Patent ID: 7451306

Claim:
A network security device for controlling the flow of a packet into and out of an internal network, said network security device comprising: (a) a first network card; (b) a second network card; (c) a firewall comprising a packet filter; and (d) a third network card that is a management interface comprising a private, not publicly routed, IP address, (i) wherein said first and said second network cards do not have publicly routed IP addresses; (ii) wherein said third network card is used to configure said firewall; (iii) wherein during inflow of a packet, said first network card forwards said packet to said packet filter for inspection wherein said packet is compared with a first set of rules to determine whether said packet is acceptable to said internal network or is not acceptable to said internal network, wherein if said packet is acceptable to said internal network, it is forwarded to said second network card and to said internal network and if said packed is not acceptable, it is dropped and disappears; (iv) wherein during outflow of said packet, said packet passes through said second network card to said packet filter wherein said packet is compared with a second set of rules to determine whether said outbound packet is acceptable to said internal network or is not acceptable to said internal network, wherein if said packet is acceptable to said internal network, it is forwarded to said first network card to exit said network security device and if said packet is not acceptable to said internal network, it is dropped and disappears; and (v) wherein said packet filter bridges said packet after the packet is inspected.