Security Basics: Re: what should I do when....

[Adriel Desautels <adriel () netragard com>]

Ansgar,
	When you say "bullet-proof a system using a firewall" (I think you said 
that) people understand you to be saying "using a firewall to make a 
system secure". It is technically very difficult, if not impossible to 
make a system secure with a firewall device. You can have all of the 
proxies in the world and control traffic as much as you like, but 
there's still a way in.
	To "bullet-proof" a system you need to address the system's issues 
directly, if you don't then the system is still vulnerable as it 
contains vulnerabilities.
Regards,
        Adriel T. Desautels
        Chief Technology Officer
        Netragard, LLC.
        Office : 617-934-0269
        Mobile : 617-633-3821
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Ansgar -59cobalt- Wiechers wrote:
> On 2008-07-10 Rivest, Philippe wrote:
> > It is false and the reason is firewall is just a device to protect
> > from a few vectors of attack. If you want to bullet proof a system you
> > need to adopt a broader solution.
> Bullet-proofing also "just protects from a few attack vectors". Body
> armor does not protect you from drowning or falling out of a 20th story
> window, nor does it necessarily protect you from attacks with knives,
> grenades or various other weapons.
>
> > Firewall wont help:
> > 1- physical attack
> Physical security may very well be part of a firewall concept. To some
> extent at least.
>
> > 2- session hijacking
> Filtering Proxies may also be part of a firewall concept.
>
> > 3- virus put into a email
> E-mail filtering may also be part of a firewall concept.
>
> > 4- user browsing & install bad software
> User browsing can be proxied, the proxy being part of your firewall
> concept. Software installation is actually the only thing in your list
> that isn't part of a firewall concept.
>
> A firewall is (or can be) far more than a mere packet filter.
>
> Besides, I didn't say that bullet-proofing a system is the same as
> firewalling a system, but that both tasks are equally difficult.
>
> Regards
> Ansgar Wiechers