Great Circle Associates Firewalls
(June 1996)
 

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Subject: RE: NT firewalls & NOS admins
From: Russ <Russ . Cooper @ RC . Toronto . on . ca>
Date: Mon, 3 Jun 1996 22:24:40 -0400
To: "Firewalls @ GreatCircle . COM" <Firewalls @ GreatCircle . COM>

It never ceases to amaze me how some Unichs seem to think that only UNIX 
experience is viable when it comes to working with an Internet connection. 
Some may be surprised to find out that TCP/IP has been included in NT since 
it was first released, and its been around for quite some time in DOS or 
Windows. One doesn't need a UNIX degree to know how IP works, or how the 
Internet works, for that matter. I know quite a few UNIX SQL administrators 
who wouldn't know how to configure their inetd if it bit them in the ass.

Some thoughts:
- Lots of companies want to get an Internet connection.
- More security breaches occur internally than happen via an Internet 
connection.
- Lots of companies are none too concerned about their security issues 
(some less concerned than they should be, others not).
- Most companies do not have a security policy of any kind.
- Not everyone will be hacked to death on the Internet!
- Not every company will handle their own connection.
- Consultants can do much of what a company might be able to do itself.
- One can learn TCP/IP without learning anything about UNIX (even though 
some or all of the tools they use might be UNIX tools)

There are lots of places where a dedicated Firewall Administrator *must* 
exist, and lots of places where dedicated security administration staff 
*have to* be on staff. Then there are the *majority* of companies who 
neither need, nor can afford, to have either, yet still want to be part of 
the 'net.

The Internet, and vendors that make tools that utilize it, are just going 
to have to accept that fact and provide for it accordingly, that's just a 
reality we're all going to have to accept. Stupid ISP's, auto-responders on 
mail IDs, spamming, live CuSeeMe Poison concerts, casual hackers, and of 
course, Bad Guys (tm).

	"UNIX is useful because that's where the picture came from!  If you have a 
decent UNIX geek on staff, then you likely have someone who understands how 
things work on the Internet (i.e. how the services are provided, how mail 
flows, etc).  If you have some guy with a Microsoft Certification for NT, 
then you probably don't."

Surely you jest...like IP is rocket science or something...sheesh. I've 
never administered a UNIX system in my life, does it show that much?

Cheers,
Russ




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