| A comprehensive survey of computer network security concepts, methods, and practices. This authoritative volume provides an optimal description of the principles and applications of computer network security in particular, and cyberspace security in general. The book is thematically divided into three segments: Part I describes the operation and security conditions surrounding computer networks; Part II builds from there and exposes readers to the prevailing security situation based on a constant security threat; and Part III - the core - presents readers with most of the best practices and solutions currently in use. It is intended as both a teaching tool and reference. This broad-ranging text/reference comprehensively surveys computer network security concepts, methods, and practices and covers network security tools, policies, and administrative goals in an integrated manner. It is an essential security resource for undergraduate or graduate study, practitioners in networks, and professionals who develop and maintain secure computer network systems.
The frequency of computer network attacks and the subsequent sensational news reporting have alerted the public to the vulnerability of computer networks and the dangers of not only using them but also of depending on them. In addition, such activities and reports have put society in a state of constant fear always expecting the next big one and what it would involve, and forced people to focus on security issues. The greatest fear among professionals however, is that of a public with a hundred percent total dependency on computers and computer networks becoming desensitized, having reached a level where they are almost immune, where they no longer care about such fears. If this ever happens, we the professionals, and society in general, as creators of these networks, will have failed to ensure their security.
Unfortunately, there are already signs that this is beginning to happen. We are steamrolling at full speed into total dependency on computers and computer networks, yet despite the multiplicity of sometimes confusing security solutions and best practices on the market, numerous security experts and proclaimed good intentions of implementation of these solutions, there is no one agreed on approach to the network security problem. In fact, if the current computer ownership, use, and dependency on computers and computer network keep on track, the number of such attacks is likewise going to keep rising at probably the same rate if not higher. Likewise the national critical infrastructures will become more intertwined than they are now, making the security of these systems a great priority for national and individual security. |