Chapter 9. Where Firewalls Fit in a Network

Arguably, the most important task of any firewall implementation takes place before the firewall itself is ever configured. For a firewall to be able to successfully protect resources, it is critical to implement a design that lends itself to protecting those resources in the most efficient manner. Although virtually any firewall placed in front of resources will provide some degree of protection, if you implement a design based specifically on how the resources should be protected, and how the firewall itself functions, it will be that much easier to ensure that your resources are as secure and protected as they can possibly be. Simply put, you need to implement a design that places your firewall in the most strategic and effective location.