Firewall Appliances, Part 2

Welcome back to our discussion of popular firewall appliances! In this two-part series, we're examining solutions and making recommendations based on the size of your organization, the level of security you require, and the cost of the solution. In "Firewall Appliances, Part 1" July 2005, InstantDoc ID 46588, we looked at solutions appropriate for low-security small-to-midsized businesses (SMBs). Now, in Part 2, we examine solutions more geared toward high-security SMBs and enterprise branch offices.

In contrast to low-security SMB environments, high-security SMB environments require a much higher level of firewall security. Higher security requirements are either mandated by law, necessitated by the nature of the business (e.g., a highly competitive industry that values the protection of trade secrets), or based on the business owner's willingness to spend the requisite funds to provide a good level of network protection at a reasonable price. High-security SMBs treat firewall security the same way they regard automobile insurance, errors and omissions (E&O) insurance, and health insurance. They're willing to pay the price up-front to prevent potential personal and business disasters. . . .