To create a security group in Azure, you'll first need to navigate to the Azure portal. This can be done by logging into your Azure account and clicking on the "Resource groups" tab.
In the Azure portal, click on the "Security groups" option from the left-hand menu. This will take you to a page where you can create a new security group.
To create a new security group, click on the "Add a resource" button and select "Security group" from the dropdown menu. This will prompt you to fill in the necessary details for your security group.
You'll need to provide a name for your security group, which will be used to identify it in the Azure portal. This name should be unique and descriptive of the purpose of your security group.
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Create Security Group
To create a security group in Azure, you'll need to navigate to the Azure portal and select the "Networking" section.
In the Azure portal, you can create a security group by clicking the "Create a resource" button, then searching for "network security group".
Security groups are used to group multiple resources together under a single set of security rules.
You can name your security group anything you like, as long as it follows the standard naming conventions.
To add a rule to your security group, you'll need to specify the protocol, source IP address, destination IP address, and action.
In Azure, you can also create a security group by using the Azure CLI or PowerShell.
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Configure Security Group
You can create, view, and manage network security groups (NSGs) in Azure, which is a crucial step in configuring your security group.
NSGs have limitations, such as the number of NSGs you can create per Azure region and subscription.
To associate an NSG with a network interface or subnet, you can link the two.
You can also create, view, and manage security rules within an NSG, which further enhances your security setup.
The number of rules per NSG is also limited, so be mindful of this when configuring your security rules.
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How It Works
Azure Network Security Groups (NSGs) operate by comparing network traffic to a set of rules you've established. These rules specify whether traffic should be allowed or prohibited.
You can create multiple incoming and outgoing rules to allow or deny specific types of traffic while creating Azure Network Security groups. Each rule must be created and set up individually.
Network Security Groups process rules from the lowest number (highest priority) to the highest number in descending order of priority. This means that rules with lower numbers are given higher priority.
Here's how the process works:
- Rule Creation: You can design and establish rules that indicate which traffic parameters are allowed or prohibited in the NSG.
- Priority Assignment: A priority is given to every rule, with lower numbers indicating higher priority.
- Traffic Analysis: NSGs compare incoming and outgoing traffic to the established rules as it tries to access or depart a resource.
- Action Enforcement: An action (allow or deny) is enforced if the traffic pattern corresponds to a regulation.
Default security rules are included in Azure network security groups, providing a basic level of protection. These defaults function at a lower priority than custom rules, allowing you to override them when needed.
Configure RDP Access
To allow inbound RDP access, you'll need to create a NAT rule. Select the NAT rule collection tab and click "Add NAT rule collection."
Enter the NAT rule collection name as "rdp" and set the priority to 200. Under Rules, name the rule "rdp-nat" and select TCP as the protocol.
Set the source type to IP address and enter "*" to allow all IP addresses inbound RDP access. For production environments, you may want to allow specific IP addresses.
The destination address should be the public IP address of your Azure firewall, which can be found in a separate screenshot.
Set the destination port to 3389, which is the RDP port. The translated address should be the public IP address of the Windows Server 2019 VM's network interface, found in another screenshot.
Set the translated port to 3389.
Assign Interfaces
Assigning interfaces is a crucial step in configuring your security group. You'll need to create Azure Application Security Groups and assign them to your network interfaces.
To create an Azure Application Security Group, follow the steps outlined in the lab preparation section earlier. This will allow you to link the ASG to your network interfaces.
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Once you've created your ASG, you can associate it with your network interfaces by following the steps in Example 2. This involves opening your VM, clicking on the Networking menu, and configuring the application security groups.
To associate your ASG with network interfaces, you can follow the steps outlined in Example 3. This involves selecting your virtual machine, navigating to the Networking section, and configuring the application security groups.
Here's a summary of the steps to associate your ASG with network interfaces:
- Select your virtual machine from the Virtual machines page.
- Navigate to the Networking section and select Configure the application security groups.
- Select the ASG you created earlier and save the changes.
- Repeat the steps for your other virtual machines.
Join or Leave a Subnet
To join or leave a subnet, you'll need to associate or dissociate a network security group (NSG). This can be done using the Azure portal or PowerShell commands.
In the Azure portal, navigate to the Network security groups page, select the name of your NSG, and then select Subnets. From there, you can associate or dissociate the NSG to or from a subnet using the Set-AzVirtualNetworkSubnetConfig command.
Alternatively, you can use the az network vnet subnet update command to associate or dissociate an NSG to or from a subnet.
Here's a step-by-step guide to associating an NSG to a subnet:
- On the Network security groups page, click on the security group nsg1
- Under Settings, select Subnets and then select + Associate
- Under Associate subnet, select Virtual network and then select vnet1. Select Subnet, select vnet1-subnet1, and then select OK.
- Repeat step 3 to associate to subnet vnet1-subnet2 from vnet1
By following these steps, you can easily manage the association of NSGs with subnets in Azure.
Firewall Features Comparison
Azure Firewall offers three SKUs – Basic, Standard, and Premium. The Basic SKU is recommended for SMBs and has an estimated throughput of up to 250 Mbps.
You get a range of features with the Basic SKU, including FQDN tags, service tags, threat intelligence in alert mode, and outbound SNAT and inbound DNAT support. The Basic SKU also supports multiple public IP addresses and Azure Monitor logging.
Here's a breakdown of the features you can expect from each SKU:
The Standard SKU offers features like unrestricted cloud scalability, DNS proxy, and custom DNS, which are not available in the Basic SKU. The Premium SKU adds even more advanced features, including TLS inspection and an intrusion detection and prevention system.
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Manage Security Group
To create a secure network, you need to manage your security group effectively.
First, create an Azure Application Security Group (ASG) by following the steps outlined earlier. This will help you link the ASG to your network interfaces.
Next, link the ASG to your network interfaces, which you created earlier in the lab preparation section. This is an essential step in setting up your security group.
To further secure your network, create inbound and outbound security rules using the ASG. You can do this by opening your network security group and configuring the inbound security rules, as illustrated in the screenshot.
Remember to configure the inbound security rules carefully, as they will determine what traffic is allowed into your network.
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NSG to Interfaces and ASG
To associate NSG with network interfaces, you need to link the Application Security Group (ASG) to two network interfaces you created earlier.
First, create an Azure Application Security Group (ASG) by following the steps outlined in the lab preparation section. This will allow you to assign the ASG to network interfaces.
Next, associate the application security groups with two VMs by opening the first VM and clicking the Networking menu, then Application security groups.
After that, select the ASG you created earlier from the Application security group dropdown and save the changes.
View Details
To view the details of a network security group, simply enter "Network security group" in the search box at the top of the portal and select the corresponding result.
You can also use the command Get-AzNetworkSecurityGroup to view the details of an NSG.
To view the details of a security rule, enter "Network security group" in the search box and select the corresponding result, then select the name of the NSG for which you want to view the rules.
This procedure only applies to custom security rules, not default ones.
To view the details of a security rule, use the command Get-AzNetworkSecurityRuleConfig.
You can also use the command az network nsg rule show to view the details of a security rule.
Here's a summary of the methods to view details of an NSG and a security rule:
The portal and PowerShell methods provide different ways to view details, depending on your preference and needs.
View All
Viewing security rules is a crucial step in managing your security groups. You can view all security rules by selecting the name of the NSG for which you want to view the rules.
To view the security rules of an NSG, you can use the portal or PowerShell commands. In the portal, select Network security groups in the search results, then select the name of the NSG and choose Inbound security rules or Outbound security rules.
You can also use the Get-AzNetworkSecurityRuleConfig PowerShell command to view the security rules of an NSG.
Here are the steps to view the security rules using the portal:
- Select the name of the NSG for which you want to view the rules.
- Select Inbound security rules or Outbound security rules.
Dissociate an Interface
To dissociate an interface, you'll need to follow the instructions in the "Associate or dissociate a network security group to or from a network interface" section.
You can dissociate a network security group from a network interface by following the link provided in the referenced section for more information.
Dissociating an interface is a crucial step in managing your security group, and it's essential to understand the process to avoid any potential issues.
For more information about the dissociation process, see the "Associate or dissociate a network security group" section for further guidance.
Verify NSG for VM
To verify NSG for a virtual machine, start by navigating to the virtual machine's subnet, vnet1-vm-mgmt1.
You'll need to check the network security group nsg1 is applied to the subnet vnet-subnet1.
A security group, vnet1-vm-mgmt1-nsg, is also attached to the network interface of the virtual machine. This was created when you created the VM and assigned Basic network security group as default configuration setting. You can disassociate this security group from the network security group.
To do this, click on the network security group attached to the interface and go to Settings → Network interfaces.
Click on the three dots … on the right and click Dissociate.
You'll need to repeat these steps for each VM created with a basic network security group.
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Security Group Rules
To create security rules for your Azure security group, start by allowing SSH and RDP to the management servers. This involves creating a security rule to permit these protocols.
You'll need to navigate to the network security groups page and click on the group you just created, nsg1. Then, go to Settings → Inbound security rules and click +Add.
To configure the rule, select Application security group as the destination, and choose mgmt as the destination Application security group. Set the destination port ranges to 22 and 3389, and select TCP as the protocol. Name the rule allow-mgmt-access and set the priority to 100.
Similarly, create another security rule to allow http and https traffic to the web application security group. Select Application security group as the destination, and choose web as the destination Application security group. Set the destination port ranges to 80 and 443, and select TCP as the protocol. Name the rule allow-web and set the priority to 120.
Here's a summary of the security rules you'll need to create:
Security Group Best Practices
Managing multiple NSGs can be a nightmare, especially when you have to consider rules from multiple groups controlling your network traffic. It's essential to sync NSGs with services and resource groups to maintain simplicity and avoid complexity.
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Don't create an NSG for every single resource on your virtual network. Consider managing all access rules in one NSG for easier maintenance. However, be aware that managing hundreds of rules can become a challenge and lead to errors and misconfigurations.
Employing sensible naming conventions is a great way to reduce the amount of work required to maintain your Azure setup. Use descriptive names for your NSGs, such as NSG-SRV-WEB-01, to make it easier for support to identify them.
What Are Security Groups
Security groups are a crucial aspect of network security, allowing you to control access to resources and services. They're essentially a way to group resources together, making it easier to manage and secure them.
A security group can contain multiple resources, such as EC2 instances, RDS databases, and S3 buckets, all under a single identity. This makes it easier to apply security policies to all the resources in a group at once.
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Security groups are stateful, meaning they keep track of the traffic that flows in and out of the resources they contain. This allows them to enforce rules based on the state of the connection, such as allowing incoming traffic from a specific IP address.
You can assign security groups to resources at the time of creation, or add them later using the AWS Management Console or the AWS CLI. This flexibility makes it easy to manage security groups for your resources.
Security groups are a key component of AWS security, and understanding how to use them effectively is essential for securing your resources in the cloud.
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NSG Best Practices
Managing numerous NSGs can be overwhelming, but following some recommended practices can make it more manageable.
Sync your NSGs with services and resource groups to avoid complexity and errors. This means not creating an NSG for every Azure resource, but rather using a single NSG for all resources if it's feasible.
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Use sensible naming conventions to make it easier for support to identify your NSGs. This includes using descriptive names like NSG-SRV-WEB-01 instead of generic names like NSG01.
When creating rules, use IP ranges to simplify the process and reduce the number of rules you need to write and maintain. This is especially helpful when limiting access to a specific resource.
Separate rule priority numbers with spaces to ensure that rules are processed in the correct order. This is crucial when drafting rules that need to be processed before others.
Use virtual network service tags to manage multiple objects and make your NSG rules easier to interpret. These tags represent a collection of IP address prefixes associated with a specific Azure service, such as "VirtualNetwork" or "Internet".
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Sources
- https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-network/manage-network-security-group
- https://infrasos.com/secure-azure-network-with-azure-firewall-security-groups/
- https://www.azurecitadel.com/network/concepts/nsgs/
- https://www.whizlabs.com/blog/azure-network-security-groups/
- https://stackoverflow.com/questions/72519603/how-to-create-security-groups-in-azure-ad-using-automation
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