A firewall is as good as its policies and the security of its VPN connections. The latest generation of firewalls offers a dizzying array of powerful options; they key to success is to write concise policies that provide the appropriate level of access while maximizing security.

This book covers the leading firewall products: Cisco PIX, Check Point NGX, Microsoft ISA Server, Juniper’s NetScreen Firewall, and SonicWall. It describes in plain English what features can be controlled by a policy, and walks the reader through the steps for writing the policy to fit the objective. Because of their vulnerability and their complexity, VPN policies are covered in more depth with numerous tips for troubleshooting remote connections.