FIREWALLS GO BACK
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As enterprises grow, corporate networks will most likely be growing to support this expansion. As growth occurs, so do security risks. Expansion of your enterprise's Internet and mobile computing infrastructure will result in an increased number of access points to privileged corporate data. Every access point represents a possible vulnerability that may be exploited to gain unauthorized entry into the newly expanded network. Knowledge of the access points, and how these must be configured to protect the enterprise's intellectual, commercial and proprietary assets from hackers, competitors, and electronic vandals is an essential pre-requisite to enabling the enterprise to continue to operate in a safe and productive manner.
Typically, the first line of technical defense within the enterprise is to protect access to and from the Internet with a firewall. This will place a barrier between the corporate network and the outside, thus securing the perimeter and repelling hackers. Each firewall acts as a single point of entry, where all traffic coming into the network can be audited, authorized and authenticated. Based on the rules used to configure it, the firewall will alert you of any suspicious activity.
Common
Types of Firewalls
Firewall technology has changed over the past few years, so
whether an enterprise needs to replace an existing firewall, or is
installing one for the first time, the enterprise needs to be
up-to-date on what's available today and what the specific
security requirements are for the various types of firewalls.
Each kind of firewall offers a different degree of security and flexibility based on how each firewall type deals with network traffic. Below you will find an overview of some basic types of firewalls. Discover what each type has to offer:
These firewalls at the network layer tend to be fast and the users will probably not even realize that the checks are taking place, but this simplicity leads to the filter's biggest drawback: one user on a machine cannot be securely distinguished from another on the same machine since no packet filter firewalls (stateful or otherwise) support user authentication by default. User authentication requires the addition of an authentication application proxy.
Each different application has its own proxy program that emulates the application's protocol (FTP, HTTP, SMTP, etc.). As application-level firewalls do not allow traffic to pass directly between networks, detailed logging and auditing of traffic passing through the firewalls can be done. The "virtual connection" created by the application-level firewall automatically hides the internal client IP address and conceals the arrangement of the internal network from outsiders.
The industry-leading Cisco PIX 500 Series Firewall (<-Click Here) provides today's networking customers with unmatched security, reliability, and performance. The integrated hardware and software Cisco PIX Firewall package delivers full stateful firewall protection and IP Security (IPsec) virtual private networking (VPN) capabilities, allowing you to rigorously protect your internal network from outside intrusions.
Unlike typical CPU-intensive full-time proxy servers, Cisco PIX Firewalls use a non-UNIX, secure, real-time, embedded system. Its tradition of flexibility and scalability, combined with a wide selection of platforms and features, allows the Cisco PIX Firewall to meet the entire range of customer requirements.WE CAN HELP!