Customer Reviews

The .NET Developer's Guide to Windows Security

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This book is not for everyone, but if you are a programmer and you want an introduction to what you can do to create more secure programs integrated into Windows 2000 -> Server 2003 in a .NET framework, you will find this book worth the read.

If you are already security saavy and you do not know much about programming this book will help you ask your coders the right questions.

The first 35 pages are the fundamentals of security. The next 30 pages show the interface to security in the windows environment. The real value for me as a reader started on page 65. From there to the very last page there is example after example.

Keith Brown continues to be the master of clear writing, no fluff, everything is in consise topics that tell you the straight scoop you need to know about that topic.

When reading books on computer security, you will be told that computer security is a mindset that must be achieved and held. However, achieving this lofty goal is a matter of doing a lot of small things right. And they must all be done right, for even one apparently minor mistake can open a security hole potentially as big as escorting the attacker to a terminal already logged in as administrator. Brown covers a large amount of ground in the area of Windows security by examining 75 common principles.
Many are in the form of questions, some of those questions asked in the title and answered in the text are:

*) What is secure code?
*) What is a countermeasure?
*) What is a nonprivileged user?
*) What is security context?
*) What is a null session?
*) What is a guest logon?

Some of these questions are much more difficult to answer than it may first appear. For example, volumes could be written to answer the first two questions. Brown is effectively brief, writing enough to impart initial understanding, but not so much as to incite boredom.
Some of the other points that are not in the form of a question are:

*) How to enable auditing.
*) How to program with SIDS.
*) How to program ACLs.
*) How to configure security for a COM(+) client.
*) How to store secrets on a machine.
*) How to programmatically lock the console.

This book contains very valuable material needed in your struggle to make your systems secure. Some people will read the principles they are interested in and justifiably complain about the lack technical depth. However, if your interest is to learn the fundamental aspects of the topic, then this book is just right for you.

I have been a fan of Keith Brown and regularly read his blog on www.Pluralsight.com/community so this review may appear biased but I honestly believe this is a very useful book if you want to develop secure applications or are just wondering how security is implemented in windows.

Though this book is available in its entirety on winsecguide.net, if you are like me, you will not be disappointed if you kill a tree and buy the book.

The book deals with Windows security, something every windows developer worth his or her salt should know.

The book is organized as a collection of practical, to the point insights on windows security. 75 topics are covered as items. This is what I like the best about this book. Each topic is short, to the point and covers just the right amount of information. Curious readers are urged to do their own further investigations. Although the book does not directly talk about security as implemented in the .net frameworks, and it may appear that the title is a misnomer, the underlying concepts are beautifully described. This is a very easy to read book. You don't have to spend endless brain cycles to in reading a chapter and get something useful. In about 5 minutes you can read most "items" and digest the nugget of security insight.

The 75 items in the book are grouped into 6 parts or categories. Part 1 paints the Big Picture and lays the groundwork. You will learn about different kinds of attacks and how to mitigate them. Part 2 describes what Security context is all about. Here you can read about security tokens, daemons, impersonation and a host of other things you didn't even know about. In part 3 you will learn about Access Control and how to grant/restrict access to various resources. Part 4 talks about COM(+) and Enterprise Services. Part 5 deals with Network Security. You will learn what Kerberos, SSPI and IPSEC are. Part 6 is for items that did not fit under the other 5 parts. One of the misc items talks about how to store secrets on a machine. You can also learn to programmatically log off or reboot a machine.

To summarize, this is a very easy to read book with bite sized information on windows security. As more and more emphasis is being placed on developing secure applications in an increasingly networked world, you will find yourself reaching for this book often.

Go buy it.

Reviewed by: Greater Charleston .NET User Group

Full review is online here: http://www.srtsolutions.com/public/item/96763

Excerpts:
Brown's treatment of the subject is broad. You should not be under any misconception that this book will make you an expert on security (either Windows, or .NET). But, it will help you remember the issues you need to remember in order to produce software that does not increase the attack surface of your customer's machines. That's the strength of this book. You will not need every recommendation for every application you develop, but you will need to remind yourself of these issues, and make sure you have thought about those issues.

"The .NET Developer's Guide to Windows Security" should be required reading for every .NET developer. It's already earned a place of prominence on my bookshelf. I browse the table of contents repeatedly during development. It reminds me of the issues I need to consider when I make important design decisions.

Brown's book isn't so much about specific coding techniques, although there are a fair number of those within. You won't find specifics on .NET's code access security, or issues around cross-site scripting. You'll need to look to Howard and LeBlanc's <cite>Writing Secure Code</cite> for code specifics.

Rather, this book is more about approaches to secure development on Windows. In the book you'll find tips on how to develop software using a non-Administrator account, great fundamentals like discussion on IPSEC, Kerberos, policies, etc.

There's also great, detailed discussion of things like COM(+)/Enterprise services, authority and identity, impersonation, and a brief section on threat analysis.

You'll still need another book with details on implementation (see Howard, LeBlanc), but this book really is a great addition to a security-concious developer's bookshelf.

Doug B from Minneapolis "A disconnected mess" has a point. The book does jump back and forth making it difficult to put together the "big picture." As a programmer I did not get the answer to my questions but as an analyst this was a good starting point for an understanding of Windows security. Also, I wish the book were updated to cover Server 2008 and Vista. Still the book is recommended reading for all who wish to get a better understanding of Windows security.

I read the online book and then went out and purchased it here on Amazon. This is a awesome book. If you are new to security or your company is finally getting serious about security and you work in a .Net environment then this book is a must start resource. I cannot recall how many times I have recommended this book. I hope the author makes updates for .Net 2.0 as well as continues to extend the book online -- simply a great read!

Excerpt from C# Online.NET Review (wiki.CSharp-Online.NET):
"I have read many Sgt. Joe Friday accounts of Windows security--"Just the facts, Ma'am"--; but, Windows security remained an occult subject to me. However, this book enables me to program security functions and to understand what I am doing. The book explains the user-based security of Windows operating systems based on Windows NT including Windows 2000, Windows XP Professsional, and Windows Server 2003."

This book reminds me of a cookbook type of security book. There are 75 concise explanations of security topics and examples of how to do specific security coding. There are a lot of topics that are not .NET specific, but generally Windows security technology. I have experience with Windows security coding and have read Keith's previous book, "Programming Windows Security" so I have not read this book cover-to-cover, but use it when I need to know something specific. I have found this book very useful in those types of situations and the information in this book has saved me countless hours I would have spent trying to figure out this stuff on my own.

Bill Gates has recently and repeatedly stated that Microsoft should give a high priority to developing secure products. A reaction to the rising tide of viruses and worms that target his company's desktop. He was primarily referring to what Microsoft itself sells as finished products, like the WinXP operating system. But if you are an independent programmer, developing on a .NET platform, you should heed his advice as also applying to your coding. Hence the importance of this book.

It provides an easy to read technical description of various security issues. The book has 75 of what it calls items. Think of these as tips or hacks. Each addresses a security concept. The items are grouped into broad areas like Access Control Lists. What they are and how to maintain them.

The discussions on Kerberos and other crypto related items are fluently explained, without recourse to maths. To actually implement, you may need texts that delve into more detail. But the overviews provided here are very understandable and hit the key concepts.