Software Firewalls versus Wormhole Tunnels

[wizkid]

Software Firewalls versus Wormhole Tunnels

Hardware and software firewalls promise to protect your system and your network from the dangers of the Internet, but how well do they really fare against cutting-edge attacks? This article presents some of the major differences between hardware and software firewalls and illustrates the real challenges faced by software firewall vendors. Hardware Vs Software Firewalls come in many different flavors to meet varying needs of users. There are dedicated hardware firewall appliances, like the Cisco PIX, complete with cool flashing lights, that provide security for whole networks. There are also dedicated software firewalls, such as CheckPoint/ipchains/iptables/ipf/pf, running on robust operating systems used as gateways that also provide complete network security. Finally, there is a new generation of "personal" firewalls that are designed to run on and protect workstations and servers directly.

http://www.securityfocus.com/infocus/1831