2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very Good Security Management Textbook, May 22, 2011
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The main word to notice in the title of "Contemporary Security Management" by John J. Fay is the word management. This is a college type textbook for those in security management. Please take this into consideration if you are thinking this is either a book on security, or a popular type management book. It does not fit those categories. Therefore, if that is what you are looking for, you will need to look elsewhere. However, if you are studying to be employed in security management, are enrolled in a class that is using this text, or happen to want a college style textbook on the topic for self-study because you are employed in such a position, this is a very detailed and good book on the topic.
Many large organizations, and now even smaller ones, have a security department. This text teaches security professionals how to operate an efficient security department and how to collaborate smoothly with other groups inside and outside their own organization. The book provides a comprehensive introduction to security and IT security management principles, which overlap with other management principles. So this is a management text aimed at the Chief Security Officer or others in positions in the security industry that aim for management.
Like many college textbooks, each chapter starts with a brief section on what you will learn, and ends with review questions and references. There are ample side bars, check lists, and graphs throughout. The book's four hundred and fifty pages are divided into twenty-five chapters. These include: Historical Roots, Organizing, Managing People, Leadership and Management Skills, Strategy, Budget Management, Managing Change, Making Decisions, Managing Risks, Managing Guard Operations, Managing Physical Security, Managing Access Control, Managing Investigations, Pre-Employment Screening, Emergency Management, Business Continuity, Managing Information Security, Substance Abuse, Executive Protection, Workplace Violence, Employee Awareness Program, Vulnerability Assessment, Security Program Design, Critical Infrastructures and Key Resources, and The Terrorist Threat. The book also contains an Index at the end.
If you are not a professional actively working in such a position, needing guidance, or if you are not in a class where this book is required, you may find the reading a bit tedious, like many management text books. (I read quite a few getting my undergraduate degree in Business Administration with a management emphasis.) And a lot of the management principles, such as hiring people and dealing with budgets are universal, not just to security management, so don't get this book thinking it is all about security.
Bottom line, if you are in the security management field, or want to enter that field, this is a comprehensive textbook on the topic. There is a lot of useful information in this single volume, and it will be very valuable for those working in such management positions.
Reviewed by Alain Burrese, J.D., author of Hard-Won Wisdom From the School of Hard Knocks.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very nicely done, February 20, 2011
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First, I am a security trainer with 40+ years in IT. I currently make my living as a CISSP, ISSMP, ISSAP, CISA, CISM instructor. I also consult in the areas of penetration testing and computer forensics. I have an extensive library of security titles, some of which I wrote or for which I acted as Technical Editor. I say all of this so that my opinions can be taken in context.
My one sentence review: Get this book.
More details are warranted, however. The author did an excellent job of covering the field. There are a few pages of basics for those that need a running start. The explanations are clear without too much extra baggage or diversions. The breadth of topics matches the current state of security management.
I strongly recommend this book for anyone moving into or already working in the area of security architecture or security management, and only slightly less emphatically recommend for those that audit this subject matter. Job titles would be CSO, CISO, possibly CIO.
The table of contents is clear and the index is well done (that's often a negative mark against technical books; "professional" indexers aren't usually expert enough to understand the nuances.)
Congratulations to the author on a job well done.
Note: this is a review of the third edition. I do not have the first edition, but older topics seem updated and I never read something in this book that I thought was written years ago or that was once true but is no longer the best practice.
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