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Date:      Sat, 21 Feb 2004 03:57:13 +0100
From:      =?iso-8859-1?Q?Sten_Daniel_S=F8rsdal?= <sten.daniel.sorsdal@wan.no>
To:        "VA" <listat@synty.net>, <freebsd-isp@freebsd.org>
Subject:   RE: firewalling policy
Message-ID:  <C52F34106949174F9D92F96C2411AAA9043336@exchange.wanglobal.net>

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> What is the best point to firewall? Naturally default block=20
> strategy assumed. I know each interface need rules to achieve=20
> good security, but what about external interface (WAN link)? =20
> Is it safe just to firewall each internal interface, because=20
> otherwise I need "double rules" and it get's more complicated.
>=20
> Any other hints to give or good optimized examples for pf in=20
> larger enviroment? I will surely make a public document once=20
> I get this up and running.
> Thanks in advance and specially all you developers of this great OS!
>=20


I pretty much always go for a setup in this order and i always group
my rules by first incoming and then outgoing per interface;
a) drop all attempts at spoofing
b) no redundancy (duplicate rules)
c) block/accept packets as early as possible (preferably on incoming)

This method leaves few rules on outgoing segments and usually only for=20
the local rules for the firewall and makes efficient use of state =
tables.
With a large ruleset it becomes difficult to maintain anything with
duplicate rules.=20

If this is about a firewalling/routing internet traffic (public ip =
addresses)
i would be extra careful about sources you can not trust when it comes =
to=20
keeping state. a SYN attack or multiple instances of a virus like =
blaster=20
can make the firewall slow or at worst unresponsive/crash.=20

Good luck with the firewall!

_// Sten Daniel S=F8rsdal



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