Quick wins for a faster PC:
Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Use security groups for the usual resource-level access control, network ACLs when you need ordered, stateless rules across a subnet, and AWS Network Firewall when traffic routed through firewall endpoints needs deeper or centralized inspection. They operate at different points in a VPC and can be layered; a firewall does not inspect traffic that routing does not send through it.
How the three controls differ
| Control | Where it applies | Rule and state model | Best fit | Main caveat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Security group | Resources such as instances and their network interfaces | Stateful; allow rules only. Return traffic for an allowed connection is automatically allowed. | Primary allow-list access policy for workloads and other VPC resources. | Does not provide subnet-wide deny rules or Network Firewall’s deeper inspection features. |
| Network ACL (NACL) | Subnet; applies to resources in that subnet | Stateless; allows and denies traffic. Rules are evaluated in ascending order until a match, and both traffic directions need rules. | Coarse subnet guard rails, targeted deny rules, or an additional defense-in-depth layer. | Rule order and return-path rules require care; a NACL is not a stateful flow inspection engine. |
| AWS Network Firewall | VPC traffic paths routed through firewall endpoints | Stateless packet engine plus stateful flow engine; stateful rules support Suricata-compatible syntax. | Managed perimeter or east-west inspection, domain or IP filtering, protocol-aware filtering, and deeper packet inspection. | Requires endpoint subnets, policy and rule-group configuration, routing integration, and an architecture compatibility review. |
AWS recommends security groups as the primary access-control mechanism for VPC resources. NACLs and Network Firewall address different needs rather than replacing that baseline. See AWS infrastructure security guidance for Amazon VPC and its NACL examples.
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When to use security groups
Start with security groups for ordinary workload access. Scope rules to the sources, destinations, ports, and protocols each resource actually needs. Because security groups are stateful, return traffic for an allowed connection is automatically permitted; you do not create a separate return rule for that connection.
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Security groups are associated with resources, not used as subnet-wide deny lists. If the requirement is “only these workloads can reach this resource on these ports,” a security group is usually the direct control. AWS describes security groups as the primary access-control mechanism for VPC resources in its VPC infrastructure security guidance.
#1 Best Overall
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When a network ACL is useful
Choose a NACL when the subnet boundary is the right place to apply a coarse guard rail—for example, a subnet-wide allow or deny requirement—or when you want an additional stateless defense-in-depth layer. NACLs support both allow and deny rules, unlike security groups.
Plan both directions of traffic. NACL rules are stateless, so allowing a request does not automatically allow its response. Rules are processed in ascending numerical order, and evaluation stops at the first matching rule. An earlier rule can therefore determine the outcome before a later, broader rule is reached. Consult AWS’s subnet access-control examples when designing rule order and return paths.
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When AWS Network Firewall is worth adding
Use AWS Network Firewall when basic resource and subnet access rules are not enough and you need inspection or filtering on selected VPC traffic paths. AWS documents domain and IP endpoint filtering, custom lists of known bad domains, deep packet inspection, and protocol detection independent of port. It also describes north-south and east-west inspection use cases. Details are in What is AWS Network Firewall?
Network Firewall has two engines. Its stateless engine evaluates packets individually and can pass, drop, or forward matching traffic to stateful inspection. Its stateful engine evaluates traffic in flow context and supports Suricata-compatible rules. The stateless rules are comparable in behavior to NACLs, and the stateful rules to security groups, but these are only comparisons: they are not interchangeable controls. In particular, the firewall stateful engine’s default pass behavior differs from the security group default-deny behavior. AWS explains the distinction in its rules-engine documentation.
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Routing determines what the firewall can inspect
AWS Network Firewall is not automatically applied to every packet in a VPC. Firewall endpoints are placed in selected Availability Zone subnets, and routes determine whether traffic traverses those endpoints. AWS describes filtering for traffic to and from internet and NAT gateways, or over VPN and Direct Connect, as well as inspection of north-south and east-west traffic. See how AWS Network Firewall works.
Before deployment, verify that the intended paths—including return paths where relevant—are routed through the firewall endpoint, and review whether the VPC architecture is supported. AWS’s getting-started guidance outlines the configuration sequence and calls for checking architecture compatibility.
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Can you use the controls together?
Yes. A common design keeps security groups as the resource-level control, adds a NACL for subnet-wide stateless guard rails where needed, and routes selected traffic through Network Firewall for inspection. Each layer sees traffic at a different point, so validate the effective rules and routes across the whole path. One control does not make a missing rule or incorrect route in another layer harmless.
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Choose by the requirement
- Limit access to a workload: begin with a security group scoped to the required sources, ports, and protocols.
- Apply a coarse deny or guard rail to a subnet: consider a NACL if you can manage ordered rules and explicitly permit both directions.
- Filter domains, identify protocols, inspect packet contents, or centralize inspection: consider Network Firewall for the traffic paths you can route through its endpoints.
- Use more than one layer: define each layer’s purpose, then check the combined rules and routing rather than assuming the controls are equivalent.
What to check before deploying Network Firewall
- Availability Zone and endpoint subnet placement for the intended traffic paths.
- Routes that send the traffic to be inspected through the firewall endpoints.
- Architecture compatibility and the policy and rule groups the inspection requirement needs.
- Logging requirements and the operational work of maintaining rules and routes.
- Current regional pricing inputs, including endpoint configuration and expected traffic or usage. The cost depends on region and usage, so a meaningful estimate must use the planned deployment and current AWS pricing rather than a general figure.
AWS’s getting-started documentation covers deployment setup. Its service overview describes supported inspection use cases.
Quick Recap
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