Network Security: Private Communication in a Public World (2nd Edition) (Hardcover)

~ (Author), (Author), Mike Speciner (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

The authors offer a meaty survey of computer security in three broad sections. Opening with cryptography, they describe the meaning of keys and algorithms-a difficult task, requiring a bit of math that may frighten novices. The second part deals with authentication, or proof of identity on a network. The benefits and pitfalls of different schemes are discussed in a lively and engaging way and are spiced with appropriate quotes throughout. In the final section, E-mail-for some the most chaotic risk of all-is examined. Terms are defined well even for beginners, and exercises at the end of each chapter allow you to test your comprehension of a given set of concepts. But the authors use a notation system (discussed in the introduction) that you'll need to understand to follow some of the examples and arguments. Clearly, this thought-provoking book was designed for serious students of computers and their networks, but even a newbie will find entertaining and useful tidbits.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description

Authors with credentials from some of the top software and hardware companies explain the latest advances in computer network security protocol. For security managers, programmers, and graduate or advanced undergraduate students.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 752 pages
• Publisher: Prentice Hall; 2 edition (May 2, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0130460192
• ISBN-13: 978-0130460196
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 7 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #139,623 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Some great stuff, but narrowly focused, October 25, 2003

By	Mark Stamp (cupertino, ca USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I worked for 10 years in computer and network security, including many years as a cryptanalyst and a couple of years at a startup company. I now teach at San Jose State University, where I'm using this book as the primary textbook for a graduate class in computer security. The strengths of the the book are its coverage of basic cryptography (chapters 2 thru 6), "security handshake pitfalls" (chapter 11) and "security folklore" (chapter 26).

Chapter 11 alone is worth the (high) price of the book. It is absolutely the best introduction to the subtle issues that arise with network protocols you are likely to ever find. And Chapters 2 through 6 do a better job of covering cryptography (with particular emphasis on some of the not-so-obvious issues) than many books devoted solely to cryptography. And chapter 26 makes some nice points.

One criticism I have is that---with few exceptions---the rest of the book does not come close to the standard achieved in the chapters mentioned above. The chapter on SSL/TLS is OK and the chapter on Kerberos is passable (if dull), but the remaining chapters are relatively weak. Another criticism is that the title of the book is misleading. Outside of the cryptography chapters, the book is very narrowly focused on networking protocols. In my opinion, there is far more to network security than cryptography and protocols. Take a look at Ross Anderson's book, Security Engineering, to get a nice broad overview of security. Finally, the chapters related to IPsec are really poor. The author(s) seems to be so peeved with the standards committee for doing some stupid things that he/she/they do more carping than describing.

In summary, I highly recommend chapters 2 thru 6, 11 and 26. But you'll need to look elsewhere if you want to learn about more than protocols and cryptography.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A witty and authoritative introduction to network security, September 22, 1998

By	Andy Tanenbaum ([e-mail]) (The Netherlands) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Network Security: Private Communication in a Public World (Textbook Binding)

Who would have thought that a detailed technical book on network security would be fun to read? I wouldn't have, but this one is highly technical and also lots of fun to read. As the fundamental tenet of cryptography, instead of some abstract mathematical theorem about something or other being NP complete we get "If lots of smart people have failed to solve a problem, then it probably won't be solved (soon)". But don't get me wrong, this is not a content-free book for top management, it is highly technical, with long chapters on secret-key cryptography, hashes and message digests, public-key cryptography, number theory, authentication and much more. Unlike Bruce Schneier's book, Applied Cryptography, which is more like an encylopedia than a book, this one is enjoyable to read while still carefully explaining state-of-the-art cryptographic protocols--not an easy feat to pull off. For anyone with a university degree in engineering, the sciences, or mathematics who wants to learn a lot about network security and be entertained while doing so, this book can't be beat.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Explains tedious theory in an understandable way, February 22, 2000

By	James Kenyon (Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Network Security: Private Communication in a Public World (Textbook Binding)

I took this book along on a business trip with the expectation that it would work better than chamomile tea before bed -- instead it kept me up well into the night. It turns a, necessarily, tedious subject into compelling reading. A "must-read" and "must-have" reference for any person charged with managing a distributed computing environment.