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Firewall Manager

1. What is AWS Firewall Manager?

AWS Firewall Manager is a security management service that allows you to centrally configure and manage firewall rules across your AWS organization. It helps enforce security policies consistently across accounts and resources, making firewall management scalable and automated.

Firewall Manager simplifies administration of:

  • AWS WAF web ACLs

  • AWS Shield Advanced protections

  • VPC security groups policies

  • AWS Network Firewall rules

2. Key Features

Feature Description
Centralized Policy Management Define firewall rules once and apply across multiple accounts and resources.
AWS Organizations Integration Manage policies across all accounts in your AWS Organization.
Automatic Policy Enforcement Detects new resources and applies policies automatically.
Support for Multiple Firewall Types Manages AWS WAF, Shield Advanced, Network Firewall, and Security Groups.
Compliance Monitoring Reports policy compliance status across accounts.
Integration with AWS Security Hub Centralized visibility of firewall compliance and violations.
Policy Versioning and Auditing Track changes and history of firewall policies.

3. How AWS Firewall Manager Works

  1. You create a Firewall Manager policy defining firewall rules and scopes.

  2. Firewall Manager evaluates all accounts and resources within the specified AWS Organization units.

  3. The service automatically applies the firewall configurations to new and existing resources.

  4. Firewall Manager continuously monitors resources for compliance and alerts if a resource violates the policy.

  5. Administrators can centrally review reports and audit firewall settings.

4. Supported Firewall Types

Firewall Type Description
AWS WAF Web application firewall protecting web applications and APIs.
AWS Shield Advanced DDoS protection across accounts and resources.
AWS Network Firewall Managed network firewall for VPC traffic filtering.
VPC Security Groups Central management of security group policies.

5. Use Cases

  • Enforce WAF rules consistently across multiple accounts to protect web applications.

  • Automatically apply Shield Advanced protections to critical resources.

  • Manage VPC security groups centrally to avoid overly permissive rules.

  • Deploy network firewall rules for segmentation and compliance in multi-account environments.

  • Achieve governance and compliance goals by monitoring firewall rule adherence.

  • Simplify security management in large AWS Organizations.

6. Pricing

  • AWS Firewall Manager itself has no additional charge.

  • You pay for the underlying services used, such as AWS WAF, AWS Shield Advanced, and AWS Network Firewall.

  • For example, AWS WAF charges per web ACL and rules, Shield Advanced has a monthly fee, etc.

Refer to individual service pricing pages for details:

7. How to Use AWS Firewall Manager

Prerequisites:

  • You must enable AWS Organizations and designate an admin account.

  • The admin account must have appropriate permissions for Firewall Manager.

Steps:

  1. Enable Firewall Manager

    • In AWS Console, open Firewall Manager.

    • Choose your admin account and enable Firewall Manager.

  2. Create Firewall Policies

    • Choose the firewall type (WAF, Shield Advanced, Network Firewall, Security Groups).

    • Define the rules and policy scope (organizational units, accounts, resources).

  3. Assign Policies

    • Select target accounts and resources.

    • Firewall Manager will apply policies automatically.

  4. Monitor Compliance

    • Use the Firewall Manager dashboard for compliance status.

    • Receive alerts for policy violations.

Example: Creating a WAF Policy

  • Define a Web ACL with rules (e.g., block IP ranges, SQL injection protection).

  • Specify accounts and resources in your organization.

  • Firewall Manager deploys the Web ACL to matching resources.

8. Integration with Other AWS Services

Service Purpose
AWS Organizations Manage multi-account firewall policies.
AWS WAF Protect web applications via centrally managed Web ACLs.
AWS Shield Advanced Centralized DDoS protection management.
AWS Network Firewall Deploy network-layer firewall rules at scale.
AWS Security Hub Monitor firewall compliance and security posture.
AWS CloudWatch Alert on compliance and firewall activity.

9. Best Practices

  • Designate a single AWS Organizations admin account for Firewall Manager.

  • Use descriptive naming conventions for firewall policies.

  • Regularly review and audit firewall policies and compliance reports.

  • Combine Firewall Manager with AWS Security Hub for consolidated security insights.

  • Automate remediation using AWS Lambda for non-compliant resources.

  • Keep firewall policies aligned with business and compliance requirements.

  • Test policies in staging before applying in production environments.

10. FAQs

Q: Can Firewall Manager manage firewall policies for accounts outside my AWS Organization?
A: No. Firewall Manager manages only accounts in your AWS Organization.

Q: Do I pay extra for AWS Firewall Manager?
A: No, but underlying services (WAF, Shield Advanced, Network Firewall) have their own charges.

Q: Can I apply multiple firewall policies to the same resource?
A: You can attach multiple policies, but conflicts should be managed carefully.

Q: Does Firewall Manager work with third-party firewalls?
A: No, it manages only AWS native firewall services.

Q: Can I automate policy updates?
A: Yes, you can use AWS SDKs and CloudFormation templates to manage Firewall Manager policies programmatically.