Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, implementing and using techniques for processing a data packet. An input port receives a data packet, a switching board classifies the data packet, determines whether the data packet should be accepted, and switches the data packet to a management board if the data packet is a first data packet in a session, and to a processing board if the data packet is not a first data packet in a session. A management board receives a data packet from the switching board, examines the data packet and forwards the data packet to one of the processing boards. One or more processing boards receives non-first data packets from the switching board and data packets from the management board and processes the data packets. A firewall and a secure gateway with firewall and virtual private network functionality for processing a data packet are also described.