Scene of the Cybercrime: Computer Forensics Handbook
An introduction to the field of law enforcement for IT professionals.
TABLE OF CONTENTS Scene of the Cybercrime: Computer Forensics Handbook
Making the Most of Hardware and Software Security
A multilayer security plan will incorporate multiple security solutions. Security is not a one size fits all issue, so the options that work best for one organization are not necessarily the best choice for another. Security solutions can be generally broken down into two categories: hardware solutions and software solutions.
Implementing Hardware-Based Security
Hardware security solutions can come in the form of network devices: Firewalls, routers, even switches can function to provide a certain level of security. In general, these devices are dedicated computers themselves, running proprietary software.
Hardware-Based Firewalls
Many firewall vendors provide hardware-based solutions. Some of the most popular hardware firewalls include the Cisco PIX firewall, SonicWall, the Webramp 1700, the Firebox from WatchGuard Technologies, and the OfficeConnect firewalls from 3Com. Hardware solutions are available for networks of all sizes. For example, the 3Com products focus on small office/home office (SOHO) users, whereas the Cisco PIX comes in configurations that support up to 250,000 connections.
Hardware-based firewalls are often referred to as firewall appliances. A disadvantage of hardware-based firewalls is the proprietary nature of the software they run. Another disadvantage of many of these products, such as Cisco s highly respected PIX, is the high cost. Hardware-based firewalls perform basically the same functions as software-based firewalls. Later in this chapter, in the section Understanding Firewalls and Proxies, we discuss how both of these work.
Authentication Devices
Other hardware-based components of your network security plan may include devices that provide extra security...
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