Security Groups that allow inbound access on non-standard ports (22, 80, 443)

Overview

The Security Groups that Allow Inbound Access on Non-Standard Ports (22, 80, 443) insight identifies Azure Security Groups with rules permitting inbound traffic on ports other than the commonly used ports for SSH (22), HTTP (80), and HTTPS (443). This insight is crucial for IT Operations (IT Ops) and Security Operations (Sec Ops) engineers to detect and mitigate potential security risks arising from misconfigurations or overly permissive rules.

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Value to IT and Security Engineers

For IT Engineers:

• Operational Awareness: Helps track and validate security group configurations to ensure they align with operational requirements and do not introduce unnecessary risk.

• Troubleshooting Aid: Provides visibility into non-standard port access rules, simplifying diagnostics for connectivity or application access issues.

• Compliance with Standards: Supports the enforcement of organizational policies around network access, ensuring that ports are opened only when justified.

For Security Engineers:

• Risk Mitigation: Highlights potential attack vectors by flagging non-standard ports that may be open, reducing the risk of unauthorized access or exploitation.

• Threat Analysis: Enables early detection of unusual or unexpected access patterns that could indicate a potential compromise or misconfiguration.

• Regulatory Compliance: Ensures adherence to security best practices and regulatory requirements by maintaining strict control over inbound traffic rules.

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Key Use Cases

1. Strengthening Network Security: Sec Ops teams can use this insight to review and tighten access rules, allowing only essential inbound traffic on specific ports.

2. Preventing Exploitation of Misconfigurations: Detect and address security group rules that inadvertently expose services running on non-standard ports, which are often targeted by attackers.

3. Improving Visibility and Control: IT Ops teams gain visibility into the use of non-standard ports, ensuring these configurations are intentional and justified.

4. Enhancing Audit and Compliance Efforts: Regularly reviewing security groups for non-standard ports helps teams demonstrate compliance with security frameworks and industry regulations.

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Actionable Insights

• Audit and Review Rules: Regularly audit security groups for rules allowing inbound traffic on non-standard ports, ensuring they are necessary and appropriately restricted.

• Apply Least Privilege Principle: Limit access to specific IP ranges or CIDRs for non-standard ports to reduce exposure.

• Use Logging and Monitoring: Enable NSG Flow Logs to track traffic patterns and identify unexpected access attempts on these ports.

• Leverage Automation: Use Azure Policy or scripts to enforce restrictions on the creation of security group rules for non-standard ports.

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Additional Recommendations

• Implement Just-In-Time (JIT) Access: For ports that need temporary access (e.g., for maintenance), use Azure Security Center's JIT access feature to restrict exposure.

• Integrate Threat Intelligence: Use Azure Sentinel or other monitoring tools to analyze traffic patterns and detect potential exploitation attempts.

• Regular Security Group Reviews: Schedule periodic reviews of all security group configurations as part of your security hygiene practices.

By identifying and managing Security Groups that Allow Inbound Access on Non-Standard Ports, IT Ops and Sec Ops engineers can significantly reduce the attack surface, ensuring secure and reliable network operations.