The TCP Wrapper is a simple but effective tool for monitoring and controlling network activity. Probably it has been installed in almost every part of the world, and that it's use is picking up almost every day.

Some of the documentation and illustrations that we have made use of for this article accompanied the documentation that comes along with the TCP rapper package. In case you are interested in knowing more about the TCP Wrapper package, look at the following sites.

ftp.uu.net:/comp.sources.misc/volumexx/log_tcp

ftp://cert.org:/pub/tools/tcp_wrappers/tcp_wrappers.*

ftp.win.tue.nl:/pub/security/log_tcp.shar.Z.

In our next article on this series of TCP Wrappers we will continue our discussion on the implementation of TCP Wrappers and we will help you create a minimal security policy using these TCP Wrappers.

The secret of success is working

with things the way they are, not

with the way you wish they were

or they ought to be.

- Anon