Re: [ISN] New Defence Computer Keeps Hackers Out and Secret (fwd)

[Rick Murphy <rmurphy () mitretek org>]

At 01:39 PM 10/16/98 +0400, ark () eltex ru wrote:
> what the hell is that thing if _not_ firewall??
> Does anybody know?

It's not a firewall; it's a unidirectional data transfer device.
It's intended to be put between classified and unclassified networks
so that information can flow up toward the classified network but
nothing can leak back down. 

Vision Abell have built an x-windows proxy capability using this box.
Writing proxies is difficult because you can't get any feeback
(acknowledgements, for example) from the classified side back to the
unclassified side because you have a write-only link. Your proxy has
to mimic the behavior of the classified side and can't tell if the
classified side is even listening.
        -Rick