Elementary Information Security by Richard E. Smith

by Richard E. Smith

Comprehensive and accessible, Elementary Information Security covers the entire range of topics required for US government courseware certification NSTISSI 4013 and urges students to analyze a variety of security problems while gaining experience with basic tools of the trade. Written for the one-term undergraduate course, the text emphasizes both the technical and non-technical aspects of information security and uses practical examples and real-world assessment tools. Early chapters in the text discuss individual computers and small LANS, while later chapters deal with distributed site security and the Internet. Cryptographic topics follow the same progression, starting on a single computer and evolving to Internet-level connectivity. Mathematical concepts throughout the text are defined and tutorials with mathematical tools are provided to ensure students grasp the information at hand. Rather than emphasizing memorization, this text challenges students to learn how to analyze a variety of security problems and gain experience with the basic tools of this growing trade.

Paperback

First published November 18, 2011

Reviews

[David W Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very information dense, which is good. However some chapters are super dry.

[VIXEN · Rating 1 out of 5]

The videos on YouTube are the only way I made it through this class. The book makes the concepts so complicated that I can't understand them. And I have a 3.97 GPA. The simplicity of people explaining key concepts on Youtube replaces any need for this text. All you need is a list of key terms and concepts that you are expected to learn.

[Yodawookiee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not the easiest read, but very well structured and packed with great information. I may change this rating from 4 to 5 stars when I finish the book, but I plan to read several additional books on security to compare it to first to give it a more accurate rating.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent resource for learning InfoSec principles.