Network (In)Security Through IP Packet Filtering

t for improving network security. Used properly, packet filtering is a useful tool for he security-conscious network administrator, but its effective use requires a e p thorough understanding of its capabilities and weaknesses, and of the quirks of th articular protocols that filters are being applied to. This paper examines the utility t fi of IP packet filtering as a network security measure, briefly contrasts IP packe ltering to alternative network security approaches such as application-level gate-