Implementing distributed internet security using a firewall collaboration framework

Society has grown to rely on Internet services, and the number of Internet users increases every day. As more and more users become connected to the network, the window of opportunity for malicious users to do their damage becomes very great and lucrative. The computer industry is combating the rising threat of malicious activity with new hardware and software products such as intrusion detection systems, intrusion prevention systems, and firewalls. However, malicious users are constantly looking for ways to by-pass the security features of these products, and many times they will succeed. In order to enhance the capabilities of computer network security devices such as firewalls, the Distributed Network Applications Laboratory at the Georgia Institute of Technology is investigating the use of a distributed Internet security architecture known as the general network security collaboration framework (GNSCF). This paper describes a particular instance of the GNSCF using firewalls as the basic network element of the framework, and this system is referred to as a firewall collaboration framework (FCF).