4 May, 1998
Firewalls have traditionally been software products, but a new generation of
firewall appliances-products that integrate software and hardware into a single
device-promises to increase security while greatly simplifying a process that is
an ongoing challenge for systems managers.
Richard Hanke, director of marketing at NetScreen Technologies Inc., a Santa
Clara, Calif., startup that manufactures two firewall appliances, compared the
evolution of the firewall to the evolution of the router.
"The routers on the market today evolved from the need for a special
architecture," Hanke said. "Most of the firewalls running today are on generic
computers. We think it really needs to evolve into its own piece of hardware."
Most software-based firewalls are too complex for smaller companies to manage,
said Pete Cafarchio, firewall program manager for the International Computer
Security Association, an organization that tests and certifies firewall products.
In comparison, firewall appliances can be much easier to implement, he said.
"You can buy very good firewalls, but if you don't set them up properly, they're
not going to do you any good," he said. "There is a trend in the market toward
simplifying the configuration and administration of these firewalls, and the
companies producing these appliances are riding that wave."
Firewall appliances include the products from NetScreen-the NetScreen 100 for
large corporate networks and the NetScreen 10 for small to midsize
networks-WatchGuard Technologies' Firebox 2.0, Lucent Technologies Lucent Managed
Firewall 2.0, and Cisco Systems' PIX Firewall.
The Lucent Managed Firewall is currently positioned for ISPs and large
enterprises. However, Howie Gittleson, director of Lucent's Internet Security
Products group, said the company-following its purchase last year of Livingston
Enterprises Inc.-plans to develop a product targeted toward smaller organizations
in the near future.
On the other hand, firewall appliance vendors are adding advanced security
features to accommodate the changing needs of their customers, said Steve McLean,
a WatchGuard spokesman.
"There are a lot of people looking for a quick solution, but a lot of those
companies are growing and realize they now have to consider full security
solutions," he said.
Jude O'Reilly, a senior analyst with the Gartner Group, said that while demand
for firewall appliances is beginning to grow, their effectiveness has not yet
been proven.
"Once you move away from central access and central control, how can you
effectively manage all those different appliances in the field?" he said.
New Firewall Devices Can Simplify Security
By Arik Hesseldahl
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