Optimization of firewalls in modern cybersecurity systems

Abstract

Abstract. In the era of increasing digitalization and the expansion of network infrastructures, cybersecurity has become one of the key priorities for organizations of any scale. Firewalls, as one of the oldest yet most fundamental components of protection systems, play a crucial role in filtering network traffic and preventing unauthorized access. However, with the growing volume of data, the complexity of attacks, and the proliferation of cloud technologies, traditional firewall configurations are often unable to ensure both high performance and sufficient security levels. Therefore, the optimization of firewalls—their architectures, policies, and operational algorithms—becomes a decisive factor in achieving a balance between speed, scalability, and protection efficiency. Modern enterprises deploy dozens or even hundreds of firewalls across hybrid infrastructures, including on-premises and cloud segments. Without optimization, such systems can experience: - Network latency due to excessive or conflicting security rules; - Vulnerabilities caused by outdated configurations; - Overhead in traffic inspection and logging processes. Optimizing firewalls helps not only to increase packet-processing performance but also to reduce attack surfaces and simplify policy management. Moreover, with the integration of AI, ML, and automated orchestration, optimization becomes part of an adaptive cybersecurity framework that can self-tune in response to real-time threats.