Backup and Recovery

Maintaining firewall configuration backups ensures quick recovery from misconfigurations or system failures.

Backup firewall configuration:

# Export complete firewall policy
netsh advfirewall export "C:\Backups\firewall-backup-$(Get-Date -Format 'yyyyMMdd').wfw"

# Export as PowerShell commands
Get-NetFirewallRule | Export-Clixml "C:\Backups\firewall-rules-$(Get-Date -Format 'yyyyMMdd').xml"

# Scheduled backup script
$backupScript = @'
$date = Get-Date -Format 'yyyyMMdd'
$backupPath = "C:\Backups\Firewall"
if (!(Test-Path $backupPath)) { New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path $backupPath }
netsh advfirewall export "$backupPath\firewall-$date.wfw"
'@

Register-ScheduledTask -TaskName "Firewall Backup" -Trigger (New-ScheduledTaskTrigger -Daily -At 2am) -Action (New-ScheduledTaskAction -Execute "PowerShell.exe" -Argument "-ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Command `"$backupScript`"")

Restore firewall configuration:

# Restore from backup
netsh advfirewall import "C:\Backups\firewall-backup-20240101.wfw"

# Restore PowerShell rules
$rules = Import-Clixml "C:\Backups\firewall-rules-20240101.xml"
$rules | ForEach-Object { New-NetFirewallRule @_ }

Windows Server Firewall provides enterprise-grade protection for web servers when properly configured. By understanding its capabilities and following security best practices, administrators can create robust defenses against network threats while maintaining the accessibility required for web services. Regular monitoring, updates, and testing ensure the firewall continues providing effective protection as threats evolve and infrastructure changes.## Web Application Firewalls (WAF) - Advanced Protection

Web Application Firewalls represent a specialized security layer designed specifically to protect web applications from sophisticated attacks that traditional network firewalls cannot detect. Operating at Layer 7 of the OSI model, WAFs understand HTTP/HTTPS traffic deeply, enabling them to identify and block application-specific threats like SQL injection, cross-site scripting, and zero-day exploits. This chapter explores WAF technology comprehensively, from fundamental concepts to advanced implementation strategies for protecting modern web servers.