Internet security: a case study of firewall selection

The Internet itself was not designed with security in mind. It was originally designed for research purposes, with open access to willing and able participants. Only recently, with the influx of thousands, if not millions, of users, have the stakes been raised and very serious security concerns brought to light. Following an overview of the threats of Internet-based electronic commerce, this paper discusses two Internet firewall architectures and seven Internet access control technologies. A case study of how a small company, SunCom Int’l Corporation (SIC), selected its Internet firewall is presented. Finally, this paper concludes with a summary and the future of the Internet firewall.