Security Technologies for the World Wide Web, Second Edition [Hardcover]

Rolf Oppliger (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1580533485 | ISBN-13: 978-1580533485 | Publication Date: November 1, 2002 | Edition: 2

An overview of all the security technologies that are relevant to the World Wide Web, Web-based applications and Web services. This second edition addresses issues related to http security, firewalls and proxy servers, cryptographic security protocols, electronic payment systems, public key infrastructures and more. It also provides a look at future developments in the field.

Editorial Reviews

From the Author

Some time ago, I was asked whether my two previous books - Authentication Systems for Secure Networks and Internet and Intranet Security - could also be used to educate professional Webmasters in security matters. Unfortunately, I realized that while the books cover the technologies used to secure applications for the WWW, they are written in a language that is somehow inappropriate for professional Webmasters. Note that these folks are generally familiar with network operating system issues and communication protocols, but they are neither security experts nor cryptographic specialists. They may not even be interested in architectural details and design considerations for cryptographic technologies and protocols that are not widely deployed.

Having in mind the professional Webmaster who must be educated in security matters within a relatively short period of time, I decided to write a book that serves as a corresponding security primer. While writing this book, I realized that it could also be used by common Web users and application developers. The resulting book, Security Technologies for the World Wide Web, overviews and briefly discusses the major topics that are relevant for Web security. The reader of this book will get a sufficiently complete overview of the major topics that are relevant for the WWW and the security thereof.

The book is intended for anyone who is concerned about security on the Web, is in charge of security for a network, or manages an organization that uses the WWW. It can be used for lectures, courses, and tutorials. It can also be used for self-study or serve as a handy reference for Web professionals. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

About the Author

Rolf Oppliger is the founder and owner of eSECURITY Technologies and works for the Swiss Federal Strategy Unit for Information Technology (FSUIT). He is the author of Internet and Intranet Security, Second Edition (Artech House, 2002), Secure Messaging with PGP and S/MIME (Artech House, 2001), and Authentication Systems for Secure Networks (Artech House, 1996). Dr. Oppliger is the computer security series editor at Artech House. He received his M.Sc. and Ph.D. in computer science from the University of Berne, Switzerland, and the Venia legendi in computer science from the University of Zürich, Switzerland.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 444 pages
• Publisher: Artech House; 2 edition (November 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1580533485
• ISBN-13: 978-1580533485
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.3 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,194,727 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Rolf Oppliger studied computer science, mathematics, and economics at the University of Berne, Switzerland, where he received M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in computer science in 1991 and 1993, respectively. In 1999, he received the venia legendi for computer science, and in 2007 he was appointed adjunct professor at the University of Zürich, Switzerland. The focus of his professional activities is information technology (IT) security in general, and network security in particular. He has authored more than ten books, including, for example, Contemporary Cryptography (Artech House, 2005) and SSL and TLS: Theory and Practice (Artech House, 2009), frequently speaks at security-related conferences, and regularly publishes papers and articles in scientific magazines and journals. He's the founder and owner of eSECURITY Technologies Rolf Oppliger (http://www.esecurity.ch), works for the Swiss Federal Strategy Unit for Information Technology (FSUIT), teaches at the University of Zürich, and serves as editor for the Artech House information security and privacy (former computer security) series. He is a senior member of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), and a member of the IEEE Computer Society and the International Association for Cryptologic Research (IACR). He also served as vice-chair of the IFIP TC 11 working group on network security.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good details on web security protocols, March 15, 2000

By 

J. Yesberg "John" (Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Security Technologies for the World Wide Web (Artech House Computer Security Series) (Hardcover)

I liked the detailed discussion of SSL & TLS, as well as the breadth of the coverage - a good discussion of all the payment and password systems that are used. You will probably need a little more help if you are actually going to build such a system yourself. But if you are going to buy or specify one, this will help you understand the issues.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good intro to web security, October 27, 2003

By 

Ben Rothke "Author of 'Computer Security: 20 ... (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Security Technologies for the World Wide Web (Artech House Computer Security Series) (Hardcover)

Computers were supposed to lead to a paperless society, yet as they proliferate so do printed volumes of books about computers, probably wasting far more paper than they save. But Security Technologies for the World Wide Web is one work that is well worth the paper. A comprehensive primer on information security and privacy, the book covers the essentials, including hyptertext transfer protocol (http), public key infrastructure, electronic payment systems, and much more.

Though targeted to technically proficient readers, the clear, lucid prose is surprisingly free of deadening detail. The author also makes good use of screen shots.

Perhaps the most timely component here is a chapter that provides a good overview of Microsoft's popular .NET Passport initiative. This online authentication program, which allows single sign-on to multiple sites, boasts more than 200 million users. Privacy advocates, however, fear that the system will give Microsoft too much control over how personal user data is shared.

Although the book is relatively up to date--an increasingly difficult task as computer technology rockets forward--the occasional error appears. The only other drawback of this otherwise fine book is its relatively high ($89) price tag.