|
If your network is
connected to the Internet, there is a need to develop reliable
security measures to secure network data from prying eyes on
the Internet. This can be achieved by implementing a firewall
on your private network, with access limited to authorized
users with the prescribed rights, privileges and permission.
Internet users are prevented from hacking into your local
network, hence securing your private data.
A firewall protects
private networks from unauthorized users on a public network
(Internet). Firewalls utilize two-level security features -
the hardware and the software. The hardware is a computer with
two Network Interface Cards - one, which interfaces with the
public network (Internet), and the other, which connects to
the private network (LAN or WAN). The software controls how
the firewall operates and protects the network.
Windows NT Proxy
Server Software is one of the few firewall applications
employed by Agile Computers. A Proxy Server acts on behalf of
a network entity (i.e. Client or Server) to completely
separate packets from internal and external hosts. For
example, if an internal client (from your network) sends a
request to an external host on the Internet, the request is
first sent to the Proxy Server, where it is examined, broken
down and handled by an application. The application then
creates a new packet requesting information from the external
server using the Network Interface Card connected to the
public network. Proxies are good firewalls because the entire
packets sent into and out of a network are dissected, and each
section can be examined for invalid data at each layer of the
network. The Windows based firewall is integrated with Windows
NT Domain Security, thereby allowing the Proxy to use Windows
NT Domain User Name and Password.
Security option for
wireless connection - The Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP)
option to the 802.11 standard is used to address wireless
security concerns. WEP encryption for high-speed LAN or WAN
security allows you to build comprehensive security system to
ensure that the wireless Internet link does not compromise the
security of your network. WEP can be implemented on the 11Mbps
access points, PC Cards, ISA Cards and PCI adapters. |
