Abstract: A method and system for determining whether to alter a firewall configuration. Message flow data associated with a message packet blocked by a firewall is received. The packet was blocked based on the firewall not having a message flow rule that permitted passage of the message packet. Risk values associated with a source network, destination network and destination port are identified by the message flow data. Based on the risk values, an electronic recommendation indicating whether to add to the firewall a message flow rule that permits the message flow to pass is determined and generated.

Abstract: A method and system for utilizing an expert system to determine whether to alter a firewall configuration. The expert system receives message flow data associated with a message packet blocked by a firewall. The packet is blocked based on an associated message flow not being permitted by a set of rules. The expert system assigns predefined risk values to the message flow data so that each risk value is associated with a source network, destination network or destination port included in the message flow data. The expert system utilizes the assigned risk values to determine a total risk value associated with the message packet. Finally, the expert system generates a proposal based on the total risk value. The proposal is a recommendation for or against adding to the set of rules a message flow rule that permits the message flow.