Stay secure with our latest firewall updates, trends, and expert insights in information security to protect your digital assets effectively.
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Background for this topic.
Firewalls are a fundamental component in the realm of information security, serving as a barrier between a trusted internal network and untrusted external networks, such as the internet. A firewall works by filtering incoming and outgoing network traffic based on an organization's previously established security policies. By scrutinizing packet data for certain attributes such as source and destination IP addresses, port numbers, and the protocol used, firewalls decide whether to block or permit the traffic.
In the context of information security, firewalls are essential for preventing unauthorized access and defending against a variety of cyber threats. They can be hardware-based, software-based, or a combination of both. Firewalls are regularly updated to keep up with evolving threats, making them a critical line of defense to protect sensitive data and IT resources within a network.
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CEO Nikesh Arora Says Agentic Workloads Generate Traffic Requiring InspectionPalo Alto Networks said surging AI infrastructure investment and growing enterprise demand for AI governance are expanding cybersecurity spending, while false positives from advanced AI vulnerability tools underscore the continued need for human oversight.
Twenty years after Dark Reading launched, we're looking ahead at what's next for enterprise security. Spoiler: It's hyper-segmented, AI-orchestrated, and way more sophisticated than your dad's firewall.
The threat group behind the attacks is also linked to a series of recently disclosed vulnerabilities in the vendor’s firewalls and SD-WAN systems. The post Cisco zero-day under ongoing attack by persistent threat group appeared first on CyberScoop.
Palo Alto Networks warned customers that suspected state-sponsored hackers have been exploiting a critical-severity PAN-OS firewall zero-day vulnerability for nearly a month. [...]
The vendor hasn’t released a patch for the vulnerability or described the scope and objective of confirmed attacks. The post A critical Palo Alto PAN-OS zero-day is being exploited in the wild appeared first on CyberScoop.
Vendor Details Mitigations, Promises Patched PAN-OS Software in Coming WeeksPalo Alto Networks warned that a critical vulnerability in the PAN-OS software that runs its firewalls is being actively exploited in the wild by attackers. The vendor detailed temporary mitigations and promised to release updated software to fully patch the flaw later this month.
Palo Alto Networks warned customers today that a critical-severity unpatched vulnerability in the PAN-OS User-ID Authentication Portal is being exploited in attacks. [...]
Global recruitment giant says 71% of human firewalls saw wages stagnate last year as threats and responsibilities grew
Global recruitment giant says 71% of human firewalls saw wages stagnate last year as threats and responsibilities grew Cybersecurity professionals were the most overlooked workers in IT when it came to pay rises in 2025, according to new figures from recruiter Harvey Nash.…
'Firestarter' Backdoor Can Survive Reboots, Upgrades and Standard FixesThe Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency issued an emergency directive warning a newly-discovered Cisco backdoor can survive routine remediation processes, forcing agencies to investigate edge devices that anchor federal firewall and VPN security.
Cybersecurity agencies in the U.S. and U.K. are warning about a custom malware called Firestarter persisting on Cisco Firepower and Secure Firewall devices running Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) or Firepower Threat Defense (FTD) software. [...]
Investigators found the malware, dubbed Firestarter, on a federal agency's network in a campaign dating back to at least September 2025. The post US, UK agencies warn hackers were hiding on Cisco firewalls long after patches were applied appeared first on CyberScoop.
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has ordered federal agencies to patch a maximum-severity vulnerability, CVE-2026-20131, in Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center (FMC) by Sunday, March 22. [...]
The ransomware gang, known for double-extortion attacks, had access to a critical Cisco firewall vulnerability weeks before it was publicly disclosed.
Notorious ransomware group Interlock has been exploiting a Cisco zero-day bug since January, AWS says
Cisco’s response to the latest SD-WAN and firewall defects has been fast, but the harder question is how long sophisticated actors had a head start — and what’s already compromised. The post Cisco’s latest vulnerability spree has a more troubling pattern underneath appeared first on CyberScoop.
AWS Researchers Find an Interlock Server Laden With ToolsRansomware hackers exploited a flaw with a maximum vulnerability score in Cisco firewall management software weeks before the networking giant disclosed the vulnerability in early March. The group has focused extensively on critical infrastructure sectors in North America and Europe.
Interlock's post-exploit toolkit exposed Ransomware criminals exploited CVE-2026-20131, a maximum-severity bug in Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center software, as a zero-day vulnerability more than a month before Cisco patched the hole, according to Amazon security boss CJ Moses.…
The Interlock ransomware gang has been exploiting a maximum severity remote code execution (RCE) vulnerability in Cisco's Secure Firewall Management Center (FMC) software in zero-day attacks since late January. [...]