Security Administrator Street Smarts: A Real World Guide to CompTIA Security+ Skills [Paperback]

David R. Miller (Author), Michael Gregg (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 047040485X | ISBN-13: 978-0470404850 | Publication Date: November 24, 2008 | Edition: 2

Updated for the new CompTIA Security+ exam, this book focuses on the latest topics and technologies in the ever-evolving field of IT security and offers you the inside scoop on a variety of scenarios that you can expect to encounter on the job—as well as step-by-step guidance for tackling these tasks. Particular emphasis is placed on the various aspects of a security administrator’s role, including designing a secure network environment, creating and implementing standard security policies and practices, identifying insecure systems in the current environment, and more.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Develop the skills you need in the real world

Hit the ground running with the street-smart training you'll find in this practical guide to security administration. Using a "year in the life" approach, it gives you an inside look at the common responsibilities of security administrators, with key information organized around the actual day-to-day tasks, scenarios, and challenges you'll face in the field. Revised for the updated CompTIA Security+ exam (SY0-201), this valuable training tool is loaded with hands-on, step-by-step exercises covering all phases of a security administrator's job, including:

• Designing a secure network environment

• Creating and implementing standard security policies and practices

• Identifying insecure systems in physical and digital environments

• Providing SETA (Security Education, Training, and Awareness) to on-site and remote users

An invaluable study tool

This no-nonsense book also covers common tasks that CompTIA expects all of its Security+ candidates to know how to perform. So whether you're preparing for certification or seeking practical skills to break into the field, you'll find the instruction you need, including:

• Performing an initial risk assessment

• Installing, updating, and running anti-virus

• Encrypting files and securing e-mail

• Creating and managing user accounts

• Deploying IPSec and securing remote systems

• Securing Internet activity and 802.11 wireless

• Testing and troubleshooting

The Street Smarts series is designed to help current or aspiring IT professionals put their certification to work for them. Full of practical, real world scenarios, each book features actual tasks from the field and then offers step-by-step exercises that teach the skills necessary to complete those tasks. And because the exercises are based upon exam objectives from leading technology certifications, each Street Smarts book can be used as a lab manual for certification prep.

About the Author

David R. Miller, Security+, CISSP, MCSE+ Security, is a network engineer and IT security and project management consultant. He has written numerous books, curricula, and training videos on topicssuch as network and wireless security, penetration testing, CISSP, and Security+. Michael Gregg, Security+, CISSP, CIW Security Analyst, is the President of Superior Solutions, Inc., an IT security consulting firm that performs security assessments and penetration testing for Fortune 1000 firms. He also holds numerous other certifications including MCT, CTT+, A+, Network+, and CEH, among others.

Product Details

• Paperback: 552 pages
• Publisher: Sybex; 2 edition (November 24, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 047040485X
• ISBN-13: 978-0470404850
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 1.2 x 9.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #592,437 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Written in a very good format, March 28, 2007

By 

John Matlock "Gunny" (Winnemucca, NV) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Security Administrator Street Smarts: A Real World Guide to CompTIA Security+ Skills (Paperback)

Not an Exam Cram type of book, this book is aimed at giving newcomers to the security field a solid background and understanding of what the job entails. Only incidentally does this book follow the CompTIA Security+ certificate examination (Exam #SY0-101) recommendations and thus provide a dual purpose.

The book is organized into tenphases or major sections. Each phase then has a series of Tasks to be performed. The first phase is entitled 'The Grunt Work of Security.' In it you start by making a security assessment of your network. By phase 10 you have completed hardening, securing the storage, set up user accounts, protected against virus and other malware attacks and more. In phase 10 you study troubleshooting.

I found the book to be easy reading, and the phase/task approach worked well for me. It provides a well needed break in the reading. And let's face it, reading about security is a lot less exciting than reading about Harry Potter.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A practical guide to security, September 8, 2007

By 

B. Lepasana "Billie" (Canada) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Security Administrator Street Smarts: A Real World Guide to CompTIA Security+ Skills (Paperback)

If you want a good SCOPE OUT type of book, but with practical approach and example. I love this book, it lives up to its title, "street smart", it gives you the tool and direction you need to "survive" the intricacy of the street of IT, and security.

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Read, September 13, 2009

By 

Ronda Morris "All around gurl" (Atlanta) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Security Administrator Street Smarts: A Real World Guide to CompTIA Security+ Skills (Paperback)

This book was a good read for a basic/intermediate focus on security administration. It provided exercises that could be done to demonstrate security practices and automation. Some of the technology is outdated but it still was a good read. Dealt mostly with Windows Server 2003 and XP