Book Review - Security in Computing (4th Edition)
Category Book Reviews
It's easy to find security books that will tell you how to break or secure a system. But there's not an abundance of books that go into the foundational information in great depth. This one does just that... Security in Computing (4th Edition) by Charles P. Pfleeger and Shari Lawrence Pfleeger.
Contents: Is There a Security Problem in Computing?; Elementary Cryptography; Program Security; Protection in General-Purpose Operating Systems; Designing Trusted Operating Systems; Database and Data Mining Security; Security in Networks; Administering Security; The Economics of Cybersecurity; Privacy in Computing; Legal and Ethical Issues in Computer Security; Cryptography Explained; Bibliography; Index
Security in Computing is probably best thought of as a "textbook" on the subject. At 850 pages, it's pretty dense and structured similar to what you'd expect to pick up at a college bookstore. In all the chapters, you'll be introduced to the essential terms and concepts, which then serve as the base for additional discussion of the finer details and implications. And like most textbooks, there are exercises at the end which you can just see being assigned by your prof. There's a strong emphasis on cryptography, as two of the chapters deal with that topic. Without getting into minutiae and esoterica, the authors give you all the foundational information you could ask for.
This is *not* a practical hands-on treatment of software security. If you're expecting to read up on the latest hacks and virus techniques, you'll be disappointed. This also isn't the type of book you'll be pulling off your bookshelf every day as reference. But if you're a security professional, you *need* to know these essential concepts. This would be one of those "other" security books that you should own to make sure you're covering all the bases on your education.
It's easy to find security books that will tell you how to break or secure a system. But there's not an abundance of books that go into the foundational information in great depth. This one does just that... Security in Computing (4th Edition) by Charles P. Pfleeger and Shari Lawrence Pfleeger.
Contents: Is There a Security Problem in Computing?; Elementary Cryptography; Program Security; Protection in General-Purpose Operating Systems; Designing Trusted Operating Systems; Database and Data Mining Security; Security in Networks; Administering Security; The Economics of Cybersecurity; Privacy in Computing; Legal and Ethical Issues in Computer Security; Cryptography Explained; Bibliography; Index
Security in Computing is probably best thought of as a "textbook" on the subject. At 850 pages, it's pretty dense and structured similar to what you'd expect to pick up at a college bookstore. In all the chapters, you'll be introduced to the essential terms and concepts, which then serve as the base for additional discussion of the finer details and implications. And like most textbooks, there are exercises at the end which you can just see being assigned by your prof. There's a strong emphasis on cryptography, as two of the chapters deal with that topic. Without getting into minutiae and esoterica, the authors give you all the foundational information you could ask for.
This is *not* a practical hands-on treatment of software security. If you're expecting to read up on the latest hacks and virus techniques, you'll be disappointed. This also isn't the type of book you'll be pulling off your bookshelf every day as reference. But if you're a security professional, you *need* to know these essential concepts. This would be one of those "other" security books that you should own to make sure you're covering all the bases on your education.
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