Inside Network Perimeter Security, Second Edition

Chapter 6. The Role of a Router

A router is a device that interconnects two or more networks. Because of its role as a gateway between networks, it becomes a focal point of your network's security. Just like any entranceway to a secured perimeter, efforts must be made to reinforce the router's defenses to ensure your environment's safety.

The role that the router plays in your infrastructure's security depends greatly on its placement and the networks it joins together. The router might be a simple border device that joins your network to the Internet and relies on a firewall behind it to take care of the majority of the security concerns. Or perhaps the router is used as the lone perimeter security device for a small or low-risk network or a network ...