A firewall sits at the edge of your network and decides what traffic is allowed in and out. It also writes down what it sees. Those logs can reveal attempted break-ins, infected computers calling out to attackers and misconfigurations. Yet in many facilities, no one ever looks at them until after a problem.
Administrators do not need to read raw log lines. But you should know what is being collected, who reviews it, and what a good review looks like.
Entries typically include a timestamp, source and destination addresses, ports, the action taken (allowed or blocked) and sometimes the application or user. More advanced firewalls add threat detection, web filtering and intrusion prevention events.
The Security Rule requires procedures to regularly review information system activity, such as audit logs and security incident tracking reports. A firewall is one source of that activity. Having logs is not enough; the review has to happen and leave a record.
Lots of blocked attempts from the internet are normal background noise. But sudden spikes, or persistent attempts against a specific service such as remote access, deserve a look.
An internal computer connecting repeatedly to unfamiliar foreign addresses, or at odd hours, can indicate malware.
Unusually large uploads at night may signal data theft.
Many failures from one address are a classic sign of password guessing.
Firewall rule changes should be rare and documented. An unexpected change is a red flag.
Who logged in to the firewall, from where, and when?
Web filtering logs can show attempts to reach malicious or prohibited sites, which helps identify risky behavior or infections.
Are firewall logs being collected and kept? For how long? Longer retention helps investigations, since attackers are often inside for weeks before discovery.
Where are they stored? Logs kept only on the firewall can be erased by an attacker or lost in a failure. Centralized or cloud storage is safer.
Who reviews them, and how often? The answer should name a person or service and a schedule.
Are there automatic alerts? Humans cannot watch logs around the clock. Alerts for key events should reach someone who will act.
Is the firewall current? Ask about supported hardware, firmware updates and subscription licenses for threat protection.
What does our rule set allow? Ask for a review of open ports and rules for remote access, and the reason for each.
When did we last review the rules? Old rules created for a project long forgotten are common.
Can we see a sample report? A short monthly summary in plain English is reasonable to request.
Total blocked threats and top categories
Any remote access anomalies
Changes made to the firewall and who approved them
Firmware and license status
Recommendations or action items
Default or shared administrator passwords
Remote administration open to the internet
Logging disabled to save space
Alerts sent to an email box nobody checks
End-of-life firewalls that no longer receive updates
Rules allowing "any" traffic that were meant to be temporary
Record each review: who did it, when, what was found and what was done. That record doubles as evidence for auditors, insurers and your own risk analysis.
Smaller organizations often lack the staff to watch logs continuously. A managed detection or monitoring service can analyze logs from firewalls, computers and cloud services and escalate real problems. Ask what is included and how fast they respond.
UnityCare IT monitors firewalls and other systems for healthcare clients and provides plain-language reports for administrators. If you are unsure who watches your logs, we can help you find out and fill the gap.
Call or text: 405-285-3845
New customers: start@unitycareit.com
Existing customers: support@unitycareit.com
Address: UnityCare Technologies, 2524 N Broadway Ste 554, PMB 947974, Edmond, Oklahoma 73034-4172