DYNAMIC FIREWALL TECHNIQUES FOR RESIDENTIAL USE BY

Implementation of a firewall system for Internet-connected networks is a fundamental part of system security. However, effective firewall development and maintenance are typically complex and difficult for residential administrators. The goal is to provide mechanisms to ease firewall implementations and maintenance while providing reasonable security, particularly for residential settings. The use of secure, remotely-capable dynamic firewall mechanisms and integration with other security systems, such as Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS), can provide a low-cost, maintainable, verifiable, residential firewall system. Such a system lowers the barrier of entry for residential firewall use, providing increased security to the home user(s) and the Internet as a whole. This thesis investigates the creation of a secure, client/server mechanism for dynamic firewall rules modifications, and the integration of external security tools for automatic firewall response to apparent threats. Using these methods, one can provide low-cost, manageable, and highly verifiable firewall systems for small Internet-connected networks