Paul,
Check out this description on Cisco's website.
Cisco ASA 5505It's available on edimestore.com for $405.90 plus S&H.
That may seem like a lot of money for a firewall, esp when compared to the $75-$125 "firewalls" at Staples. But these are not true firewalls.
Cisco firewalls are truly protective. And, to answer your question, you are correct in your assumption. This firewall as an example offers virus/spam/spyware/malware protection that is "built in."
In fact, if you read their description it eliminates the need for anti-virus software. However, most IT and security experts will still advise that each computer/client have software firewalls and anti-virus capabilities.
