Setting up a wide range of firewall logs and other security rules inside Microsoft’s Azure cloud computing platform can now be streamlined using a new “AzSec” application from 5nine Software.
AzSec is aimed at IT administrators to make it easier to manage and monitor Azure systems and prevent potential security risks that can surface in the configuration of public or hybrid cloud environments. AzSec is a console-based application which can run on a server or in the cloud and helps maintain network traffic and security rules for virtual machines running on Azure.
Using AzSec, IT administrators can create, maintain and manage inbound/outbound traffic rules for virtual machines in Azure, while also collecting, displaying and managing firewall log data in a central console. The application’s Easy Firewall Configuration feature permits administrators to apply firewall rules in a single step instead of using complex scripts within the Azure portal, while also providing automated firewall rule configuration using built-in templates which enable admins to reduce the risk of misconfiguration for virtual machines in Hyper-V environments.
“This is for users of Microsoft Azure to be able to view logs in a centralized GUI instead of having to set up Azure rules in an Azure portal, and to enable hybrid management so they can see and manage on-premises and public cloud assets,” Morgan Holm, vice president of product management for 5nine Software, told ITPro.
AzSec can be used as an addition to the company’s existing 5nine Cloud Security product or can be used by itself, said Holm. AzSec is slated to be available soon through the Microsoft Azure Marketplace portal.
The application allows users to take Azure firewall logs and bring them into the Microsoft Operations Management Suite and allows logs from multiple sources to be brought together as part of an event analysis to look for things such as excessive log-in attempts and other connectivity network traffic analysis, said Holm.
“It allows AzSec to report to other systems and allows organizations to centralize those reports to see what is going on,” he said. “You can easily configure and save the logs to see them within the interface as well.”
Administrators can also set up alerts for potential attacks and other incidents.
“It’s very simple and straightforward” compared to the built-in tools that come with Azure from Microsoft, said Holm. “This is our initial step into the public cloud, and there are many more things to come there” from the company to ease similar operations for administrators.
Pricing for AzSec starts on a per virtual machine basis at a list price of $18 per year. Pricing for consumptive use of the application is expected in the future, he said.
Other features of AzSec also include simplified anomaly discovery, which lets administrators view and analyze firewall log data with 5nine Cloud Security Anomaly Analysis, SPLUNK or other systems; as well as adherence with security compliance mandates by utilizing log retention and analysis with other applications. AzSec also allows monitoring of the user’s Azure account subscription status, usage and billing summary, all in one console..
