9 Best Practices for Optimizing Firewall Performance.

A firewall rule base is the foundation of network security. It defines what is and isn’t allowed through a firewall, governing network traffic and shaping the security posture of your organization. Over time, firewall rule sets become bloated with redundant rules, expired policies, and misconfigurations that create vulnerabilities.

When the rule base grows tangled, it impacts firewall performance—slowing throughput, overloading CPU resources, and complicating firewall management. This can increase the attack surface, introduce potential threats, and make compliance with frameworks like PCI DSS harder to achieve.

With insights from customers and security teams, here are nine best practices for firewall rule optimization that improve efficiency, reduce risk, and streamline policy management.

9 Best Practices for Cleaning Up Firewall Rule Bases

1. Delete fully shadowed rules

Shadowed rules add clutter and redundancy without contributing to security. Use automation or tools like Tufin SecureTrack+ to detect and safely remove them.

2. Delete expired and unused rules and objects

Expired policy rules waste resources. Automated reports and metrics flag obsolete rules so they can be removed.

3. Remove unused connections

Eliminate source/destination/service routes that are inactive. An Automatic Policy Generator analyzes traffic patterns to detect inefficiencies.

4. Enforce object naming conventions

Consistent naming (e.g., host_name_IP) improves readability and troubleshooting. Standard formats are a best practice across all firewall configurations.

5. Delete old and unused firewall policies

Vendors like Cisco and AWS environments may accumulate multiple rule sets. Remove outdated firewall policy files to reduce complexity.

6. Remove duplicate objects

Duplicate definitions create redundancy and misconfigurations. Regular audits keep your firewall management streamlined.

7. Reduce shadowing

Partially shadowed rules degrade network performance and can create gaps in enforcement. Segmentation of long sections improves visibility.

8. Break up long rule sections

Divide large bases into smaller, granular sections (20 rules max). Smaller, granular sections enhance performance and reduce troubleshooting overhead.

9. Document rules, objects, and policy revisions

Maintaining documentation supports compliance and smooth change management. Link policy changes to tickets for traceability.

Optimization Beyond Cleanup

Some of the most effective security operations also boost performance:

• Optimize permissive rules: Fine-tuning permissive rules with automated policy analysis strengthens firewall security.
• Define zone-based compliance policies: Audit security controls against PCI DSS or Zero Trust guidelines.
• Identify and reduce insecure rules: Use automated mitigation reports to flag risky entries in real time.

Document & Automate Firewall Rule Cleanup with Tufin

Manual cleanup is time-consuming and prone to errors. Tufin automates firewall rule optimization, policy management, and rule cleanup, reducing effort while improving cybersecurity resilience.

Automation delivers:

• Firewall configuration checks and api integrations across routers, firewalls, and cloud platforms.
• Continuous real-time monitoring of unauthorized access attempts.
• Alignment with compliance requirements through automated audits.
• Reduced SLA for policy changes with orchestrated workflows.

By leveraging automation, organizations enhance endpoint protection, uncover hidden traffic, and reduce tedious troubleshooting. The result: stronger network security, lower risk of cyber threats, and optimized firewall performance.

FAQs

What is firewall performance?

Firewall performance measures how efficiently a firewall processes network traffic. Strong performance requires optimized rule bases, minimal redundant rules, and fine-tuning of configurations.

Why is firewall rule optimization crucial?

Optimization avoids issues like high CPU utilization, slow business applications, and bottlenecks in operating systems. By reducing clutter, you ensure security policies block cyber threats while enabling authorized access.

How does a firewall safeguard sensitive data?

Firewalls, including next-generation firewalls, monitor and filter packets. They apply access control rules to protect sensitive data and enforce security measures that mitigate data breaches and malware.

How do service providers ensure firewalls protect efficiently?

Service providers like AWS and Cisco employ frequent updates, security tools such as exploit guard, and integration with SIEM for threat detection. They also rely on automation and configuration manager features to reduce false positives and maintain compliance.

Can firewall performance be optimized in hybrid and cloud environments?

Yes. By combining cloud security, policy management, and automation, security teams can enforce segmentation policies across on-premises, cloud, and hybrid infrastructures. This reduces the attack surface and improves scalability.

Get Started

Optimized firewalls are central to a strong cybersecurity strategy. By applying these nine best practices, supported with Tufin automation, organizations reduce vulnerabilities, improve compliance, and ensure efficient protection across the entire network.

Request a demo to see how Tufin simplifies firewall performance management.