Practical Firewalls

by Terry W. Ogletree

Solid knowledge in firewalls isn't the exclusive domain of specialists anymore--everyone needs to know something about protecting private networks from the public Internet while keeping Internet connectivity easy. Practical Firewalls combines a solid grounding in TCP/IP firewall strategies with advice on how to use a variety of firewall software, most of it freeware and shareware for Unix variants. Microsoft Proxy Server 2.0 is explained as well, so you are covered if you prefer to work under Microsoft Windows NT.Author Terry Ogletree opens with a discussion of network theory (perhaps not needed here) and the various schools of thought regarding firewall placement. In explaining packet filtering, bastion host implementation, application gateways and proxy servers, Ogletree complements prose with good conceptual diagrams and the occasional listing of an events sequence. He uses sequences of events, for example, to contrast standard FTP with FTP under proxy service.The conceptual material is backed with a survey of firewall products, what they do and what their relative merits are. Subsequently, several products are documented in greater detail, and you also get some advice on their proper use. The result is an excellent conceptual overview and a snapshot of the state of the art--readers walk away knowing what to expect from a firewall and understanding their responsibilities in setting one up.You might want to supplement this book with Maximum Linux Security, an excellent Linux security text, if you use that operating system, or Building Linux and OpenBSD Firewalls for its in-depth treatment of ipchains under those systems. --David Wall

504 pages, Paperback

First published June 12, 2000