IPFire is not a normal firewall, like other applications of this type to which we are used. In this case, it is a Linux distribution dedicated to this purpose, allowing you to install it on a cheap computer to use it to implement a good firewall to protect your home or your company in a cheap and simple way. Currently, as of this writing, the latest version available of IPFire is 2.19 (Core Update 106). If you want to see more information or documentation about the distro or download the latest version available, you can access the official project website.
In this latest stable version of the operating system there are some new features such as a new Unbound Named Proxy DNS, Dnsmasq DNS forwarder and DHCP server used in previous versions of IPFire have been replaced. The decision of the developers has made DNSSEC implemented and enabled by default in the distro as of this latest version, in addition to important updates, performance improvements, new functionalities and other security improvements. This is how Michael Tremer has indicated.
As you can imagine, the rest of packages have also been updated to newer versions, including your kernel. Updated packages include OpenSSL, StrongSwan, GNU Make, Smartmontools, Squid, iproute, GNU nano, Midnight Commander, Transmission, Monit, Asterisk, GNU Diffutils, Attr, DejaGnu, Expat, Flex, Gettext, Krb, Guardian, as well as other libraries included, etc. A qualitative leap to continue maintaining security, or at least improve it, which is ultimately what this distro is intended for.
This is nothing new, we have already talked in this blog about other similar projects like IPCop, Endian Firewall, fli4l, m0n0wall, OpenWall, pfSense, etc., some of them based on Linux kernel and others based on other systems like FreBSD. You already know that there is no 100% secure system, but we can make it something more secure with the help of these types of projects and other programs. The biggest mistake a user can make is to think that their system is secure ...