RE: Hardware Firewall recommendations (with content filters

["Yahsodhan Deshpande" <yahsodhan.deshpande () nevisnetworks com>]

Hi Scott,

    There are few other solutions out in the market that do not call
themselves as firewalls. Most of them are appliances that sit between
your access switches and perimeter.

    These solutions concentrate more on LAN security, rather than
perimeter security. Looking at your requirements, I feel that you need
to look for such solutions rather than traditional firewalls.

    You can take a look at following 
Nevis Networks (www.nevisnetworks.com) 
Consentry Networks (www.consentry.com)
Vernier Networks (www.verniernetworks.com)

     Almost all of them claim to be a NAC solution, but do much more
than that and should satisfy your requirements. 

Regards,
Yashodhan



-----Original Message-----
From: listbounce () securityfocus com [mailto:listbounce () securityfocus com]
On Behalf Of Scott Warren
Sent: Tuesday, December 04, 2007 9:28 AM
To: security-basics () securityfocus com
Subject: Hardware Firewall recommendations (with content filters

I am researching firewall appliances that have content filters for use  
in our school network.  the criteria is rather simple but seems hard  
to fill:
- We are a Mac shop so interactions with the OS X are important (web  
based admin makes this easy)
- We need to be able to authenticate the user against the firewall via  
our LDAP server.
- We would like to have multiple levels of filtering, more open for  
staff, more restricted for students, even more restricted for  
disciplined students, and no access for anyone not logged in.
- Having an application/script that keeps us logged in to the firewall  
rather than just logging in thru the web page (when you apple-Q a web  
browser, you are not logged in anymore and your non HTTP internet  
traffic gets blocked).
- Realtime reports would also be a plus.

I have taken a look at Barracuda, Sonicwall and Vicomsoft. I am  
looking for some other places to check out.

Thanks in advance!!

-- Scott