Inside Internet Security: What Hackers Don't Want You To Know - Softcover

Crume, Jeff

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0201675161 ISBN 13: 9780201675160

Publisher: Addison-Wesley Professional, 2000

Synopsis

This book is a practical guide for anyone designing or administering a corporate or e-business network that runs across a number of platforms via the Internet. It arms systems administrators with a thorough understanding of the problems of network security and their solutions, and thus helps realize the tremendous potential of e-business.   With the explosion growth of e-commerce and the opening up of corporate networks to external customers, security is now the number one issue for networking professionals. Concerns about hackers and the possible damage they can do to a business, and the potential vulnerabilities of a system can be overwhelming and can create an unhealthy business environment.   However, a great deal of this is based on lack of information as to exactly how hackers approach their task, and of the exact vulnerabilities that they prey on. In this book, Jeff Crume dispels this fear by putting these threats into perspective and allowing realistic defense mechanisms to be created, to the extent that security becomes a business enabler, rather than inhibitor.   Inside Internet Security describes the underlying principles that crop up again and again in hacker attacks, and then progresses to focus on lessons that can be learned, and how to protect against recurrence.   Features: Practical hands-on advice on securing networked systems Security checklists for common scenarios Pointers to other detailed information sources In-depth theoretical background information Real-world Examples of actual attacks A glimpse into the future of IT security

About this title

Review:

This is an engaging tour of the fascinating, slippery subject of Internet security. Beginning with an investigation into what motivates hackers, the author goes on to explore risk analysis, the value and limitations of firewalls, problems with passwords, and why systems are vulnerable to viruses. There is also a look at the problems posed by active content on Web sites, the latest developments in cryptography, and whether virtual private networks (VPNs) are secure.

If anyone out there is still complacent about security, this is the ideal book to give them. For example, passwords are either easy to remember, in which case they are also easy to guess, or hard to remember, in which case they get written down. Even when you think everything is locked down tight, a bold hacker might still call technical support, pretend to be someone else, and extract a valid user ID and password. There is no such thing as perfect security, but a lot can be done to minimise the risks, and Jeff Crume's most important point is that every organisation should both have and enforce an appropriate security policy.

Although it is described as a practical guide, Inside Internet Security is too slim and wide ranging to be much use as a hands-on resource. Some parts are semi-technical, but there is nothing that would cause difficulty for anyone within the IT industry, or indeed a well-informed general reader. This title will not tell you how to configure a firewall or set up a VPN. What it does do is set the high-level agenda that will help administrators plan a workable and effective security policy. --Tim Anderson

Review:

 "This is a practical security guide for anyone building or administering a corporate network that runs across a number of platforms, via the Internet. Crume focuses on how hackers approach their work and the vulnerabilities they prey on." Computing, August 2001 

This one is a must if security is on your agenda.

nternet works, September 2001

About this edition

• Publisher: Addison-Wesley Professional
• Publication date: 2000
• ISBN 10: 0201675161
• ISBN 13: 9780201675160
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 288