One more component for the kitchen sink or real security value? That depends on what you're looking for. Microsoft Corp.'s Internet Security and Acceleration (ISA) Server is a mixed bag. It does offer some useful and innovative features, such as access control based on user and group affiliation, integrated caching of Web content, and transparent inbound Web proxying, similar to Novell's BorderManager. But for more complex scenarios, ISA Server doesn't quite meet expectations. My test network at our Real-World LabsŪ at Syracuse University was straightforward (see "ISA Server Test Network," below), and I was disappointed to see that I couldn't achieve the kind of access control, including restricting internal users from internal servers, with ISA Server that's possible with other common firewalls. ISA Server is a good fit in networks with modest access-control needs and simple architectures. For more granular access control to servers and services, you'd be better off with a dedicated firewall package.

• Published: Feb 07, 2001
• Updated: Oct 28, 2002
• Section: Articles
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• Company: ISAserver.org
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• Rating: 3/5 - 8 Votes

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