Practical Unix & Internet Security is on its second edition, and its maturity shows. To call this highly readable book comprehensive is an understatement. The breadth is vast, from fundamentals (definitions of computer security; the history of Unix) and commonsense but little-observed security basics (making backups; physical and personnel security; buggy software) to modern software (NFS, WWW, firewalls) and the handling of security incidents. The section on users and passwords alone is 21 pages long--and worth every page. Useful appendices include a Unix security checklist, a list of emergency response organizations, and many references to electronic and paper resources. The Internet covers too much and moves too quickly for any book to cover every security aspect of every piece of software, but this book comes close. More importantly, it gives you an exceptional grounding in the fundamental issues of security and teaches the right questions to ask--something that will stay with you long after today's software is obsolete.


Book Description
When Practical UNIX Security was first published in 1991, it became an instant classic. Crammed with information about host security, it saved many a UNIX system administrator and user from disaster. This second edition is a complete rewrite of the original book. It's packed with twice the pages and offers even more practical information for UNIX users and administrators. It covers features of many types of UNIX systems, including SunOS, Solaris, BSDI, AIX, HP-UX, Digital UNIX, Linux, and others. The first edition was practical, entertaining, and full of useful scripts, tips, and warnings. This edition is all those things -- and more. Contents include UNIX and security basics (password, the filesystem, the superuser, cryptography), system administrator tasks (backups, integrity checking, log files, programmed threats, physical security), network security (modems, UUCP, TCP/IP, NIS, NFS, RFS, network monitoring, Kerberos, DCE, firewalls), and appendixes containing checklists and helpful summaries.


The publisher, O'Reilly and Associates
When Practical UNIX Security was first published in 1991, it became an instant classic. Crammed with information about host security, it saved many a UNIX system administrator and user from disaster. This second edition is a complete rewrite of the original book. It's packed with twice the pages and offers even more practical information for UNIX users and administrators. In it you'll find coverage of features of many types of UNIX systems, including SunOS, Solaris, BSDI, AIX, HP-UX, Digital UNIX, Linux, and others. The first edition was practical, entertaining, and full of useful scripts, tips, and warnings. This edition is all those things -- and more. If you are a UNIX system administrator or user in this security-conscious age, you need this book. It's a practical guide that spells out, in readable and entertaining language, the threats, the system vulnerabilities, and the countermeasures you can adopt to protect your UNIX system, network, and Internet connection. It's complete -- covering both host and network security -- and doesn't require that you be a programmer or a UNIX guru to use it. Practical UNIX & Internet Security describes the issues, approaches, and methods for implementing security measures. It covers UNIX basics, the details of security, the ways that intruders can get into your system, and the ways you can detect them, clean up after them, and even prosecute them if they do get in. Filled with practical scripts, tricks, and warnings, Practical UNIX & Internet Security tells you everything you need to know to make your UNIX system as secure as it possible can be. Contents include: Part I: Computer Security Basics. Introduction and security policies. Part II: User Responsibilities. Users and their passwords, groups, the superuser, the UNIX filesystem, and cryptography. Part III: System Administrator Responsibilities. Backups, defending accounts, integrity checking, log files, programmed threats, physical security, and personnel security. Part IV: Network and Internet Security: telephone security, UUCP, TCP/IP networks, TCP/IP services, WWW, RPC, NIS, NIS+, Kerberos, and NFS. Part V: Advanced Topics: firewalls, wrappers, proxies, and secure programming. Part VI: Handling Security Incidents: discovering a breakin, U.S. law, and trust. VII: Appendices. UNIX system security checklist, important files, UNIX processes, paper and electronic sources, security organizations, and table of IP services.

FROM OUR EDITORS

Fatbrain Review Practical UNIX Security's exhaustive information on host security made the publication an instant classic revered by many a UNIX system administrator, and now the 1991 book has been completely rewritten with even more practical information for UNIX users. Garfinkel and Spafford start with an explanation of the features of many types of UNIX systems, including SunOS, Solaris, BSDI, AIX, HP-UX, Digital UNIX, Linux and others and move on to a thorough examination of system vulnerabilities and what the administrator can do to ward off threats to host and network security. Programmers shaky in their UNIX catechism can rest easy -- this book doesn't require advanced background knowledge of the UNIX system and almost anyone can follow Garfinkel and Spafford's practical tips and make their system as secure as it can be. Don't be caught off-guard -- get Practical UNIX & Internet Security and protect your system.

ANNOTATION

Practical UNIX Security's exhaustive information on host security made the publication an instant classic revered by many a UNIX system administrator, and now the 1991 book has been completely rewritten with even more practical information for UNIX users. Garfinkel and Spafford start with an explanation of the features of many types of UNIX systems, including SunOS, Solaris, BSDI, AIX, HP-UX, Digital UNIX, Linux and others and move on to a thorough examination of system vulnerabilities and what the administrator can do to ward off threats to host and network security. Programmers shaky in their UNIX catechism can rest easy -- this book doesn't require advanced background knowledge of the UNIX system and almost anyone can follow Garfinkel and Spafford's practical tips and make their system as secure as it can be. Don't be caught off-guard -- get Practical UNIX & Internet Security and protect your system.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

When Practical UNIX Security was first published in 1991, it became an instant classic. Crammed with information about host security, it saved many a UNIX system administrator and user from disaster. This second edition is a complete rewrite of the original book. It's packed with twice the pages and offers even more practical information for UNIX users and administrators. You'll find coverage of features of many types of UNIX systems, including SunOS, Solaris, BSDI, AIX, HP-UX, Digital UNIX, and Linux. Practical UNIX and Internet Security includes detailed coverage of Internet security and networking issues, including World Wide Web security, wrapper and proxy programs, integrity management tools, secure programming, and how to secure TCP/IP services (e.g., FTP, SMTP, DNS). Chapters on host security contain up-to-date details on passwords, the UNIX filesystem, cryptography, backups, logging, physical security, telephone security, UUCP, firewalls, and dealing with breakins. You'll also find extensive summary appendixes on freely available security tools, references, and security-related organizations.

SYNOPSIS

If you are a UNIX system administrator or user who deals with security, you need this book. It's a practical guide that spells out your options for both Berkeley UNIX and System V. It's complete, rational, and doesn't require that you be a programmer to use it.

Practical UNIX Security describes the issues, approaches, and methods for implementing security measures, spelling out what the varying approaches cost and require in the way of equipment. After presenting UNIX security basics and network security, this guide goes on to suggest how to keep intruders out, how to tell if they've gotten in, how to clean up after them, and even how to prosecute them. Filled with practical scripts, tricks, and warnings, Practical UNIX Security tells you what you need to know to make your UNIX system as secure as it possibly can be.

Contents include: Understanding basic UNIX functions, such as users, passwords, groups, superuser, and the file system. Defending against security breaches. Defending against network and communication breaches, using modems, UUCP, NFS, secure NFS, Kerberos, and firewall machines. Handling break-ins or other security incidents and repairing the damage. Applying techniques of encryption and physical security to UNIX.