Amazon.com Review
Public key infrastructures (PKIs) are critical to all sorts of electronic security mechanisms. Though their machinations are often semiconcealed as part of operating systems, messaging environments, or database management systems, a working familiarity with the interior operations of PKIs can prove useful to all sorts of information technology experts.
PKI: A Wiley Tech Brief explains PKIs at a level that's appropriate for experienced network administrators and security specialists who haven't looked into PKI technologies in a systematic way before. Tom Austin--an accomplished security consultant to begin with--has done his research, and he provides an accurate and readable assessment of the state of the art.
For a treatment of computer security and public-key encryption, this book has surprisingly little mathematical content. Instead, it focuses on the business case for PKI, and explains how various applications use trusted certificates. Key (pun intended) details get ample attention, including trusted and accurate time-stamping mechanisms, alternate certificate authorities, and PKI auditing. The procedure for acquiring certificates and establishing a PKI is also covered. It's the five case studies, though, that will most impress readers who prefer example to tutorial. The case studies show how organizations (including Perot Systems and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office) implemented their PKIs. --David Wall
Topics covered: Public key infrastructures--why you might want one, and how to go about setting one up. Detailed explanations of what certificates and certificate authorities can do precede explanations of the efficiencies that PKI can create. Real-life PKI case studies conclude this specialized primer.
Review
"PKI is fast becoming the cornerstone of e-security, and this book provides an excellent perspective on PKI for both technology and business people." —Fran Rooney, CEO, Baltimore Technologies
"An excellent overview of PKI technology. A must read for anyone considering deployment of a public key infrastructure." —John A. Ryan, President & CEO, Entrust Technologies
"The organization of the book, and the choice and weighting of topics, are excellent. I am not aware of any other books on PKI that emphasize deployment and acquisition concerns like this one. The case studies and example RFP were particularly useful. This book will appeal to those in charge of procuring and operating a PKI." —Rich Ankney, Vice President, CertCo
A must read for anyone who will be involved assessing, recommending, approving, buying or implementing digital asset security at any level in a enterprise, but especially recommended for management, corporate IT security function, risk assessment group and legal department. Austin not only brings together an impressive array of authoritative experts, but also attains seamless topic integration presenting the right flow of ideas to the reader. Austin achieves a difficult balance between case studies and theory. Hard to imagine, but he succeeds delivering a PKI treatise with sufficient depth and breadth to please the initiated, yet easy to read from the boardroom to the heart of the IT function. —Juan Rodriguez-Torrent, PKI Forum founder, President & CEO Aposematic Corporation.
"Grounded in the real world of the business benefits PKI provides. Case studies show how PKI has been implemented by a variety of companies today, allowing readers to learn from the experiences of others without vendor hype or bias. Austin's conversational style that explains the nuts and bolts of PKI along with substantive, practical case studies make this book a must-have resource for anyone considering PKI deployment. —Debra Cameron, President, Cameron Consulting
"This thorough look at PKI will help to enrich understanding in the industry and help to move efforts in e-business forward." —Laura Rime, Global Marketing Manager, Identrus
