Checkpoint training

Long time no write.

So the week before last I went on a "Check Point FW 1 NG FP4 with Application Intelligence" (catchy name guys!) training course (Management II). This was the first time I've ever been on a formal technical training course, and my opinion is mixed.

The instructor seemed to spend the same amount of time explaining the bleeding obvious as she did explaining/glossing over more advanced concepts. While she certainly knew her stuff, if asked a question that was just outside of the sylabus then she just didn't know.

I assume she had some practical experience, but probably only in several fixed scenarios. The real world was not allowed to be mixed dangerously with static knowledge set.

On another note, how long will it be before an open source firewall has a GUI as usable as FW1's? When that happens (2-5 years?) then I think we'll see Check Point start to go the way of proprietary UNIXen.

Originally published on 14:34 Monday 10 November 2003