What does a hard timeout for firewall policy authentication signify?

A hard timeout for firewall policy authentication indicates that the temporary policy associated with a user's source IP address is removed after the specified timer expires. This means that once the timeout period is over, any permissions or access granted to that user based on their authentication will no longer apply, and the firewall will revert to its default security posture.

This mechanism is essential for maintaining network security by ensuring that authenticated sessions do not remain active indefinitely, which could pose a vulnerability if a user leaves their session unattended or if their authentication credentials are intercepted. By removing the temporary policy after the hard timeout, the firewall effectively enforces stricter control over user access and ensures that users must re-authenticate if they wish to regain access after the timeout period.