Inside Network Perimeter Security: The Definitive Guide to Firewalls, Vpns, Routers, and Intrusion Detection Systems

by Lenny Zeltser, Scott Winters, Karen Kent Frederick

The most practical, comprehensive solution to defending your network perimeter. Get expert insight from the industry's leading voices: Stephen Northcutt and the expertise of the SANS team. Inside Network Perimeter Security is a practical guide to designing, deploying, and maintaining network defenses. It discusses perimeter components such as firewalls, VPNs, routers, and intrusion detection systems, and explains how to integrate them into a unified whole to meet real-world business requirements. The book consolidates the experience of seventeen information security professionals working together as a team of writers and reviewers. This is an excellent reference for those interested in examining best practices of perimeter defense and in expanding their knowledge of network security. Because the book was developed in close coordination with the SANS Institute, it is also a valuable supplementary resource for those pursuing the GIAC Certified Firewall Analyst (GCFW) certification.

Genres: Nonfiction, Computers

678 pages, Paperback

First published June 28, 2002

Reviews

[Scott · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this for a class that I took, and it wasn't as useful to me as I might help. While it covers the basic concepts of Network Perimeter Security, as it goes farther in depth, it misses the sweet spot of more specific information versus tool-specific advice.

My feeling is that any written book needs to be careful when giving tool specific advice, providing me examples on how to set a specific CISCO router is useless if the industry has moved beyond using that router - therefore, it renders much of the book less than useful as, at the moment, I'm not sure what environment I'll be put in.

However, I did find the award winning network perimeter examples/case studies to be quite useful when conceptualizing an "ideal" perimeter. Overall, if you've got the cash to burn, pick up the book, especially if you are newish to the field (like me!), but don't expect it to stay on your shelf for frequent referencing.

[Beck Frost · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read for a class I was taking. Very technical in nature as the first 120 pages gives you all kinds of Cisco router commands. Then, at that point, it tells you that the first thing that you should have done was setup a policy before proceeding. Hum...shouldn't the policy have been the first section then? Written by engineers and it shows since that was the order of precedence to give us technical commands first. Good reference book, though.

[Jeremy Needle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extremely thorough discussion of technology and processes involved in securing a network. This is definitely one of those books that every network admin should in their library.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book! Would love to see a 3rd edition one of these days.