Best Firewall: CheckPoint Firewall-1 Packs A Powerful Punch
CheckPoint FireWall-1 from CheckPoint Software contains a comprehensive
package of powerful firewall capabilities that is easy to administer without
sacrificing performance and flexibility.
Once you decide on a security policy, FireWall-1 makes it a breeze to set
up, because it centralizes all configuration tasks at its "Rule Base
Editor Window." As you define rules, they are laid out in a table,
with icons representing network objects, features and protocols used to
define each rule. This helps you maintain a good view of the bi
g picture,
while allowing you to drill down into each icon for greater detail.
CheckPoint FireWall-1 is packed with a list of features, such as Virtual
Private Networks, enabling you to set up encrypted communications between
selected devices behind a pair of FireWall-1s. This can guarantee that conversations
between certain devices will always be encrypted. It also comes with Network
Address Translation (NAT), which translates IP addresses between your internal
and external networks, letting you completely hide internal devices from
the Internet, while still allowing internal devices to initiate communications
to the Internet or an external network.
The NAT feature also allows Internet communication even if you do not have
an approved IP address domain. The extensive list of features is rounded
out by user authentication, one-time passwords and an optional application
that eases the pain of configuring access lists for Cisco and Bay
routers.
CheckPoint FireWall-1 uses a pow
erful scripting language called Inspect,
which dynamically tracks and examines packets up through the application
layer. Even though it does not implement proxies in the traditional sense,
like Gauntlet and CyberGuard, its ability to analyze the application data
allows CheckPoint to implement many of the same capabilities without sacrificing
performance.
In the unlikely event that the extensive list of features is not adequate
to implement your security policy, further customizing options are available
via Inspect language. This also allows CheckPoint to react to changing security
concerns. Your network faces many potential security threats. FireWall-1
has a lot of the answers, combined into a solution that does not compromise
on performance or ease of use.
We also noted strong performance in Gauntlet Internet Firewall version 3.1,
from Trusted Information Systems, and CyberGuard Firewall, from Harris Computer
Systems Corp. They each receive our Honorable Mention.
Honorab
le Mention:
Gauntlet Internet Firewall Version 3.1 by Trusted Information Systems, Trusted
Information Systems
CyberGuard Firewall by Harris Computer Systems Corp., Harris Computer Systems
Corp. Trusted Systems Division
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