Running Your Server Like Its Naked Without Protection And No Firewall Is Only Going To Get You So Far

A firewall is only as strong as its configuration.

I’ve been involved in this game since 1993 when network admins were pulling their hair out over coax cables and the beginnings of PSTN voice/data muxes. And sure, I’ve seen my share of nightmares — the Slammer worm tearing through the internet, reminding us all: security is only as strong as your weakest link. Fast forward to 2025, and the firewalls have been molded into these huge behemoths, but here’s the kicker – they’re no stronger than the way you set them up on Day Zero! The hardware itself? Just the chassis. You’re muscle is actually in your deployment and hardening.

Far too many organizations believe that the purchase of a FortiGate firewall is the endgame. But it’s the starting gun. Default secured?-?- Not out of the box FortiGates can come pretty holey, that is…imagine Swiss cheese; enough said.

The Dangers of Default Settings in 2025

Your firewall’s default settings are the stealthy foes of its security posture. And trust me, I have walked into configurations—numerous times—where a poorly configured FortiGate had big gaping holes wide open. It’s now 2025, but the risks haven’t evolved much since the beginning of the 21st century:

• Management interfaces open to the internet.
• Default or bad passwords for admin (yes, this still happens).
• Too many open firewall rules.
• Vulnerabilities in firmware which was not updated.

I recall when I assisted in upgrading zero-trust architectures for three big banks recently — the default settings were not discussed. But many mid-size businesses? So they have yet to switch off the autopilot. You want your firewall to behave like a bouncer on high alert, not a groggy guard who lets everybody in because he hasn’t had his coffee.

And let’s be real: Trusting AI-based security to solve these errors? I’m a bit dubious — AI is cool, but if you give it bad configs, it doesn’t magically build you a vault.

The P J Networks Day Zero Hardening Protocol for FortiGates

Here’s where we at P J Networks shine. We don’t just throw a device on the wall and walk away. We want to do Day Zero deployment right. This wasn’t a set-it-and-forget-it exercise — it is a process best described as a meticulous, hands-on project that has been honed over the decades (and that included a few charred fingers along the way).

What does Day Zero mean for us? And that is the time you power up your FortiGate. And from that moment:

• We assume the preset is unsafe.
• We act like hackers looking to exploit it — with legitimate access, of course.
• We fill every known hole before it can be abused by anyone else.

Our team’s checklist is long because we understand that each additional step skipped expands your attack surface. Those little details that may seem so small they can be overlooked could cause a snowball effect that results in a breach, especially when you consider the level of sophistication of current threats in 2025.

Anyways the joint steps on this are: Firmware Update, Secure Policy Creation and finally Feature Optimization.

Firmware First

• Immediate upgrade to current stable Fos version.
• Implement critical patches — no excuses!
• Check the integrity of firmware to ensure no manipulation of the supply chain.

Secure Policy Creation

• We assess existing policies or develop new policies.
• Principle: least privilege, always.
• We segment our networks tightly ‐‐ interior, guest, production, management.
• Default to explicit deny rules, with all exceptions well justified.

Management Interface Lockdown

• Shutting down WWW unless absolutely necessary.
• Limit access to who can manage the resources by specific trusted IPs.
• Enable MFA for admin login.

Feature Optimization

• Lots of features are turned on out of the box or are enabled very easily on FortiGates.
• We disable services that are not needed making sure we have less attack vectors.
• Set up monitoring and alerts to detect early signs of compromise.
• Turn ON IPS, antivirus and sandboxing modules matching your risk drive.

I like to think of this as tuning a classic car engine. It’s not about how shiny the outside of the car is — it is about what is under the hood. Each setting you make is like tuning a carburetor, so your ride isn’t just fast but safe.

Enduring Security Posture Management with P J Networks

Here we go then you have a FortiGate — clean and right out of the box. But let’s get real — security isn’t static. Threat actors adapt, exploits are exposed, and your network shifts.

We don’t just walk away. P J Networks is providing posture management as part of and ongoing process:

• Periodic design inspections.
• Ongoing monitoring for vulnerability.
• Automatic & Manual methods of audit.
• Instant alerts of suspicious activities.

It’s as if you went back to service your car after the first tune-up. Not maintaining them, and you’re courting trouble.” There’s no such thing as a set it and forget it security product. Especially not firewalls.

Begin Secure, End Secure: That’s Our Promise

I’m also still buzzing from DefCon’s hardware hacking village, where watching even surprisingly complex devices get taken apart and exploited reinforced for me why Day Zero remains so important. Your FortiGate is a digital gatekeeper, and all the bells and whistles out there are no substitute for closing that gate from the get-go.

So, from one who unfortunately knows better, here’s a bit of reality: doing it right, hardening for releases, isn’t a nice-to-have.

P J Networks is dedicated to making sure your business is getting that peace of mind, from Day Zero — we know first hand, it’s difficult to stay ahead in the game when your own firewall is left wide gapping open.

Quick Take

• Buying a FortiGate? Don’t trust defaults.
• Day Zero hardening = patch firmware, restrict interfaces, lock policies.
• Ongoing management = your protection from ever-changing threats.
• At P J Networks we have real world experience — not cookie-cutter installations.

Keep in mind — your firewall is the network front door. Unlock it on Day Zero, however, and you might as well not bother.

If you care about your security (and believe me, you should) do yourself a favour and drop P J Networks a line. We don’t sell boxes; we ship hardened shields.

Until next coffee,

Sanjay Seth
P J Networks Pvt Ltd