Patent ID: 8166534

Claim:
A method for configuring a firewall for use in a computer system that comprises at least one first device disposed inside the firewall and at least one second device disposed outside the firewall, the method comprising an act of: (A) obtaining information on a connection security policy regulating connections in the computer system between the at least one first device and the at least one second device, the connection security policy specifying as a constraint at least one connection security level that can be established for connections between the at least one first device and the at least one second device; (B) configuring the firewall with at least one rule for the firewall that determines at least one filtering function that the firewall performs on communications between the at least one first device and the at least one second device, wherein the at least one rule employs at least one filtering parameter that is based on the at least one connection security level specified as the constraint of the connection security policy regulating connections in the computer system, the at least one filtering parameter not being uniquely related to a connection between the at least one first device and the at least one second device.