Web Security and Commerce (O'Reilly Nutshell)

Features

• Cover Type: Paperback with 506 pages
• ISBN 10 Number: 1565922697
• ASIN: B00009B1VD
• Book Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.2 x 1 inches
• Weighs: 1.8 pounds

Product Review
Garfinkel and Spafford, longtime Net veterans, overturn a lot of misconceptions about online security in a commonsense book that is easily accessible to even nontechnical readers. They make it clear that any commercial Web site requires careful attention to security­-even if the site doesn't carry any sensitive information. Furthermore, the authors show that there's a lot more to security than merely encrypting transmissions. Their goal is to lay the foundation for securing the three parts of a system: the Web server and its data; the information that travels between server and user; and the user's own computer and the information stored there.

Because of the rapidly evolving nature of Web security, Garfinkel and Spafford are not specific in terms of security flaws and tools to fix them. Instead, they emphasize laying out the Web-security principles that will be applicable throughout several generations of hardware and software change. In the process, they give extensive coverage to user safety, digital certificates, cryptography, Web-server security, and the greater issues of commerce and society. Appendix A shows the lessons of the book in action as it details Garfinkel's experience running and securing the Vineyard.net Internet service provider. --Elizabeth Lewis --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description
Attacks on government Web sites, break-ins at Internet service providers, electronic credit card fraud, invasion of personal privacy by merchants as well as hackers--is this what the World Wide Web is really all about?

Web Security & Commerce cuts through the hype and the front page stories. It tells you what the real risks are and explains how you can minimize them. Whether you're a casual (but concerned) Web surfer or a system administrator responsible for the security of a critical Web server, this book will tell you what you need to know. Entertaining as well as illuminating, it looks behind the headlines at the technologies, risks, and benefits of the Web. Whatever browser or server you are using, you and your system will benefit from this book.

Topics include:

• User safety--browser vulnerabilities (with an emphasis on Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer), privacy concerns, issues with Java, JavaScript, ActiveX, and plug-ins.



• Digital certificates--what they are, how they assure identity in a networked environment, how certification authorities and server certificates work, and what code signing all about.



• Cryptography--an overview of how encryption works on the Internet and how different algorithms and programs are being used today.



• Web server security--detailed technical information about SSL (Secure Socket Layer), TLS (Transport Layer Security), host security, server access methods, and secure CGI/API programming.



• Commerce and society--how digital payments work, what blocking software and censorship technology (e.g., PICS and RSACi) is about, and what civil and criminal issues you need to understand.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Reader Reviews
This review is from: Web Security & Commerce (O'Reilly Nutshell) (Paperback) This books not only explains system security, it goes into technical detail, something that 95% of books always lack. I shouldn't have to say this book is good, its from O'Reilly. It covers PGP and how it works (not jsut what it is), SSL, TLS, login security, CGI security (they give actual code examples not ideals), hardware based security such with things like smart cards. There is also a chapter that explains what to do after you have been broken into and explains your legal routes of actions also. I also liked the fact that there is a chapter that explains the author's route of actions while working at an ISP . This book is a good buy if you need to learn about security and e-commerence and all the options you have relating to security. I've read alot of books, and its rare to find a book that explains things and also gives technical details. I know I'm not the only person who is sick of seeing every book being written for people who have never used a computer before and do not give code examples and real world implimentation. The only bad thing I have to say about this book is that there isn't a chapter that explains creating your own encryption method for Perl/C/PHP/ASP or the math behind it, but the material they do have does a good job of getting you very near this subject. Comment | | (Report this)