What effect does using an Intermediate Universal Forwarder have on firewall management?

Using an Intermediate Universal Forwarder plays a significant role in simplifying firewall management. When you deploy Intermediate Universal Forwarders in your architecture, they typically centralize data collection from various sources before relaying that data to the main indexer. This setup enables you to implement fewer and more straightforward firewall rules because the Intermediate Universal Forwarder acts as a single point of entry for data from multiple endpoints.

Instead of setting complex firewall rules for every individual data source, you can establish rules that allow traffic from the Intermediate Universal Forwarder to the indexer. This streamlining reduces the potential points of failure and simplifies monitoring and management, making it easier to maintain security postures while efficiently managing data flows.

In contrast, using multiple individual forwarders may require intricate and tailored firewall rules for each one, which drives up complexity. Therefore, the correct choice reflects the advantage of using Intermediate Universal Forwarders in maintaining effective and manageable firewall rules within your network.