Product Description

A concise reference to implementing the most popular PIX Firewall 7.0 and 6.3 features

• Learn how to configure the new PIX Firewall version 7.0
• Understand, install, and support the most common features of the best-selling Cisco Systems® PIX and IOS firewall products
• Learn from configuration examples that graphically illustrate complex procedures
• Scan important reference information quickly with a standardized organizational structure

Cisco PIX Firewall Handbook is a guide to the most commonly implemented features of the top selling Cisco Systems firewall security solutions. Whether you are a novice or an experienced network security engineer, you will be able to quickly and easily configure a wide range of Cisco PIX and IOS firewalls, including all new features of the PIX 7.0 firewall release.

Many features of these devices are complex and require numerous configuration steps for proper operation. The required commands are difficult to remember or require lengthy reading through the Cisco Documentation CD-ROM. In addition, some releases of the Cisco PIX firewall have  very limited context-based help and the documentation is formatted quite differently from other products.

Cisco PIX Firewall Handbook is designed to give concise information on how to quickly and correctly configure PIX Firewall features. As features are presented, commands from PIX releases 7.0 and 6.3 and FWSM release 2.2 appear side-by-side for quick reference. Configuration of IOS Firewall features are covered in separate chapters. The book is organized by families of features, and information on each feature is presented in a concise format, with background, configuration, and example components. Each section also has a quick reference table of commands that can be used to troubleshoot or display information about the features presented.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #76541 in eBooks
• Published on: 2007-05-11
• Released on: 2007-05-11
• Format: Kindle Book
• Number of items: 1

About the Author

David Hucaby, CCIE® No. 4594, is a lead network engineer for the University of Kentucky, where he works with healthcare networks based on the Cisco Catalyst, IP Telephony, PIX, and VPN product lines. David was one of the beta reviewers of the PIX version 7 Firewall operating system software.

Customer Reviews

Very little on ASA
This book is very helpful for PIX firewalls, but is mislabeled for ASA. There is very little on the ASA product. Usually just a mention of command differences between ASA and PIX. If you are looking for a book on ASA do not buy this book.

Best-of-class book at configuring Cisco PIXs!
CiscoPress's "Cisco ASA and PIX Firewall Handbook" by David Hucaby is a great resource at configuring and supporting Cisco Firewalls (PIXs). I have read through many book on securing Cisco firewalls (see my reviews for earlier books), and I believe this book does the best job at demonstrating the abilities of Cisco's stateful firewall. I did not read the book page-for-page, as the book starts out with three detailed chapters to bring rookie admins up to speed, quickly (chapters 1-3).

I have been administering Cisco PIXs since around 2001 and have plenty of experience with configuring and administering Cisco's earlier PIX OSs (5.x & 6.x). This book does a superb job at bringing me up to speed on the latest commands for the 7.x while still providing the full body of commands for earlier OSs. When in the field and administering a PIX and, probably in a situation where the Internet is not up to check Cisco's website, this is the only book I need to bring along.

In particular:
* Chapter 6 provides the most up-to-date description of the different types of NAT employed (Static, Policy, Identity, Exception, & PAT) and configuration examples of each.
* Chapter 7 - Failover - this chapter was really the first chapter I referenced on a regular basis. When Cisco updated the OS to 7.0, the functionality of failover was greatly improved. This chapter does a great job at documenting the new options as well as including material on the older failover options. Couple with Chapter 8 on load balancing.
* Chapter 10 - Monitoring the Firewall - the book demonstrates the power and flexibility of the updated packet capture features.

I did find some minor typos/editorial mistakes but nothing too grave. One topic this book is sorely lacking is VPN coverage (the author readily acknowledges this). Overall, I believe this book is a superb resource for a firewall admin or a candidate for the CCSP or CCIE Security. I'm usually not too fond of CiscoPress's Firewall books, but this book is definitely a welcome addition.

I give this book 5 pings out of 5:
!!!!!

Best PIX book ever, must have if you are interested in 7.0.
This book is exactly what I was looking for. It gives a detailed breakdown of the original technologies as well as the ins and outs of the new features of 7.0. I like this book more than the others that I have read in the past. From the first page of the first chapter you are reading worthwhile material. Not the definition of a firewall, or the layers of the OSI model, or even the layout of Cisco's certification trail. This is good detailed information, in an easy to read format with excellent examples from start to finish. The comparisons of "how it's done on 6.3 and now on 7.0" are great as well.

Awesome book!