Bringing Down Firewalls -- The Jericho Forum

This isn't exactly a new idea, but it's gotten some press lately. There's been talk here and there about firewalls being obsolete. With wireless and portable devices smashing the perimeter, the idea, on the surface, has some credence. And, one organization, the Jericho Forum, just like its Biblical namesake, is trying to do just that.

Network World has covered some of the debate recently at a recent forum meeting in New York.

In my humble opinion, there might come a time when IT defenses will be so diffuse that firewalls could become irrelevant. But that isn't happening today, and probably not for the forseeable future. Saying firewalls are irrelevant is like saying that we don't need doorlocks any more because locks have been compromised by lock pickers. Locks are here to stay, even if weak. They'll still be part of a multi-layered defense.