The data in this survey suggests that the role of the firewall in network security remains critical even as the network security landscape undergoes significant evolution and expansion. Within the enterprise, organizational and departmental roles and responsibilities with respect to network security in the new technology landscape remain in flux. At the same time, parameters that bound traditional definitions of ‘firewall’ are subject to change as emerging platforms and devices acquire characteristics that were previously in the domain of traditional firewalls. The totality of this complexity overlays and exacerbates pre-existing challenges in managing firewalls rules and protocols and points to the need for innovative solutions to reign in complexity and ease the burdens on overextended network security professionals.