Re: [PLUG] I need a book recommendation

[JP Vossen <jp@jpsdomain.org>]

> Date: Fri, 18 May 2012 22:21:41 -0400 (EDT)
> From:jazzman@exdomain.org
>
> I wanted to start learning about computer and network security and things
> related to that and I'm looking for a few good books to start reading.
> Unfortunately the only books I've found readily available in book stores
> are certification study guides and I'm not sure that's the best place to
> start. I was looking for something more like a textbook or something like
> that.
>
> Does anyone have any good recommendations?

I'm late to the party, but...

+1 _The Cuckoo's Egg_

+1 for Schneier but not _Cryptography Engineering_.  I'd favor 
_Practical Cryptography_ and _Secrets & Lies_ for this use case.

Also, this *sounds* perfect, but there is a catch:

http://it.slashdot.org/story/12/05/18/1321256/book-review-elementary-information-security
Book Review: Elementary Information Security
Section it Department read-all-about-it
Filed under security
Creator samzenpus

benrothke writes "Elementary Information Security, based on its title, 
weight and page length, I assumed was filled with mindless screen shots 
of elementary information security topics, written with a large font, in 
order to jack up the page count. Such an approach is typical of far too 
many security books. With that, if there ever was a misnomer of title, 
Elementary Information Security is it."

For anyone looking for a comprehensive information security reference 
guide - Elementary Information Security is it. While the title may say 
elementary, for the reader who spends the time and effort to complete 
the book, they will come out with a complete overview of every 
significant information security topic.

The book is in fact a textbook meant to introduce the reader to the 
topic of information security. But it has enough content to be of value 
to everyone; security notices or experienced professional.

Author Richard Smith notes that if you want to get a solid understanding 
of information security technology, you have to look closely at the 
underlying strengths and weakness of information technology itself, 
which requires a background in computer architecture, operating systems 
and computing networking.

With that, Elementary Information Security is a tour de force that 
covers every information security topic, large and small. The book also 
provides a relevant overview of the peripheral topics that are embedded 
into information security.

In 17 chapters covering over 800 pages, the book is well organized and 
progressively gets more complex.

[... lots more, go read the post on /. ]

The book is not meant as a For Dummies guide to the topic, and it 
assumes a college-level comprehension of relevant mathematical concepts. 
Note though that the requisite math is detailed in the sections on 
encryption and cryptography.

The book is also the first textbook certified by the NSA to comply with 
the NSTISSI 4011 standard, which is the federal training standard for 
information security professionals. The author notes on his blog that in 
order to gain that certification, he had to map each topic required by 
the standard to the information as it appears in the textbook.

Given the value of the book, (ISC) should consider using this title as a 
reference for their CISSP certification. With all of the CISSP 
preparation guides available, even the Official (ISC)2 Guide to the 
CISSP CBK, one is hard pressed to find a comprehensive all-embracing 
security reference such as this. Some may even want to simply use this 
book as their definitive CISSP study guide.

For those looking for a single encyclopedic reference on information 
security, they should look no further than Elementary Information 
Security. Richard Smith has written a magnum opus on the topic, which 
will be of value for years to come.

--- End of excerpted book review ---

Sounds perfect right?  I want one too.  The problem is, it's $130 new... 
 Maybe you can find a library that has it?

Later,
JP
----------------------------|:::======|-------------------------------
JP Vossen, CISSP            |:::======|      http://bashcookbook.com/
My Account, My Opinions     |=========|      http://www.jpsdomain.org/
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