Best practice check list for Virtual network for security and governance perspective.

Question

Hi All,

Am looking for security check list for "Virtual Networks "which will help me to keep my virtual network safe, secure and Complient as per NIST standards.

Answer 1

Hello Amit Desai

Securing your virtual network is crucial to maintaining the safety and compliance of your Azure environment. While it's important to refer to the official NIST guidelines for specific details, here is a checklist of security measures you can implement for your virtual networks:

Network Security Groups (NSGs):

• Use NSGs to control inbound and outbound traffic at the network level.
• Restrict network access by allowing only necessary ports and protocols.
• Regularly review NSG rules and remove any unnecessary open ports.

Virtual Network Service Endpoints:

• Utilize virtual network service endpoints to securely access Azure services within the virtual network, without exposing them to the public internet.
• Enable service endpoints for Azure services like Azure Storage, Azure SQL Database, etc.

Network Isolation:

• Implement network isolation by using Azure Private Link or Azure Virtual Network service endpoints to connect securely to other Azure services.
• Avoid exposing sensitive resources directly to the public internet.

User Access Controls:

• Follow the principle of least privilege when granting user access to virtual networks.
• Use Azure RBAC (Role-Based Access Control) to assign appropriate permissions to users.
• Regularly review and update user access rights as needed.

Subnet Security:

• Segment your virtual network into subnets based on security requirements.
• Use Network Security Groups (NSGs) to restrict traffic between subnets.
• Define subnet boundaries and ensure that resources are placed in the appropriate subnets based on their security requirements.

VPN Gateway Security:

• Securely configure VPN gateways, ensuring that appropriate encryption protocols and algorithms are used.
• Regularly update VPN gateway firmware to protect against known vulnerabilities.
• Implement strong authentication mechanisms, such as Azure AD-based authentication or certificate-based authentication.

DDoS Protection:

• Enable Azure DDoS Protection Standard to mitigate Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks.
• Configure DDoS protection settings to meet your application's requirements.

Network Monitoring and Logging:

• Enable Azure Network Watcher to monitor and diagnose network traffic.
• Enable logging for virtual network flow logs to gain visibility into network activities.
• Use Azure Monitor to set up alerts and notifications for unusual network behavior or security events.

Network Encryption:

• Implement network-level encryption using Azure Virtual Network Encryption or Azure VPN Gateway with forced tunneling.
• Use secure protocols, such as IPsec, for site-to-site VPN connections.

Regular Updates and Patches:

• Keep all virtual machines and network appliances within the virtual network up to date with the latest security patches and updates.
• Enable automatic updates or implement a systematic approach to ensure timely patching.

Remember that this checklist provides general guidance, and it's essential to review and adhere to the specific security requirements outlined by NIST for your organization and industry. Regularly audit and assess your virtual network's security posture, and stay informed about the latest security best practices and updates from Azure and NIST to maintain a secure and compliant virtual network environment.

Reference Link: You can find the National Checklist Program on the NIST website

Answer 2

Hello @Ameet Desai ,

Welcome to Microsoft Q&A Platform. Thank you for reaching out & hope you are doing well.

I understand that you are looking for security check list for "Virtual Networks" which will help you to keep your virtual network safe, secure and compliant as per NIST standards.

For an overall collection of Azure best practices to enhance your network security, you can refer the below doc:

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/network-best-practices

For Azure Virtual Network concepts and best practices, refer:

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-network/concepts-and-best-practices

Microsoft has developed a NIST CSF Customer Responsibility Matrix (CRM) that lists all control requirements that depend on customer implementation, shared responsibility controls, and control implementation details for controls owned by Microsoft. You can download the NIST CSF CRM from the Service Trust Portal Blueprints section under NIST CSF Blueprints.

The below article details how the Azure Policy Regulatory Compliance built-in initiative definition maps to compliance domains and controls in NIST SP 800-171 R2.

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/governance/policy/samples/nist-sp-800-171-r2

To review the complete initiative definition, open Policy in the Azure portal and select the Definitions page. Then, find and select the NIST SP Regulatory Compliance built-in initiative definitions as below:

Kindly let us know if the above helps or you need further assistance on this issue.

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