info@atlantic.com 1268 Main Street Suite #201 Newington, CT 06111 P:(860) 667-9596 F:(860) 666-7825

A firewall is a barrier for keeping unwanted traffic from traversing an organization's private network, and for preventing private information about the organizations' network from reaching the outside. Similarly, a firewall can regulate outbound Internet access, from within the organization. Firewall descriptions below detail a variety of UNIX and Windows NT configurations, from complete packages that include hardware and on-site integration, to software-only solutions. Pricing can be found on-line.

	The BorderWare Firewall Server The Borderware (JANUS) Firewall Server from Border Network Technologies, defines a new product category of firewalls by combining packet filters and circuit-level gateways with application servers into a single, highly secure, self-contained system. It is a powerful, advanced security product that protects TCP/IP networks from unwanted external access as well as provides control of internal access to external services.
	Checkpoint Software's Firewall-1 FireWall-1's unique technology overcomes the limitations of past firewall approaches, such as packet filters and application gateways, by introducing a single architecture for fully transparent connectivity with security. CheckPoint FireWall-1 intercepts and inspects all inbound and outbound traffic passing through key locations in the network ( Internet gateways, servers etc.) ,verifying full compliance with the security policy. For UNIX and Windows NT.
	Raptor Eagle Raptor Systems' Eagle firewall is the foundation and enabling technology for an integrated, enterprise-wide distributed security solution. The Eagle firewall is a flexible application-level gateway that secures bi-directional communications through the public network. It includes EagleConnect(TM) virtual private networking, a powerful, real-time network security management facility with intuitive GUI; suspicious activity monitoring and alerts; multiple types of encryption and authentication; and proxy software to foil IP spoofing attacks. For UNIX and Windows NT.
	The Mergent Gauntlet Firewall The Mergent Gauntlet Internet firewall is a bastion host based firewall, using application proxies. It is a minimalist firewall implementation incorporating a "That which is not expressly permitted is prohibited" philosophy. The Mergent Gauntlet Internet firewall is designed to be configurable based on a site's security policy; it does not impose a policy of its own.

Why so many firewalls?

When shopping for a firewall, you should consider:

ease-of-administration

Basic administration should be straight-forward--preferably conducted through a comprehensive GUI.

transparency for outbound access

State-of-the-art firewalls can be as transparent as a router, as seen from the internal network; special proxy-aware clients will not be necessary.

authentication

Good firewalls provide a variety of authentication methods for in-bound and out-bound access (when desired).

operating environment and hardware

Depending on the nature of the firewall, the administrator can be either closely involved with the operating system, or completly insulated from it, as with a "black-box" firewall implementation. Likewise, you typically have a variety of choices in hardware platforms, though in most cases, a high-end PC makes a fine firewall.

Virtual Private Networking (VPN)

Some firewalls offer optional encrypted channels from firewall-to-firewall, and from firewall-to-clients. This can be extremely valuable--particularly in cases where your network traffic may traverse "hostile" intermediate networks.

number of interfaces

Firewalls can often serve multiple interfaces--not just two. This means that you can use a firewall to secure your organization against networks shared with others. Likewise, you can configure a firewall to protect your information servers, housed on an additional network segment. This is often referred to as a secured server network.

cost

The cost of a firewall should be considered from many angles, including:

Initial Hardware and software cost

Training/expertise required (start-up person-hours)

On-going administrative costs

Update Costs (changes in security needs prompt changes in the firewall)

A commercial quality, easily administered firewall can recoup its initial cost in person-hour savings in just a few months. Furthermore, a commercial firewall can provide a higher confidence factor than a custom implementation.

Need More Help?

Windows NT!

Atlantic also offers a variety of commercial Windows NT firewalls. Select here for more details.

---

CheckPoint's Firewall-1 | Raptor's Eagle | BorderWare | Mergent's Gauntlet | Windows NT Solutions

info@atlantic.com -- ©1996