IMPLEMENTATION OF FIREWALLS

Implementation of Firewalls

Abstract

This paper discusses the various aspects of the implementation of firewalls. It includes the background on firewalls, along with their purpose, limitations, evaluation and recommendations. There are two basic functions of a firewall; namely application proxy gateways and packet filtering. Firewalls are used in combination with other protection and security software and hardware for optimum performance.

Table of Contents

Abstractii

Introduction1

Discussion1

Background1

Misconceptions2

Firewall and Security Policy2

Purpose of a Firewall3

Types of Firewall Protection4

Limitations5

Evaluation and Recommendation5

References7

Appendices8

Implementation of Firewalls

Introduction

Firewall is a system that monitors the connection between computer networks. Firewalls are necessary for protection from viruses and Trojans. The absence of a firewall can result in harmful and malicious activity on a computer. This can lead to the damage of the hardware and software of the computer networks. Firewalls are present in almost all computers around the world and are a part of the governmental, personal and corporate networks. Firewalls consist of hardware and software that helps in the monitoring of transmission of packets of digital information that attempts to pass through a network. There are two basic functions of a firewall; namely application proxy gateways and packet filtering.

The Internet has become a necessity in the lives of almost every human being. Whether it is a child, a young person or an elderly person, they all use the Internet. Internet is very important, and there are many issues that are associated with it. Internet makes a person smarter as he or she gains more knowledge through the use of the Internet. The use of the Internet is increasing day by day and people are becoming addicted to it. People use the Internet for all kinds of communication and work like academics and social interaction. The Internet poses many threats to a network, which makes the need for a firewall all the more necessary.

Discussion

Background

The history of firewalls goes back to the 1980s, and it was developed by the American technology companies Cisco Systems, and Digital Equipment Corporation. The firewall acted as a 'network layer' that judged the packets according to the simple information that is available. The information included the apparent source of the packets, their destination and the type of connection. These firewalls were fast and transparent, but they could be easily foiled. In the beginning of the 1990s, companies developed a new generation of firewalls that had an 'application layer'. The new generation of firewalls was cumbersome in their set up and operation, but the performance of inspection was more thorough as compared to the older generation. However, by the beginning of the 21st century, companies developed hybrids of the previous two generations of firewalls. Refer to Figure 1.1 in the Appendix that shows a diagram of a network consisting of a firewall.

Misconceptions

The common misconceptions regarding firewalls are of two categories. Firstly, people think that firewalls are designed to prevent all viruses, hackers and would- be intruders from entering the network. The reality of firewalls is that they only enable the passage of authorized traffic and block the passage of unauthorized ...