Sebastopol, CA—If you think computer security has improved in recent years, The Myths of Security (O'Reilly, US $29.99) will shake you out of your complacency. Longtime security professional John Viega, formerly Chief Security Architect at McAfee, reports on the sorry state of the industry and offers concrete suggestions for professionals and individuals confronting the issue.
Why is security so bad? With many more people online than just a few years ago, there are more attackers—and they're truly motivated. Attacks are sophisticated, subtle, and harder to detect than ever. But, as Viega notes, few people take the time to understand the situation and protect themselves accordingly.
This book tells you:
- Why it's easier for bad guys to "own" your computer than you think
- Why anti-virus software doesn't work well—and one simple way to fix it
- Whether Apple OS X is more secure than Windows
- What Windows needs to do better
- How to make strong authentication pervasive
- Why patch management is so bad
- Whether there's anything you can do about identity theft
- Five easy steps for fixing application security, and more
Provocative, insightful, and always controversial, The Myths of Security not only addresses IT professionals who deal with security issues, but also speaks to Mac and PC users who spend time online.
"John offers a compelling critique of conventional wisdom, and his punchy snippets are sure to spark discussion. Well worth reading."
– Ben Edelman, Harvard Business School
"John understands the information security world and lays it out—with all its warts—to help drive the industry to a higher standard."
– George Kurtz, SVP and GM of McAfee Risk & Compliance, and author of Hacking Exposed
"A refreshingly bold and rare look at the information security industry."
– Ed Bellis, Chief Security Officer, Orbitz
"Whether computer security is your favorite topic or an idle curiosity, this book needs to be on your shelf."
– Alex Payne, Twitter API Lead
For a review copy or more information please email kathrynb@oreilly.com Please include your delivery address and contact information.
John Viega is CTO of the SaaS Business Unit at McAfee and the author of many security books, including Building Secure Software (Addison-Wesley), Network Security with OpenSSL (O'Reilly), and the forthcoming Myths of Security (O'Reilly).
Additional Resources:
For more information about the book, including table of contents, index, author bios, and cover graphic, see:
http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/9780596523022
John Viega
ISBN: 9780596523022, 260 pages,
Book Price: $29.99 USD, £22.99 GBP
Ebook Price: $23.99 USD
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