1. An apparatus to facilitate network security for input network traffic, comprising: a plurality of microcode controlled state machines, each of said plurality of microcode controlled state machines including a computation kernel operating in accordance with microcode stored in an associated control store; a distribution circuit that routes individual network traffic segments corresponding to said input network traffic to said plurality of microcode controlled state machines, such that at least one individual microcode controlled state machine applies a rule encoded in said microcode to said individual network traffic segments to produce modification instructions; and a circuit that performs a modification of said input network traffic based on said modification instructions from said at least one microcode controlled state machine to produce output network traffic.