What is the Best Firewall for Servers?

Sushant Bhatia asks: "I maintain a bunch of servers (Win 2003/XP Pro) at our labs in the university. Of late, the number of attacks on the computers has been more noticeable. The university provides firewall software (Kerio) but that doesn't work with Win 2003 (works with XP). And so we keep getting hit by zombie machines taken over in the Education Department or from Liberal Arts :-). So what does the Slashdot crowd use when they need to secure their Linux and Windows servers? Does it cost less than US$100?"

Is this a joke?

[AEton]

You keep getting hit by zombie machines?

Liberal Arts zombies? Are you sure they're not dogs [slashdot.org]?

(And, as always, the best answer to your question may come from Google. Linux.com | A Linux firewall primer [linux.com].)

Security

[aardwolf64]

I've found that for 99% security, the best solution is to unplug the ethernet cable on my server and just use it locally (kind of defeats the point, huh?)

The missing 1% is for the ninja squirrels ... stupid squirrels...

100% solution

[Anonymous Coward]

Wire cutters. $3.95, Radio Shack. 100% protection against any network based attack.

Re:iptables

[Anonymous Coward]

agreed. and if your not command line oriented, use the webmin interface to create your rules.

slightly off topic but does anyone else have trouble reading those annoying "confirmation your not a script images"? The one I am looking at right now is nearly impossible to read.

Decent firewall

[NotFamous]

Ceramic wafers with asbestos stuffing...

OT: Captchas

[interweb]

slightly off topic but does anyone else have trouble reading those annoying "confirmation your not a script images"? The one I am looking at right now is nearly impossible to read.

Are you sure you are human?

Re:at the risk of getting flamed into submission..

[Ooblek]

When its liberal arts machines getting infected, I've found the BEST firewall to be a pair of wire cutters. NOTHING gets through after the skilled use of these babies.

Re:Security

[Hal_Porter]

I say we take off and nuke the server from orbit. It's the only way to be sure.

Re:at the risk of getting flamed into submission..

[xstonedogx]

I've been running an OpenBSD/PF firewall at home for ages now and the system load has never gone above 0%.

Have you tried plugging it in?

:)

how dare you contradict linux dogma

[Anonymous Coward]

everyone knows linux is for making 'old hardware useful' and reducing costs for IT labs by using junk from 1985 to run your global warming simulation

hahahaha

[mnemonic_]

that was me.

To secure your windows server

[cybergremlin]

Take a pair of bolt cutters to the network cable.
---
Or the Aliens option: "Bug out, nuke the site from orbit. Only way to be sure"

Re:OT: Captchas

[Krach42]

Are you sure you are human?

Why do you ask are you sure you are human?

Re:If you're going to ip-less bridge...

[JudicatorX]

Geez, I thought the only way to keep a windows system completely secure was to leave it off....