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Date:      Mon, 25 Oct 1999 09:23:46 -0400 (EDT)
From:      Michael Lucas <mwlucas@blackhelicopters.org>
To:        papalia@UDel.Edu (John)
Cc:        freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG
Subject:   Re: O'reilly & firewalls - outdated?
Message-ID:  <199910251323.JAA89710@blackhelicopters.org>
In-Reply-To: <4.1.19991025001028.0093b100@unix01.voicenet.com> from John at "Oct 25, 1999  0:12:40 am"

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Short answer: buy it.  But be sure you know how to patch your software, too.

Long answer:

rc.firewall does basic packet filtering.  Packet filtering has not
changed since 1995.  Likewise, BIF gives a good grounding in practical
paranoia.  These things are timeless.  The effectiveness of packet
filtering has decreased (IMHO, open to debate), but configuring it
hasn't.

Computer security has changed greatly since 1995.  The changes are
largely related to the tools we have and the personalities involved,
not to the attitude you need to have.

The question is, how far into computer security do you want to go?
Don't say "all the way": if that's the case, and you are just getting
into packet filtering, you have a *looong* way to go.  I've been doing
security fairly intensively for three years now, and I consider myself
just barely above average.

==ml


> Hey all... I was looking at buying O'Reilly's "Building Internet Firewalls"
> since it appears to be a highly recommended book by both users as well as
> /etc/rc.firewall :)
> 
> I was wondering though - it was published Sept 1995... has anything changed
> that much to make it outdated at this point?  Simply put I'm looking for a
> reference to provide some good (great?) guidance for configuring IPFW and
> for understanding what's going on.
> 
> Thanks in advance,
> John
> 
> 
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