Perimeter firewalls support a zero-trust security model by acting as the first line of defense, controlling inbound and outbound traffic based on predefined rules. While zero trust assumes no user or device is trusted by default, even within the network, perimeter firewalls help enforce strict access controls at the network boundary. They block unauthorized external access and limit lateral movement of threats that might bypass initial defenses.
For example, a perimeter firewall can restrict external access to internal applications, allowing only specific IP ranges or authenticated users to connect. It can also inspect traffic for malware or suspicious patterns before it enters the network.
In a zero-trust architecture, perimeter firewalls complement other measures like micro-segmentation and identity verification. For enhanced security, Tencent Cloud's Cloud Firewall (CFW) provides advanced threat protection, DDoS mitigation, and fine-grained access control, aligning with zero-trust principles by ensuring only verified traffic reaches internal resources. Additionally, Tencent Cloud's Web Application Firewall (WAF) helps protect web apps from common attacks, reinforcing the perimeter defense layer.