Inside Internet Security: What Hackers Don't Want You to Know Book

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 AndersonRead More