How do perimeter firewalls support compliance and audit requirements?

Perimeter firewalls support compliance and audit requirements by acting as the first line of defense, controlling inbound and outbound network traffic based on predefined security rules. They help organizations meet regulatory standards (e.g., PCI DSS, HIPAA, GDPR) by enforcing access controls, logging traffic, and preventing unauthorized access to sensitive data.

How they support compliance:

1. Access Control – Firewalls block unauthorized traffic, ensuring only permitted users or systems can access specific network segments. For example, a firewall can restrict external access to a database containing personally identifiable information (PII) to comply with data protection laws.
2. Traffic Logging & Monitoring – Firewalls log all network traffic, which is essential for audits. Logs show who accessed what, when, and from where, helping demonstrate compliance with regulatory requirements. For instance, PCI DSS requires logging of all network activity for cardholder data environments.
3. Threat Prevention – By blocking known malicious traffic (e.g., malware, DDoS attacks), firewalls reduce the risk of data breaches, which is a key compliance concern.

Example: A healthcare provider uses a perimeter firewall to restrict access to its electronic health records (EHR) system. The firewall allows only authorized medical staff IPs to connect, logs all access attempts, and blocks suspicious traffic. This helps meet HIPAA requirements for securing patient data.

Recommended Tencent Cloud Service: Tencent Cloud EdgeOne (for DDoS protection and web security) and Tencent Cloud Firewall (CFW) (for network traffic filtering and logging). These services help enforce compliance by providing advanced threat defense and detailed audit logs.