Exercise 15.2: Review questions

Question 2.
What makes a firewall a good security investment? Accessing the Internet, find two or three firewall vendors. Do they provide hardware, software or both?

A firewall is a good security investment because it is the first line of defence on your computer. Connecting your computer or network to the Internet can be a security risk because it exposes any sensitive and confidential data on the computer to malicious attacks from a remote hacker. Therefore, it is a very important part of protecting valuable assets and critical systems.

A firewall can also log all attempts to enter a private network or computer. It creates an alarm when an unauthorised, suspicious or hostile entry is attempted. A firewall can be configured to allow traffic through, if it is coming from a specified trusted host. Also, data traffic could be restricted from specified ports and ports can also be opened for data to enter.

Firewalls are inexpensive and some are free for home users. Windows also provides a built-in firewall.

SmoothWall - Has SmoothWall Express which is a Hardware firewall. It has the following benefits:

• As security vulnerabilities are found, SmoothWall releases software patches for the product. As SmoothWall is software on a normal PC, it is easy to update.
• SmoothWall operates on a non-Microsoft operating systems, meaning that it is targeted far less by hackers and virus writers.
• A hardware firewall is a separate device to the rest of the network.
• SmoothWall is easy to use for non-administrators and people who have not used Linux.
• It is open-source software.

Check Point Software Technologies - ZoneAlarm - Has various software products which all include a Software firewall. The firewall provides protection as follows:

• Inbound & outbound protection - monitors and blocks threat traffic in or out
• Full stealth mode - makes you invisible to hackers
• Kill controls - instantly disable malicious programs
• Program control - restricts programs from malicious activities, blocking attacks that by-pass other defences.
• The basic version is free to home users.

Check Point Software Technologies - Security Management - Check Point Software Technologies also have Hardware firewalls. Benefits of the Safe@Office Appliances for Small Business include:

• An affordable, easy-to-use, all-in-one security solution for small businesses
• Provides the same proven security technologies trusted by Fortune 100 companies
• Addresses industry-specific network security regulations
• Maximizes employee productivity
• Streamlines ongoing security policy administration
• Ensures around-the-clock business continuity

References
Get Smoothwall (n.d.). Retrieved on July 12, 2009, from http://www.smoothwall.org/get/
Safe@Office Appliances (n.d.). Retrieved on July 12, 2009, from http://www.checkpoint.com/products/safe@office/index.html
Zone Alarm Products and Services (n.d.). Retrieved on July 12, 2009 from http://www.zonealarm.com/security/en-gb/compare-anti-virus-spyware-software.htm