Optimizing Firewall Policy Rule Ordering Using Discrete Cuckoo Search Algorithm

Abstract

The exponential growth of modern network infrastructures has significantly increased the complexity of firewall configuration, often leading to rule conflicts and inefficient performance. Firewall rule ordering, a known NP-hard problem, is critical to ensuring accurate traffic filtering and preserving security policy semantics. Traditional deterministic approaches to packet classification often neglect traffic dynamics, limiting their adaptability. In this study, we propose a metaheuristic-based solution using the Discrete Cuckoo Search (DCS) algorithm to optimize firewall rule ordering. Inspired by natural behavior, DCS offers simplicity, global search capabilities, and computational efficiency. Our approach maps the rule ordering task to a job scheduling problem, achieving improved accuracy and performance compared to existing techniques. Experimental results validate the effectiveness of the proposed method in enhancing firewall efficiency.