What is the network layer of network security in Azure?

When enterprises run workloads on a cloud service, they need to monitor and manage both inbound and outbound network traffic for security purposes.

Microsoft Azure provides two security options to control inbound and outbound traffic:

  • Azure Firewall
  • Network Security Groups (NSGs)

Both services provide security, but at different network levels. Below, learn what each service is and its main features, as well as how the two compare.

What is Azure Firewall?

Azure Firewall is a managed, cloud network security service. This stateful firewall service deploys on any virtual network and protects Azure Virtual Network (VNet) resources by filtering both network and application-level traffic. Also, it enables admins to create traffic filtering rules, which they can enforce across multiple subscriptions and networks.

Azure Firewall has built-in high availability and admins can configure it to span multiple Availability Zones for a 99.99% uptime. Also, with unrestricted cloud scalability, it can scale based on changing flows of inbound and outbound traffic.

Other top Azure Firewall features include:

  • application fully qualified domain name (FQDN) filtering rules;
  • FQDN tags;
  • service tags;
  • threat intelligence;
  • outbound source network address translation (SNAT) support;
  • inbound destination network address translation (DNAT) support;
  • multiple public IP addresses;
  • Azure Monitor logging;
  • forced tunnelling;
  • web categories (in preview); and
  • certifications.

What is Network Security Group?

An NSG is Microsoft's service to simplify virtual network security; it enforces and controls network traffic. NSGs are associated with subnets and network interfaces of an Azure VM.

NSGs contain security rules and provide a way to activate a rule or access a control list. With these rules, IT teams can organize, filter and route different types of network traffic. These rules, which filter inbound and outbound traffic, deny or allow traffic based on 5-tuple information:

  • source
  • source port
  • destination
  • destination port
  • protocol

A comparison of Azure Firewall and NSGs

When comparing Azure Firewall vs. NSGs, look at what Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) layer each service has. This information helps IT teams understand how data is sent or received over a network. It begins at Layer 1, which is the physical layer then goes up to 7, which is the application layer. Azure Firewall is an OSI L4 and L7, while NSG is L3 and L4.

What is the network layer of network security in Azure?
Examine the OSI layers

While Azure Firewall is a comprehensive and robust service with several features to regulate traffic, NSGs act as more of a basic firewall that filters traffic at the network layer. Azure Firewall is adept at analyzing and filtering L3, L4 and L7 traffic. Azure Firewall also provides support for threat-intelligence-based filtering, which NSG can't do.

Both options use service tags to define network access controls. Service tags are groups of IP addresses for particular services, and they protect Azure resources, as well as achieve network isolation. Unlike NSGs, Azure Firewall also supports application FQDN tags, which are used together with application rules to allow the required outbound traffic through the firewall.

In real world cases, enterprises typically use Azure Firewall when they need to filter traffic to a VNet with its threat intelligence-based filtering capabilities. NSGs are typically used to protect traffic flowing in and out of a subnet.

These two network security services can work together to provide defense-in-depth network security in which multiple defensive measures are put in place. That way, if one element fails, another security measure stands in its place.

What is the network layer of network security in Azure?

Every second, billions of bits of data traverse the internet, transforming it into a global village for easy access and rapid transfer of information across multiple interconnected networks (both public and private networks).

As a result, it is getting more and harder to monitor, manage, and regulate different kinds of internet traffic. With this rapid growth, establishing smooth communication between network devices has become an impossibility.

As a result, network devices are more in demand, network design is more intricate, and it costs more money to ensure seamless communication between networks and their respective endpoints.

The Topics Covered in this blog are:

  • What is Azure?
  • What is Azure Network Security Group?
  • Azure Network Security Group-How it Works?
  • How to Create a Network Security Group in Azure?
  • Azure Network Security Group Rules
  • Azure Network Security Group Best Practices
  • Conclusion

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Azure is a cloud computing platform and an online portal that enables you to use and organize Microsoft’s cloud services and resources. These services and resources include collecting and converting your data based on your needs. All you need to access these resources and services is an active internet connection and the ability to connect to the Azure portal.

Did you know that Microsoft Azure and other public clouds are changing the way businesses deploy and secure distributed services? The reason for this is to instantly connect customers or apps from anywhere in the world to your service, providing them with a scalable and highly available virtual networking infrastructure. These networks are the first line of defense against attacks, and they should only accept traffic from specifically approved users, applications, or protocols. Keeping these networks secure can be difficult, but it is critical.

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What is Azure Network Security Group?

An Azure network security group is nothing more than a set of access control rules that may be used to secure a subnet or a virtual network; these rules examine incoming and outgoing traffic to determine whether to accept or reject a package.

The VM-level Network security group and the subnet-level Network security group are the two levels that make up Azure network security.

  • Microsoft’s completely managed solution, Azure Network Security Groups, helps to sift traffic to and from Azure VNet.
  • Any number of security rules that make up the Azure NSG can be enabled or disabled by users.
  • A five-tuple hash is used to assess these rules’ effectiveness.
  • The 5-tuple hash uses the destination IP address and port number, source port number, IP addresses, as well as other factors.
  • You can quickly link Network Security Groups with a VNet or VM network interface thanks to its OSI layer 3 and layer 4 functionality.

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Azure Network Security-How it works?

  • A great choice for safeguarding virtual networks is Microsoft’s Azure Network Security Group (NSG).
  • Using this application, network administrators may quickly organize, filter, direct, and regulate different network traffic flows.
  • When building Azure NSG, you can configure various incoming and outgoing rules to permit or disallow particular types of traffic.
  • If you want to use Azure Network Security Groups, you should build and configure individual rules.

What is the network layer of network security in Azure?

  • Multiple Azure services’ resources may be included in an Azure virtual network.
  • The full list is available under Services that may be put into a virtual network.
  • There can be zero or one network security group configured to each virtual network subnet and network interface in a virtual machine.
  • As many subnets and network interfaces as you like can be connected to the same network security group.

Depending on the circumstances, you can establish whatever rules you like, such as whether the traffic traversing the network is secure and ought to be permitted.

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How to Create a Network Security Group in Azure?

Follow this Process to Create a  Network Security Group in Azure:

What is the network layer of network security in Azure?

  • At the top of the Azure interface.
  • You may also choose Create a resource from the Home page.
  • Now select Networking.
  • Select the Network security group from the drop-down menu.
  • Enter values for the following options in the basic tab of the Create Network Security Group page by selecting Review + create.
  • Select the Create option once you see that the message has passed validation.

What is the network layer of network security in Azure?

For every Azure location and subscription, a certain number of network security groups can be established. Azure subscription and service limitations, quotas, and restrictions are where you may get further details.

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Azure Network Security Group Rules

  • Allow Vnet InBound – This rule allows all hosts within the virtual network (including subnets) to communicate without being blocked.
  • Allow Azure LoadBalancer InBound – This rule permits an Azure load balancer to communicate with your virtual machine and send heartbeats.
  • Deny All InBound – This is the deny-all rule, which by default blocks all inbound traffic to the VM and protects it from malicious access outside the Azure Vnet.

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Azure Network Security Group Best Practices

What is the network layer of network security in Azure?

  • NSG Flow Logging: A function known as flow logging(Network interface logging level) is available in the Azure network observer for NSGs.
  • Logs are transferred to the storage server you specified during setup as soon as flow logging is activated.
  • The flow log’s data is shown in JSON format.
  • The result demonstrates flow for both incoming and departing data on a per-basis-rule basis.
  • NSG Rule Priority: One of the ideal techniques for Azure network security groups is to prioritize NSG rules.
  • Each additional rule is introduced gradually, with the NSG rules being applied in a priority sequence from 100 to 4,097.
  • At the micro level, rules are evaluted.
  • In order of importance, each rule is looked at. The other rules are not further reviewed when the first rule fits the traffic.
  • Traffic that complies with rule 115, for instance, will be forwarded under this rule. If many rules are attempting to overlap, it is something to take into account.
  • Naming convention: A correct naming convention from the beginning may greatly simplify the support process, despite the fact that it can seem foolish.
  • The name of each rule should follow the best standards for Azure NSGs, such as:
  • In contrast to “Rule36-SQL,” “WebServerProduction-to-DatabaseProduction-SQLConnection” is not the same thing.
  • Consider your options before deploying (Group Rules & Ports): Do you comprehend the parameters of the rule? Do you already have a plan for your initial rule set?
  • Use of IP ranges rather than a list of consecutive IP addresses and the following structure for ports are recommended for Azure network security groups:

182.164.1.0/26 as opposed to 182.164.1.1, 182.164.1.2, and so on?

Why not 70-72 instead of 70,71,72?

Both of these suggestions would reduce the overall number of NSG regulations.

  • One National Security Group to rule them all: Is it required to have an NSG for every subnet? by VNET, even?
  • Most of the time, you may combine one NSG over several NICs, Subnets, or even VNets.
  • An NSG can have a maximum of 1000 rules and a default of 100 rules when a support request is present. Multiples are not necessary if you don’t go above this limit!

Conclusion

Network security groups in Azure are widely recognized for helping you manage network security more quickly and effectively. Service tags and application security groups can assist, even if setting initially can seem time-consuming.

Make NSG planning and management a part of your routine Azure operating processes going forward to help with the security and protection of your Microsoft cloud infrastructure.

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Which security services are part of the networking defense layer in Azure?

Azure Web Application Firewall and Azure DDoS Protection are two services that can help protect your web applications from malicious attacks, bots, and common web vulnerabilities.

What are the layers in Azure?

Azure Stack architecture is divided into 4 layers..
Storage RP - Storage RPs provide software that define storage account, Blobs, Tables and queues in Azure Stack..
Compute RP- Compute RP provides Virtual Machine management in Azure Stack..

Which elements is considered part of the network layer of network security?

Network firewall Firewalls are the first line of defense in network security. These network applications or devices monitor and control the flow of incoming and outgoing network traffic between a trusted internal network and untrusted external networks.

What is Nic and NSG in Azure?

A network security group (NSG) contains a list of security rules that allow or deny network traffic to resources connected to Azure Virtual Networks (VNet). NSGs can be associated to subnets or individual network interfaces (NIC) attached to VMs.