In one embodiment, a data communication device includes a network interface controller to process packets received from at least one of a host device for sending over a network, and at least one remote device over the network, at least one processor to execute computer instructions to receive a configuration, and extract filtering rules from the configuration, and at least one hardware accelerator to receive the filtering rules from the at least one processor, and filter the packets based on the rules so that some of the packets are dropped and some of the packets are forwarded to the at least one processor to send data based on the forwarded packets to another device.