Practical UNIX and Internet Security, Second Edition

By Simson Garfinkel, Gene Spafford
Second Edition  April 1996 
Pages: 1000
ISBN 10: 1-56592-148-8 | ISBN 13: 9781565921481
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Book description

This second edition of the classic Practical UNIX Security 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. Contents include UNIX and security basics, system administrator tasks, network security, and appendixes containing checklists and helpful summaries.
Full 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. 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: Appendixes. UNIX system security checklist, important files, UNIX processes, paper and electronic sources, security organizations, and table of IP services.

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Cover | Table of Contents | Index | Sample Chapter | Colophon


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Practical UNIX & Internet Security, 2nd Edition Review,  July 02 2002
Rating: StarStarStarStarStar
Submitted by Martin Schutte   [Respond | View]

Dear O'Reilly, thank you very much for publishing a book which gives a solid foundation to people like myself. There is just one point of concern however:

The first comment/request made for a updated version of this book (which I feel is long overdue) was made in September of 1999. We are currently in July of 2002. How many requests must we as readers make before you decide to update the book to include new developments?

There are many valid reasons for you to consider in updating this excellent book, but I'm sure you are already aware of them all.

Regards


Practical UNIX & Internet Security, 2nd Edition Review,  June 27 2002
Rating: StarStarStarStarStar
Submitted by Rob McMeekin   [Respond | View]

This is a book that has at one point deserved a Definitive! rating. Now we need the third edition! Please.


Practical UNIX & Internet Security, 2nd Edition Review,  July 24 2001
Rating: StarStarStarStarStar
Submitted by vijaya kumar   [Respond | View]



This is a Good Book Basically.

But the author has to work for third edition as some of the details became obsolete (DNS,Sendmail etc)

Vijaya Kumar

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Practical UNIX & Internet Security, 2nd Edition Review,  September 29 2000
Rating: StarStarStarStarStar
Submitted by Eva   [Respond | View]

The best book I've ever read about security, readable for a dummy too!


Practical UNIX & Internet Security, 2nd Edition Review,  January 27 2000
Submitted by Ed Bayley   [Respond | View]



A truly wonderful book, well deserving of its legandary status. Seems to cover Unix security from just about every angle possible, and even as a Sys Admin of 5 years' experience, I felt it had a lot to teach me. Not only is it informative, but it's also quite witty as well!

I would love to see these guys write an 'advanced' companion volume, with examples of the weak coding that resulted in past sendmail/fingerd exploits, etc.


Practical UNIX & Internet Security, 2nd Edition Review,  September 04 1999
Submitted by K. Gunderson   [Respond | View]



Getting a bit long in the tooth, but *the* classic on UNIX security. I concur with the other review's comments concerning the errata. Get with the program O'Reilly!


Practical UNIX & Internet Security, 2nd Edition Review,  August 10 1998
Submitted by anuraj   [Respond | View]



Wonderful book........It gives a deep insight!!!!!!!!!!Must have

Media reviews "If you're a novice at computer security and want to learn, get this book and set aside time to read some of it every day. The bookmark will move slowly, but keep moving it. If you're already an expert, get this book and keep it at hand as a reference--and read a chapter a month, just to remind yourself of things you've forgotten."
--Jennifer Vesperman, linuxchix.org

"If you know nothing about Linux security, and only have time for one book you should start with 'Practical Unix and Internet Security.' It's a fat book, but its accessible, and it gives you a solid grounding in the basics."
--Charlie Stross, Linux Format, May 2002

"If you're a TCP/IP network administrator, these three books published by O'Reilly on networking {'DNS & BIND;' 'TCP/IP Network Administration;' 'Practical Unix & Internet Security'} are indispensable. These three guides are essential to managing a TCP/IP Network."
--http://it-enquirer.com, March 2002

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