ZyXEL Communications P-870HW-I Series, User Manual

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P-870HW-I1 User’s Guide
Chapter 11 Firewalls 149
• Restrict use of certain protocols, such as Telnet, to authorized users on the LAN.
These custom rules work by comparing the Source IP address, Destination IP address and IP
protocol type of network traffic to rules set by the administrator. Your customized rules take
precedence and override the ZyXEL Device’s default rules.
11.1.4 Firewall Rule Logic
Note: Study these points carefully before configuring rules.
11.1.4.1 Rule Checklist
State the intent of the rule. For example, “This restricts all IRC access from the LAN to the
Internet.” Or, “This allows a remote Lotus Notes server to synchronize over the Internet to an
inside Notes server.”
1 Is the intent of the rule to forward or block traffic?
2 What direction of traffic does the rule apply to?
3 What IP services will be affected?
4 What computers on the LAN are to be affected (if any)?
5 What computers on the Internet will be affected? The more specific, the better. For
example, if traffic is being allowed from the Internet to the LAN, it is better to allow only
certain machines on the Internet to access the LAN.
11.1.4.2 Security Ramifications
1 Once the logic of the rule has been defined, it is critical to consider the security
ramifications created by the rule:
2 Does this rule stop LAN users from accessing critical resources on the Internet? For
example, if IRC is blocked, are there users that require this service?
3 Is it possible to modify the rule to be more specific? For example, if IRC is blocked for all
users, will a rule that blocks just certain users be more effective?
4 Does a rule that allows Internet users access to resources on the LAN create a security
vulnerability? For example, if FTP ports (TCP 20, 21) are allowed from the Internet to the
LAN, Internet users may be able to connect to computers with running FTP servers.
5 Does this rule conflict with any existing rules?
6 Once these questions have been answered, adding rules is simply a matter of plugging the
information into the correct fields in the web configurator screens.
11.1.5 Firewall Rule Services
Most programs use services to communicate across the Internet. Many of these services are
already defined in the ZyXEL Device, and you can set up additional ones, if necessary.