Data Communications Books

Cox & Sheldon take a lot for granted - Their book is great if you're studying for the MCSE or have any kind of networking background but if you're new to group policy, domains and OUs and the like, then it's likely going to be a struggle to read. I gave the book 5 stars because eventually, through hands on, self-taught trial & error on my own system, I was able to master some of the basic security concepts. If you're a lazy n00b and you don't have any kind of initiative or a mentor, then don't waste your time or money with the book.

Can you imagine a book on Operating System Security actually being a good read? This one is just that!
As a SQL Database guy finishing up my MCSE 2000 with the "Win2K Security Design - 70-220" exam, I sought, and found, a resource to solidify and integrate all of the Win2K security concepts covered in earlier exams. I sought a book that was very readable, and I was willing to allow that, by itself, it need not be completely exhaustive as a MCSE exam #70-220 study guide.
Bottom Line: This book was a home run for me. My comfort level with concepts of IPSec, PKI, EFS, threat types, auditing and firewalls has risen remarkably. On the down side, the book is relatively basic and the fairly lengthy coverage of Active Directory, group policies, etc., may be overly ambitious for this book, and is probably better learned elsewhere in a dedicated AD book. In a larger sense, however, this book really delivered the goods, as specified above.

Now I need to identify another resource with which to complete my Security Design studies.
As a sidebar, I have found the first 75 pages of Coriolis' "Exam Cram: Win2K Security Design" to be so full of wordy fluff-speak as to abandon it.

I am a senior engineer for network security operations. I read the Windows 2000 Security Handbook (W2KSH) to learn how to advise clients on improving the survivability of their Windows 2000 platforms. Like its predecessor, Tom Sheldon's excellent "Windows NT Security Handbook," W2KSH delivers practical content in a digestable format. I recommend Windows 2000 system administrators read and heed this book.

Good operating system security books are thorough, educational, and honest; W2KSH is all three. The authors are not mindless Microsoft prophets -- consider this sample from page 501: "It seems that Microsoft just does not get it when it comes to the need for robust auditing/logging of services... the logging configurations are totally inadequate." To deal with these and other deficiencies, W2KSH provides installation, configuration, and deployment recommendations. This advice, on topics like Active Directory, user and group management, and file systems, equips system administrators to survive hostile network environments.

As an intrusion detector, I was most happy to read how the Microsoft security model operates, and what components present the greatest vulnerabilities. I appreciated explanations of system and discretionary access control lists, and how to effectively employ them. I learned Microsoft includes Web, FTP, SMTP, and NNTP features in Internet Information Service (IIS). I also became aware of best practices for secure deployment of a Microsoft infrastructure.

W2KSH has a few problems. Like Microsoft products, its "backwards compatibility" revealed weaknesses. For example, some text was lifted directly from Shelton's earlier book, but necessary background material was omitted (see pages 86, 88-90, 148). This issue was awkward but minor. I also did not leave the book with a strong understanding of the different types of groups in Windows 2000. Such complexity is not the authors' fault. They show that the OS' dozens of options leaves plenty of room for misconfiguration, leading to compromise.

If you're familiar with general security practices, skip Part I (TCP/IP, threats, countermeasures, and policies). I recommend the authors mention these topics briefly in the introduction and move the bulk to appendices. Start with Part II, and keep your highlighter handy. W2KSH gives balanced insight into the workings of Windows 2000, and helps system administrators and security personnel better understand the opportunities and liabilities of running this operating system.

The "Windows 2000 Security Handbook" is an excellent book! Not only is it a good book to learn the nitty-gritty details of Win2K OS and network security, but the first section of the book is a great overview of security in general (Win2k and non-Win2K). For someone who is just getting involved with Win2K security, the book is a must. It has both a good theoretical and practical focus; not only do you get the explanations of of the various Win2K security elements, but you get a step by step guide on how to configure each one. The book is also an excellent reference for those already experienced in Win2K. Very comprehensive and well organized.

I've read many books on Windows NT and Windows 2000 security. Most did not live up to my expectations. They were difficult to read and you needed a Computer Science/Engineering degree to understand them. In my opinion, this book is THE best book on Windows 2000 Security. Mr Cox and Mr Sheldon wrote a very easy to read, easy to understand, and most importantly, an easy to follow recipe for securing your Win2K systems. This book should be in every adminstrator's library. If you don't have this book, you deserve to be hacked! I teach system security, and this book is a valuable tool and resource, not just for me, but for my students. This is money well spent!...

Cisco Press is the way to go on Cisco exams. Great info for both the CCDA exam as well as on-the-job network analysis. Translates well for the CCDA exam.

I have several books that are cited to support full coverage for the difficult CCDA exam, none of which except the CISCO written books really lived up to their promise.
If CISCO are manageing the exam, then it make sense to train up with their books.
If you buy this box set, then read all and learn all you will pass the exam.
Don't waste your money trying to save pennies - - Get the real thing and pass first time. These book are as good as it gets.

After passing the CCNA exam I decided to pursue the CCDA certification and since the exam was developed by Cisco, why not use their material in order to pass the exam. What I found in this prep library is 3 of the best books out on the market.

While there is no one saying which book to start with, I recommend the Internetworking Technologies Handbook as the place to start. Starting with the basics, then LAN protocols, then WAN technologies, bridging and Switching, network protocols and finally routing protocols gives you the foundation to build on.

I then moved to the Designing Cisco Networks book, which can be used in a classroom without a hitch. This book covered topics like business solutions, designing topologies, building and testing prototypes and even has a sample exam and case studies.

Rounding out the set is the CCDA Exam Certification Guide which helps prepare you for the actual exam with topics like Applications, customer support, topologies and LAN design, Wan Design, documentation and case studies. Overall there seems to more than enough information to pass the exam.

...is to confuse the CCDA design exam with the CCNA support exam. There is NO new CCDA design exam - it is the same exam Cisco has been offering for some time now - #640-441. However, the CCNA support exam has been superceded by the new #640-507.

If one cannot match the correct certification book with it's correlating exam - maybe it is time to consider a different way to make a living.

This bundled pack is excellent. One should probably not invest hard earned cash on anything else. If one wants to learn the Cisco way - buy Cisco Press books. Also worth mentioning is the high quality paper, great type set, and superior graphics.

.... This box set if for the new CCDA
Exam! First look at the publish date, its June 2000. Next how about
going to the real source of true information, Cisco themselves. If you
go to Cisco Press (url)... You will see that this set is for the NEW
CCDA exam. In the word of Cisco Press it says,"Cisco CCDA
Preparation Library is a boxed set of three books. It contains two
books that comprise Cisco's suggested training path for the new CCDA
exam: Internetworking Technologies Handbook, Second Edition and
Designing Cisco Networks, along with the CCDA Exam Certification
Guide."...... ....The best advice is for anyone pursing a Cisco certification, is
to go to Cisco themselves and find out about the Exam and what books
they recommend for the Exams. Then buy the books for the exam. This
box set DOES cover the current exam, I used it and the info in it is
great not only to pass the exam but to give you a great understanding
of networking in general.

This package has everything that is needed to study for the CCNA 2.0 exam. And it doesn't stop there, the books are excellent source of reference materials for other Cisco curriculum and for the real world applications too.

The ICRC Book is really great. It explains in depth the entire process of operation. The technological Handbook introduces to you to the concepts of all the basic technologies The CD High performance with Desktop connectivity explains in depth the Virtual LAN and the FastEthernet technology. But the place of improvement could be questions that you can find in the exams. The questions that are asked at the end of each chapter are really Childish

T

ICRC book is excellent! This book is well written and covers most of the material. I also used the Sybex CCNA book by Todd Lammle, also a great book, which covered details that ICRC did not cover and vice versa. I did not crack open the internetworking technologies handbook to pass my CCNA exam.

THE TWO BOOKS CONTAINED IN THIS PACK WERE MY PRIMARY RESOURCES TO PREPARE FOR MY CCNA EXAM. "INTRODUCTION TO INTERNETWORKING TECHNOLOGIES" WAS A GREAT BOOK TO GIVE ALL OF THE INDEPTH AND BACKGROUND INFORMATION NECESSARY TO UNDERSTAND THE TECHNOLOGY, WHILE "ICRC" WAS A GREAT HANDS ON TOOL TO PROVIDE CONFIGURATION EXAMPLES AND SEE HOW THE STUFF ALL WORKS TOGETHER. PRACTICE QUESTIONS PROVIDED AFTER EACH CHAPTER OF "ICRC" WERE VERY HELPFULL. YOU CANNOT GO WRONG PURCHASING THIS TITLE. I PASSED EXAM 604-507 AND COULD NOT HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT THESE BOOKS!

The ICRC book is great! I haven't read much of the Internetworking Tech book, but I'm sure it is just as good.

I read this book and was able to configure two 1720 routers to communicate over a WAN without any problems. I would suggest getting one of the CCNA books for a reference guide. This book does not go into great details about the commands.

The author did a great job of presenting the relatively basic information on configuring Cisco routers. You will find quite a few useful IOS commands discussed in the book that will want to keep it as a handy reference. I would also suggest looking into getting "Cisco IOS for IP Routing" by Andrew Colton. That book would take you deeper into mechanics of modern routing protocols (EIGRP, OSPF, IS-IS, BGP), along with a discussion of Cisco IOS commands.

These authors know how to write technical literature that did not confuse me!

Our company uses IPX and Appletalk for various departments although we are moving with haste to an all IP shop. I found this book to help me with building a multiprotocol network and to better understand the details of IP routing. The book covered IP routing in depth and covered enough of IPX and Appletalk to help me optimize my network. I found the example network with the full IOS configuration files quite useful.

There is the CCNA certification which takes you down the path to learning about routers, LANs and WANs, but what if you don't want that you only need to know how to configure the router. The Cisco Pres has put together the book that tackles that very subject.

In 350 plus pages you'll begin with a good breakdown of the OSI model followed up with the basics of how to configure the router. The information has screen shots to show you what things should look like.

After that you move in the always challenging world of TCP/IP with routing protocols and access lists. This section has a great deal of information but you may want to check other sources for more detailed information.

You also go into areas like AppleTalk with LAN and WAN configuration, IPX, SAP and basic management of the router including time control. While most of the book is geared towards the beginner all skill levels should be able to find some useful information within the book.

I found that the information seems to be up to date including topics like Network Time Protocol and Simple Network Time Protocol. Overall a very good value for the money.

Who would have thought that a 350 page book on routing could be so comprehensive? This book is a perfect place to start for MCSE's who want to move onto the 'good stuff' - routing with Cisco routers. Use this and the Sybex CCNA Study guide and you'll get through the test no problems.

This book covers a broad scope of technologies and how they intertwine to make the internet work better. It gave me a new perspective of the ongoing development of the global infrastructure and pointed out problems with current delivery systems. I found the specific descriptions and comparisons of the leading products and how to configure them invaluable.

An essential resource for any IT professional. It's a reference we utilize often. We strongly recommend it.

This book is a must have reference for anyone who wants to become versed in the ever so popular world of content delivery!! I found that the wording is very easy to understand, yet the concepts are indepth and concise! Overall an excellent book.

Scott Hull and his colleagues/friends have provided an excellent resource for building, enhancing functionality, improving performance, and insuring security for Content Delivery Networks, paying special attention to SSL protocol; which I was most concerned with.

It is by no means a technology primer on all the subjects we encounter in a Content Delivery Network. You should already be aware of some foundation technologies like, LAN Protocols, PKI, Firewall design concepts, Bridging concepts as it relates to Spanning Tree protocol, web client access mechanisms/browser security, etc., to insure thorough understanding; although Scott does provide a solid refresher on these subjects.

The book is an easy read, and is a must have in your arsenal of technology guides if you are in the business of deploying these technologies, or developers who are looking to understand these technologies and provide solutions to their customers.

Thanks Scott! Very timely.

As an IT manager, I can't say enough about this book. It covers all of the issues surrounding content networking in a clear an easy to read way. I especially found the SSL and caching chapters useful since I'm in the middle of deploying solutions for both problem areas. The SSL chapter clearly explains how the protocol works and explains how it relates to real-life issues in deploying SSL accelerators.

I've also found this book useful to get my junior administrators up to speed with the technologies that they have to learn. Finding staff that is familiar with this stuff is hard but with a book like this, I can actually provide useful training material without having to develop anything of my own or spend a lot of time explaining the basics. I intend to buy copies for all of my staff.

This book is like a bible for Fascimile technology. Which includes complete code to drive your class 1 and 2 modems. I found just one bug in making my intel modem work. I have never seen such a comprehensive book. kudos to the author.

This is a great book.
Very well written.
The source code works great.

System S/W development enginner. I'd like to get fax-programming solutions.

I needed information how to develope a fax sending program for a fax modem, but it was hard to get the information. But this book solved all my problem.

This book receives five enthusiastic stars for the outstanding information content but only four stars for the included sample software.

I've been a commercial fax software developer for more than ten years, and I was surprised to see how much I learned in this book. The information content is the best I've ever seen for a fax modem book, and Andrew Margolis' writing style is professional and very easy to read. He is clearly a veteran of this business, and it seems like he really enjoys writing.

He exhaustively covers virtually everything that one would need to do anything with a fax modem: T.4 image structure, class 1, class 2, class 2.0, T.30 handshaking, and TIFF files. His coverage is exceptionally complete, and he does not limit himself to just the standards. Throughout the text he discusses where the real world conflicts with "how it should be" and how one works around them. One cannot wish these issues away, and discovering them early rather than later is simply golden.

Coverage of serial-port control is a bit thin, and it only addresses the PC platform, but this is such a minor nit that it does not detract from the work as a whole. UNIX developers will have to discover how to talk serial ports from some other source.

The only reason this does not receive five stars is that the sample software seems fairly pedestrian and not terribly good as an example. It seems that Andrew has sacrificed substantial performance for potential clarity, something I attribute to a likely conscious choice rather than an oversight. Since he is probably also a commercial fax developer, I suspect he didn't want to give away his secrets. I know that most of the "bit-banging" code is horrendously slow, although probably straightforward to read. In his position I may have made the same tradeoff, but the reader is left to perform these optimizations himself. Some of the optimizations are not at all obvious.

Anybody remotely involved in writing or supporting fax software should have this book. Other than my objections to the include sample code, I cannot think of a single thing that would have improved this book, other than it having it be in my library ten years ago.

Great book for understanding the fundamentals of DSL however I have to say it includes A LOT of equations and algorithms that went way over my head.
So to be frank, I'd prefer if it included some layman-type analogies to go along with the math.

A really well written book and a very valuable reference for all those working in DSL. The required theory is explained clearly and succintly. Furthermore, in a great improvement on traditional textbooks, this work tackles the working details head on; no holes are left in our comprehension. The range of topics covered gives a joined-up cohesive understanding of DSL technology and each chapter has an excellent list of references subcaterogised by topic to allow the reader to further investigate the basics and state-of-the-art in the areas which have piqued the reader's interest. If only more technical books endeavoured to give such a FULL understanding.

I wanted to learn about the technical and system-level aspects of DSL technology, and this book was really really helpful! It goes into much more detail than a basic guide to DSL, but is not overbearing in complexity - just the right amount of insight that I needed as an electrical engineering MS student looking to learn a new technology. I know that I will be using several of the best chapters in this book as reference later on in my career (Noise Modelling, Error Control Coding, Equalization, etc). Overall: highly impressed with the quality and presentation of information! I would definitely recommend this book to both fellow students and industry members.

Fundamentals of DSL Technology, edited by Philip Golden, is the best book of its kind--it's thorough, comprehensive, and well organized. It's probably the best foundational text on DSL out there. I would recommend it for college course syllabi or as a general resource for those working in the field.

I grabbed this book because I needed a quick primer on DSL technology. It turned out to be just that and much much more. I'm constantly returning to it to delve deeper into the subject. It's definitely one of the best technical texts I've read.

This bok provides allot of examples and leads by that making it easy to understand and follow.

Not a lot of waste involved with this book. The reviews here are right on. This book shows how to do tech writing by example. It also gives reliable guidelines for doumentation planning. If you are a starting tech writer reading this book is what you need to do solid instructions writing. it does not really cover documentation technologies, but after reading this book you should be able to choose technologies that enable the type of doc writing and concepts in this book.

Weiss covers all the basics: not just how to write, but how to plan documentation so that it benefits the user, the technical contributor and the person responsible for getting the documentation to users. The ideas are practical, sensible and well formed. Examples and exhibits (graphics) provide real-life models. The writing is clear, concise and a prime example of the author's premise. The typography and layout do the same. This is just what my boss (an engineer) and I (a tech writer) have been looking for: ways to upgrade our documentation process and our documents. The structure suits us wonderfully and is easier to apply than I thought possible.

This book clearly and succinctly lays out the objectives and the methods of technical writing. After 15 years in the business I still haven't seen another book that comes even close to this one.

This book is all about applying engineering principles to document production. Basically, you start with questions like: "Who is this documentation for?" and "What is the document's purpose?". You then plan your document as a series of modules. By creating a title, abstract and outline for each module, you have a basis to discuss, test, plan and assign sections of the document. I've seen a few technical books follow the layout guidelines presented in this book, and the results are usable and readable. The procedures will take your team some getting used to -- but the results are worth it. My documentation projects that were overwhelming became manageable.

When I first saw this book I had the idea that it would be beneficial to only those who are well acclimatised with the science of Internet Security. But I was wrong. This book has been beneficial to me like any other computer book I have gone through. Let me get into the facts.
The most remarkable feature of this book is that care has been taken to include even the commonest of terms which one comes accross reading technical journals but one is ignorant to the actual meaning of them since these terms donot contribute too much to the overall understanding of the concept presented in any paper.
for example we come accross the term 'firewall' so often. but one normally does'nt care to go into the technical details of it.
So I would suggest read this book and findout what firewall actually is.
This book contains both details and variety. I was personally extremely thrilled to find the illustrations in almost every page.
These illustrations helps me ot understand the concepts fast.

Also important is the abbreviation term glossary whcih removes in mind any doubt about the greatness of this book.
With this book I am experiencing a great learning experience and I would recommend this book highly to any computer and IT enthusiast.
Alltogether a great work.

When I first bought this book I was of the idea that it would help only those people who were well acclimatised with the science of internet security. But I was wrong.
Let me get into the facts and tell you that this book had been a great learning experience for me from the time I possesed it. The most remarkable feature about this book is the variety of topics covered and at the same time the details which have been looked into.
Some terms have been used which a normal reader ignores because they sometimes donot contribute too much to the overall understanding of the concept of the journal or paper.
For example everybody knows about firewall. But terms like these have been well explained and illustrated.
Illustrations are another good point about this book which require highlighting. Almost every page in this book is studded with illustrations which helps even a novice to undestand concepts.
The abbreviation section glossary adds to the feathers.
In all I ma having a great learnign experience. I would definately recommend this book for all IT and comp enthusiasts. Its a valuable possession and shall help in a long way.
A great pece of work.

I am a computer science graduate student just starting to work on my thesis in Internet security area. I need to read many papers and need a ready reference to clarify and understand the terms used in the papers. This book has been god-send; at one place it gives all the major concepts organized alphabetically so it is east to search and an index is a great help; it has a ready list of references; it is useful I think. The definitions have enough details to understand the concept and figures help.

Since the terms are reviewed by a panel of world-known experts in security I know that I am looking at reliable definitions and descriptions. The language of the book is so easy to understand that my husband who does not work in computer science, has taken to read this book; he just sits and browses through this book. Take the case of the description of a virus; after the definition, the book describes when and how the term virus was used: ¡°the first published use of the word VIRUS was by David Gerrod in his science fiction short stories which were later expanded and published in the book ¡°When Harlie was one¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡±, ¡°Fred Cohen first used the term computer virus in a formal way at university of Southern California¡­.¡± It gives three references pointing the reader to further information. This is a masterpiece written in a scholarly style yet is understandable with little computer science knowledge.

It is a technical reference book, perhaps not for a layman or a casual
user
of the Internet. Details and references (and citations for the
references
within the text) make it an excellent resource. If you are taking
security
certification exam or you are consulting, I suggest to keep a copy for
ready
reference.

If you connect to the Internet, then you pose a security risk to others. With the growing dependence of our global economy on computers, it is now a point of civic duty that we all do what we can to implement secure procedures on our computers. It all starts with knowing what the terms and acronyms mean, and they are all found in this book. I consider it an indispensable resource, not only for the definitions but also for the web sites with a focus on computer security.
The contents of the book are also on a CD in searchable PDF form. This is especially helpful, in that you can quickly click your way to an explanation of any term. The dictionary was put together under the guidance of an expert team of computer security professionals, so it is accurate and thorough. It belongs on the reference shelves of every academic and public library.

This book is well worth the price. Much information regarding network configuration and network logs examination, which is highly needed in performing investigations in todays complicated syndicate

Very good resource for network forensics. Easy to read and full of good nuggets of information. Worth the price of admission!

The book is about the daunting task to get evidence from computers suited with the Windows Operating System. This book is split in three parts. The first part is to get a basic understanding of how things work and what kind of vulnerabilities there are on a typical windows machine. Rootkits are touched lightly although there is some information to get a basic understanding of this complex and threatening technology there could be expected more.

The second part is about analysing a Windows Computer. Tools and techniques are discussed here and some explanation about the various filesystems. There could be less focus on the "EnCase" suite in my opinion.

The last, and in my opinion best part, is about about analysing logs, logparser and how to make your job much easier in gathering information and evidence from a windows machine. A great part with a wealth of useful tips and tricks. Even if you're not directly involved with forensics.

So the authors of this book discussed the basics of foresic investigation and security techniques and also the reasoning behind them. Overall they did a good job. They are not afraid to point out some other interesting booktitles to get even more knowledge about a specific topic. However there could be less focus on "EnCase" and more detailed information about certain topics such as rootkits.

Rob Faber CISSP, CEH, MCSE
Infrastructure architect / Sr. Security consultant
The Netherlands

This book skillfully combines real world network security with law enforcement investigative techniques to deliver a text which will enable you to make the right decisions based on the unique circumstances and facts of each event you are called on to investigate.

I consider this book a must have for anyone in network administration, network security or on a computer emergency response team. The techniques and information contained within are, without a doubt, missing from almost all other books and training you have received.

As a law enforcement officer, I've often found myself frustrated by books that cover incident response, but never discuss law enforcement involvement, except as an afterthought. While I understand that it's important for corporate and internal investigators to have this type of information, it's refreshing to find a book that talks about the law enforcement response to an computer crime incident.

I've had the privilege of attending classes instructed by both of these authors. One of the things that impressed me about their classes is that they were able to break down complicated technical concepts into terms that cops can understand. They continue to do that in this book.

Computer crime investigators need to add this book to their libraries. I'd say it's a must have.