The Fundamentals of Network Security

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Summary: Fundamentals of Network Security Book Review
Review: An easy to read and understand book! An abundance of pertinent information. The book covers a variety of security topics: protocols, hardware, software, and case scenarios. I would recommend this book for beginners who want to become IT professionals.

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Summary: One for your shelf!
Review: An excellent reference for the novice and IT professionals who need to get up-to-date on the latest issues of network security. Particular areas of interest include: clear, concise descriptions (including strengths and weaknesses) of popular encryption schemes; new technology such as biometric devices (i.e. fingerprint identification); the importance of network security policy-making. Although, this book can assist in determining the threat to hackers on your system, it is not a how-to text on hacking techniques.

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Summary: Good but could be better
Review: I am not an expert in all aspect of security, thus I find the book very informative. Security is a chain of process covering all inter-connected equipment and applications. The book not just descibed (briefly) network security, but also includes systems and applications. The title of the book could be misleading as it reads 'Network Security', it could have just been 'IT Security'. There are some misleading information in certain vendor specific systems, which I am familiar, causing me to doubt the accuracy of the other vendor specific information, which I am not familiar. The author could have kept all information as neutral and avoid treading on thin ice. I do not think a second edition will be published unless the book is re-written.

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Summary: Network Security explained--
Review: Pro: Anyone in IT industry, more specifically a new network sys admin, who wants to know more than just the general idea of security, will find this book to be an excellent guide. The book introduces and explains the key aspects of today's network security in detail. It is written in a non-technical & easy to unsderstand manner.

Con: At times, I found the detail explanations of the concepts a bit lengthy.

Rating:
Summary: Fundamentals of Network Security
Review: The book is well written and the concepts it covers are both current and relative. It covers the concepts of basic computer and network security and basic terminology to disaster recovery plans. One of the major concepts I found very interesting was the idea of how much is enough security. He reduces it to relatively easy terms; make the computer or network secure enough for any would be hacker to be discouraged and go somewhere else less protected. His explanation of symmetric (private key) and asymmetric (public key) encryption and digital certificates was especially helpful in helping me understand those concepts. The explanation regarding the different types of firewalls was also very informative. Toward the end of the book, the author covers a subject frequently left out of any discussion of network security - security policies and procedures. He stresses the importance of these for any administrator to be able to identify possible security leaks.

This is an excellent book for any potential reader who is looking for a text which gives an overall viewpoint of computer and network security without getting bogged down in the details of any one facet of security.

Rating:
Summary: Fundamentals of Network Security
Review: The book is well written and the concepts it covers are both current and relative. It covers the concepts of basic computer and network security and basic terminology to disaster recovery plans. One of the major concepts I found very interesting was the idea of how much is enough security. He reduces it to relatively easy terms; make the computer or network secure enough for any would be hacker to be discouraged and go somewhere else less protected. His explanation of symmetric (private key) and asymmetric (public key) encryption and digital certificates was especially helpful in helping me understand those concepts. The explanation regarding the different types of firewalls was also very informative. Toward the end of the book, the author covers a subject frequently left out of any discussion of network security - security policies and procedures. He stresses the importance of these for any administrator to be able to identify possible security leaks.

This is an excellent book for any potential reader who is looking for a text which gives an overall viewpoint of computer and network security without getting bogged down in the details of any one facet of security.

Rating:
Summary: The Fundamentals of Network Security
Review: This book covers the basic concepts and most of the current topics on network security in a practical manner. It is easy to follow and very informative - an excellent choice for beginners and beyond. It made me aware of the network and computer vulnerabilities and countermeasures. I highly recommend this book for any one interested in E-commerce since it compiles a good collection of security problems we are now facing. Concepts such as encryption, digital Signature, digital certification, Kerberos, PKI, PGP and much more are made easy to grasp. I will sum it up by saying that if you want to build a foundation in the network security field, this is the book to start with.

Rating:
Summary: Network Security explained--
Review: This Network security book is non-technical, yet it is detail enough to make you comprehend the material easily. Among other things, the book discusses in detail firewalls, intrusion detection, and the importance of policies. By pointing all the key points, you get what you must know to tie them all. It is an excellent book for someone who aspires to be a network security manager.

Rating:
Summary: A great book for the right audience level
Review: While this is not a book for a graduate level computer science course, it is an excellent text for a general management audience or perhaps an undergraduate information systems curriculum. Canavan covers the right areas at the right depth in a very real and practical sense. Because of its practical nature, it may be a bit outdated in 3 more years, but since its release in 2001 it has been "on the money."

I do wish the price was lower, or that it was offered in paperback.