Secure Electronic Commerce: Building the Infrastructure for Digital Signatures and Encryption (2nd Edition) (Paperback)

~ (Author), Michael S. Baum (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

If you've been charged with setting up a public key infrastructure (PKI) for an organization, or if you're just not content to trust commercial products' claims of security, have a look at Secure Electronic Commerce: Building the Infrastructure for Digital Signatures and Encryption for a clear and complete overview of digital certificate management techniques. This richly detailed and heavily referenced volume generally stays clear of implementation specifics. Readers can count on it to provide the background in concepts and terminology that they'll need to make PKI design decisions.

Without exception, this is a very clearly written book, but there are rather few conceptual diagrams--and a few more graphics might have clarified the relationships among entities. Regardless, it's abundantly evident that the authors did a great deal of research--a rarity in this field. Nearly every other sentence contains a reference to an endnote. To truly understand how PKI works, study this book and the material it references, and participate in online forums on PKI issues. --David Wall

Topics covered: Public key infrastructure (PKI) design and functionality, including the legal principles behind binding electronic transactions and the details of authentication, encryption, non-repudiation, and key management. Certificates, Certificate Authorities (CAs), and means of managing trust relationships are all covered.

Product Description

Co-authored by the leading e-commerce security specialist and a leading legal specialist in e-commerce, this book offers a complete blueprint showing companies how to implement state-of-the-art e-commerce while minimizing all the security risks involved. This new edition has been completely updated to reflect today's latest developments in digital signatures, public-key infrastructure, EDI technical standards, certification, and authentication. The book begins by introducing the underlying technologies and inherent risks of electronic commerce. It considers the role of computer networks, the Internet, EDI and email, and the challenges of ensuring that electronic transactions are resistant to fraud, traceable, and legally binding in all jurisdictions. From network security to cryptography and today's latest secure Web and messaging protocols, all of today's latest security technologies are explained in detail, from a business perspective, in language non-specialists can easily understand.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 640 pages
• Publisher: Prentice Hall; 2 edition (December 14, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0130272760
• ISBN-13: 978-0130272768
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #96,126 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #32 in	Books > Computers & Internet > Business & Culture > E-Commerce
  #57 in	Books > Computers & Internet > Web Development > Security & Encryption > Encryption
  #72 in	Books > Computers & Internet > Business & Culture > Privacy

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Greak Book for a Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) Overview, September 3, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Secure Electronic Commerce: Building the Infrastructure for Digital Signatures and Encryption (Paperback)

This book is great at understanding the major components of a Public Key Infrastructure and the surrounding issues. You certainly would not walk away being able to set up a PKI, but you would be able to discuss it intelligently. If you are trying to come up to speed on PKI, this is the book for you. The subject is too big to cover everything in one book; so, I would also recommend picking up some more books that look at security issues specifically. One recommendation is E-Commerce Security by Ghosh.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best I've seen, July 20, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Secure Electronic Commerce: Building the Infrastructure for Digital Signatures and Encryption (Paperback)

Highly recommended - This is still the best intro book I've seen on PKI. Precisely and clearly written. Can't wait for the second edition, though, as this edition is getting a bit dated.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Clearly written guide to public key infrastructure, August 26, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Secure Electronic Commerce: Building the Infrastructure for Digital Signatures and Encryption (Paperback)

Ford and Baum do a great job explaining the ins and outs of public key infrastructures, covering both the technical and non-technical (legal, administrative, financial, etc.) issues with clarity and insight. Chapters 6 and 7 are especially worthwhile for those looking at the latest IETF PKIX standards.