Shield Advanced, and VPC security groups across multiple accounts within an AWS Organization. This service is designed to help enterprises ensure consistent security policies across all their AWS resources, making it easier to protect applications from security threats.
AWS Firewall Manager integrates with AWS Organizations, enabling you to manage security configurations across multiple AWS accounts from a single location.
2. Key Features of AWS Firewall Manager
AWS Firewall Manager comes with several powerful features that make security management across AWS environments easier and more streamlined.
2.1. Centralized Management of Security Rules
Unified Policy Configuration: Firewall Manager provides a centralized dashboard to create and manage security policies. You can configure AWS WAF rules for web applications, AWS Shield Advanced protections for DDoS attacks, and security groups for VPC security.
Global Application: Once a policy is defined, it is automatically applied across all accounts in your AWS Organization, ensuring consistent and compliant security configurations.
Example: If you create a rule to block SQL injection attacks across all your web applications, AWS Firewall Manager ensures that this rule is automatically enforced across all accounts.
2.2. AWS WAF and Shield Advanced Integration
WAF Management: With Firewall Manager, you can set up AWS WAF rules that protect your web applications against common exploits such as SQL injection or cross-site scripting (XSS).
Shield Advanced Protection: For high-risk applications, AWS Firewall Manager can also enforce AWS Shield Advanced protections, which offer DDoS mitigation and cost protection in the event of large-scale attacks.
Example: You can use Firewall Manager to apply rate-based rules across multiple accounts to protect APIs from abuse, while also applying Shield Advanced protection to safeguard critical infrastructure against volumetric DDoS attacks.
2.3. VPC Security Group Management
Consistent Security Group Policies: Firewall Manager enables you to create security group policies that are automatically applied across your VPCs, ensuring secure access controls for your EC2 instances and other resources.
Automation of Security Group Rules: Firewall Manager allows the automation of security group rule configurations, minimizing the risk of misconfiguration.
Example: If you want to ensure that all EC2 instances in your AWS Organization have the same inbound and outbound rule sets, you can create and apply a security group policy using Firewall Manager.
2.4. Cross-Account Security Management
AWS Organizations Integration: Firewall Manager integrates seamlessly with AWS Organizations, enabling the management of security policies across multiple AWS accounts. You can manage all accounts from a central point, significantly reducing the time spent on manual configuration.
Account-Level Overrides: While policies are applied across the organization, individual accounts can override certain settings if needed, providing flexibility when necessary.
Example: If an individual account requires an exception to a specific firewall rule, Firewall Manager allows that account to implement custom settings without disrupting the global security policy.
2.5. Automated Compliance Monitoring
Compliance Auditing: Firewall Manager ensures that your AWS resources are compliant with your organization’s security policies. It continuously monitors for policy compliance and alerts you if any resources deviate from the approved security rules.
Integration with AWS Config: You can also use AWS Config to monitor changes in your firewall rules and receive compliance reports, helping you maintain consistent security.
Example: If a new web application is deployed in an account without the required WAF protection, Firewall Manager will alert you, ensuring timely remediation.
3. Benefits of Using AWS Firewall Manager
AWS Firewall Manager brings several key benefits to your security operations, including:
3.1. Simplified Security Management
Managing security across multiple AWS accounts can be overwhelming. Firewall Manager simplifies this process by centralizing security configuration, rule management, and compliance monitoring into a single service.
3.2. Cost and Time Efficiency
By automating security configurations and enforcing consistent policies across all accounts, Firewall Manager saves time and reduces the risk of human error. It ensures that security is applied from day one, eliminating the need for manual intervention.
3.3. Consistent and Compliant Security Posture
Firewall Manager helps ensure that security policies are uniformly applied across your AWS infrastructure, reducing the chances of security gaps. This consistent policy enforcement aids in compliance with internal security standards and regulatory requirements.
3.4. Enhanced Protection Against Threats
With AWS WAF, AWS Shield Advanced, and VPC security groups integrated into one platform, Firewall Manager enables a multi-layered security approach. This combination offers comprehensive protection from DDoS attacks, web exploits, and unauthorized access.
4. Pricing of AWS Firewall Manager
AWS Firewall Manager offers a flexible pricing model based on the resources and services you manage. The cost is mainly determined by the number of accounts, policies, and protections you implement using AWS WAF and AWS Shield Advanced.
4.1. AWS WAF and Shield Advanced Pricing
AWS WAF
Charges: You pay for the number of Web Access Control Lists (Web ACLs) and rules you create, as well as the number of requests processed by AWS WAF rules.
Example: If you create 2 Web ACLs and 5 rules for your applications, and AWS processes 10 million requests in a month, your costs will include:
Web ACLs and rules: A fixed price per Web ACL and rule.
Request charges: Based on the volume of requests processed.
AWS Shield Advanced
Charges: Shield Advanced is priced based on the level of protection required, which is typically measured by the number of protected resources, such as Elastic Load Balancers or CloudFront distributions.
Example: If you have 3 EC2 instances protected under Shield Advanced, the cost will vary depending on the level of DDoS protection provided for each instance.
4.2. Free Tier and Discounts
Free Tier: There are no additional charges for using AWS Firewall Manager itself. However, you'll incur charges for the underlying services such as AWS WAF and Shield Advanced.
Example: You can manage up to 10 accounts for free, but you will still need to pay for AWS WAF and Shield Advanced services depending on your usage.
Volume Discounts: For businesses with large-scale usage, AWS offers discounts based on the volume of requests or protected resources.
Example: If your company has over 1 million requests per month processed by AWS WAF, you may be eligible for volume-based pricing discounts.
4.3. Example Pricing Scenarios
Example 1: Basic AWS Firewall Manager Usage (No Shield Advanced)
You create a new Firewall Manager policy that secures EC2 instances across 10 AWS accounts. You’re not using AWS Shield Advanced.
Charges:
AWS Firewall Manager charges $100 per month for the protection policy.
AWS Config charges $0.003 per configuration item change. If there are 100 changes per month, that’s $0.30.
AWS Config also charges $0.001 per rule evaluation. If there are 200 rule evaluations in a month, that’s $0.20.
Total Monthly Charges:
Firewall Manager Policy: $100
AWS Config: $0.30 (config changes) + $0.20 (rule evaluations)
Total: $100.50 per month.
Example 2: AWS Firewall Manager with Shield Advanced Protection
You create a new Firewall Manager policy for EC2 instances across 10 AWS accounts, and you’re subscribed to AWS Shield Advanced for enhanced DDoS protection.
Charges:
AWS Firewall Manager charges $100 per month for the policy.
AWS Config charges $0.003 per configuration item change. If there are 100 changes per month, that’s $0.30.
AWS Config also charges $0.001 per rule evaluation. If there are 200 rule evaluations, that’s $0.20.
Shield Advanced: If you have 3 EC2 instances under protection, Shield Advanced charges based on the level of protection for each resource. Let’s assume the cost for 3 instances is $200 per month.
Total Monthly Charges:
Firewall Manager Policy: $100
AWS Config: $0.30 (config changes) + $0.20 (rule evaluations)
Shield Advanced: $200
Total: $300.50 per month.
4.4. Summary of Pricing Components
Service Charge Example AWS Firewall Manager Policy $100/month For managing policies across 10 accounts. AWS WAF Based on requests and rules Charges for web ACLs and rules (e.g., 2 web ACLs, 5 rules). AWS Shield Advanced Based on resources protected Costs for protecting EC2 instances (e.g., 3 instances). AWS Config $0.003 per config change, $0.001 per rule evaluation Costs for AWS Config rule evaluations and configuration item changes.
5. 2024 Updates in AWS Firewall Manager
AWS Firewall Manager introduced a series of powerful enhancements in 2024, making it even easier for security administrators to manage and enforce security policies across AWS environments. Here are the key updates:
5.1. Retrofitting Existing AWS WAF WebACLs
AWS Firewall Manager now supports the retrofitting of existing AWS WAF WebACLs with baseline rule sets. This allows security administrators to add rule groups or configure logging destinations to pre-existing WebACLs without disrupting any custom configurations.
Example: A security team managing a custom-configured WebACL for a highly specific application can use the "retrofit" setting to add predefined WAF rules, like blocking common attack patterns. This ensures the application gets immediate protection, and custom rules are left intact, avoiding the need to overhaul the current setup.
5.2. Centralized VPC NACL Management
With the 2024 updates, AWS Firewall Manager enables the centralized creation, deployment, and management of VPC Network Access Control Lists (NACLs) across multiple AWS accounts. Administrators can now define centralized NACL policies to enforce baseline security rules, such as block-lists, which are automatically applied across VPCs and accounts.
Example: A large enterprise with multiple AWS accounts can now centralize the management of security policies by applying uniform NACL rules, such as blocking specific malicious IP addresses, across all VPCs. This helps mitigate the risk of human error and misconfigured security groups across accounts, ensuring that network access is tightly controlled.
5.3. Enhanced Availability in New Regions
In November 2024, AWS Firewall Manager expanded its reach to the AWS Asia Pacific (Malaysia) region. This expansion enables businesses in the region to implement consistent security policies across AWS services, including VPC Security Groups, in a more localized and efficient manner.
Example: A global enterprise with a presence in Southeast Asia can now use Firewall Manager in the Malaysia region to centrally manage security groups, ensuring secure communication between AWS instances and services in that region. This expansion helps provide region-specific security measures while ensuring consistent protection across global infrastructures.
6. Getting Started with AWS Firewall Manager
Getting started with AWS Firewall Manager involves setting up the necessary infrastructure, defining policies, and applying them across your AWS accounts. Below are the steps to effectively implement and use AWS Firewall Manager for centralized security management.
6.1. Step 1: Set Up AWS Organizations
Before using AWS Firewall Manager, you need to establish AWS Organizations, which allows you to centrally manage multiple AWS accounts. AWS Organizations enable you to organize your AWS accounts into organizational units (OUs), making it easier to apply security policies across all accounts within the organization.
Example: An enterprise with multiple AWS accounts for different departments (e.g., HR, Finance, Development) can create an AWS Organization to manage these accounts centrally. This way, Firewall Manager can be used to apply a uniform set of security policies to all accounts, ensuring that all departments adhere to the same security protocols.
6.2. Step 2: Define Security Policies
Once your organization is set up, you can begin defining security policies. AWS Firewall Manager allows you to create policies for various services, such as:
AWS WAF Rules: Protect web applications by defining conditions for incoming web traffic, like blocking malicious requests or limiting specific types of traffic.
AWS Shield Advanced: Configure protections for your AWS resources to defend against DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attacks.
Security Group Rules: Define access control policies for EC2 instances and other AWS resources, such as allowing or blocking certain IP addresses or ports.
Example: You can define a policy to block all incoming traffic from specific countries or regions known for high volumes of cyberattacks. This policy could apply across all your accounts, ensuring that resources are protected from malicious requests.
6.3. Step 3: Apply Policies to Accounts
Once the security policies are defined, AWS Firewall Manager enables you to apply these policies across all accounts in your AWS Organization. You can set up automatic deployment for policies, ensuring that all accounts within the organization are consistently protected. Additionally, Firewall Manager allows you to configure overrides for specific accounts or resources that may require special rules.
Example: A business may have a policy that applies AWS WAF rules to all production environments. However, a development account may need to be exempt from certain WAF rules to facilitate testing. In this case, Firewall Manager allows you to apply the rules globally but override them for the development account as needed.
6.4. Step 4: Monitor and Audit Compliance
After applying the policies, it is crucial to continuously monitor and audit your security posture to ensure compliance. AWS Firewall Manager provides detailed logging and monitoring capabilities to help you track the effectiveness of your security policies.
Logs and Alerts: Firewall Manager generates logs of security policy actions, showing when policies are applied, modified, or violated. Alerts can be set up to notify administrators of any violations or changes in policy compliance.
Audit Reports: AWS provides audit reports that give insights into which resources are compliant and where any gaps in security exist.
Example: Suppose a company has implemented a Shield Advanced policy to protect all its public-facing applications from DDoS attacks. By monitoring Firewall Manager’s audit logs, security teams can track any blocked attack attempts and ensure the policy is working as intended. If any anomalies are detected, such as unprotected resources, the team can take action to correct the issue.
7. Use Cases for AWS Firewall Manager
AWS Firewall Manager is designed to simplify the deployment and management of security policies across large-scale AWS environments. Here are some key use cases that demonstrate how businesses can benefit from using AWS Firewall Manager:
7.1. Enterprise-Wide Security Management
For large organizations that have multiple AWS accounts, AWS Firewall Manager enables the centralized management of security policies. This ensures that all accounts adhere to uniform security standards, reducing the risk of misconfigurations and ensuring comprehensive protection across the entire organization.
Example: A global financial institution with several AWS accounts for different regions can use AWS Firewall Manager to enforce a global AWS WAF rule that blocks SQL injection attacks. This rule would automatically apply to every account in the AWS Organization, ensuring consistent protection against common attack vectors without the need to configure AWS WAF for each individual account.
7.2. Protecting Web Applications
Web applications, especially those with public-facing interfaces, are common targets for cyberattacks such as DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service), SQL injection, and cross-site scripting (XSS). AWS Firewall Manager helps organizations secure all web applications by applying AWS WAF and Shield Advanced protections across their entire infrastructure.
Example: An e-commerce company could leverage AWS Firewall Manager to apply rate-based WAF rules across all its application resources, effectively mitigating the risk of bot-driven DDoS attacks. The rate-based rules would automatically block IP addresses sending an excessive number of requests, protecting the site from being overwhelmed by malicious traffic.
7.3. Multi-Account Security Configuration for Startups
Startups that operate multiple AWS accounts can benefit from AWS Firewall Manager by automating the process of configuring security settings and ensuring compliance. With Firewall Manager, developers and security teams can focus on building products while security policies are automatically enforced across accounts.
Example: A tech startup with multiple AWS accounts can implement a centralized AWS WAF rule across all its resources to block cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks. This policy is automatically enforced across the organization’s entire AWS environment, saving time and resources, and reducing the risk of security vulnerabilities.
8. Conclusion
AWS Firewall Manager simplifies the management of security policies across multiple AWS accounts, ensuring that resources are protected from a wide array of threats such as DDoS attacks, SQL injections, and other vulnerabilities. By centralizing the management of AWS WAF, Shield Advanced, and VPC security groups, businesses can maintain consistent security standards and reduce the complexity of managing security at scale.
The tool is especially beneficial for large enterprises, startups, and organizations with multi-account environments, allowing them to efficiently enforce security policies, improve compliance, and safeguard their applications and data. With its ease of use, scalability, and integration with other AWS services, AWS Firewall Manager provides a robust solution for organizations aiming to strengthen their security posture in the cloud.
By implementing AWS Firewall Manager, businesses can focus on their core objectives—building and deploying applications—while AWS handles the complex task of managing security policies, ensuring their infrastructure remains secure and compliant.