Firewalls: an expert roundtable

The Internet's increasing popularity has brought with it a downside: more severe security risks. With initial funding from the US government, the computer security community has developed products called firewalls that help protect users' systems from harm when they connect to the Internet and other networks beyond their control. Dozens of commercial firewall products on the market worldwide are enjoying healthy sales. The authors examine the effectiveness of firewalls and suggest improvements and alternatives that can make your system safer.