This brief study will focus in on the current state of firewall technology, its importance in the achievement of business objectives and in the future of e-commerce at large, and what technological developments we can expect to see in the coming years. Section II will begin by briefly describing what is meant by the term 'firewall', giving the reader a clear understanding of the subject matter of this study. Section III will outline the importance of firewalls for protecting the security and integrity of private information, and section IV will serve as a conclusion, offering a few opinions on the problems that firewalls have yet to solve, their limitations, and what the future is likely to hold. 6 pgs. 13 f/c. 5b.
