The latest titles in information security

Computerworld - Managing Information Security Risks: The OCTAVE Approach, by Christopher J. Alberts and Audrey J. Dorofee; Addison Wesley Professional, 2002.

The Operationally Critical Threat, Asset and Vulnerability Evaluation (OCTAVE) is the CERT Coordination Center's methodology for implementing information security in a business context. This book offers a condensed set of those best practices. It's a dry read, but the method it details is powerful. This book can take chief security officers from best efforts to a professional, repeatable process. If you're aspiring to take the information security helm, the book's business-focused approach can guide you on the road from techie to chief security officer.
- Vince Tuesday

Network Intrusion Detection (3rd Edition), by Stephen Northcutt and Judy Novak; New Riders Publishing, 2002.
Anyone who's had the pleasure of attending one of Stephen Northcutt's SANS Institute classes will find this book's approach quite familiar. Northcutt gives the reader enough information to hit the ground running with the TCPdump and Snort intrusion-detection tools. He offers examples, screen dumps and techniques to run a network intrusion-detection system (IDS). Although the author focuses on using the Snort utility, the concepts apply to any network-based IDS. This book is a must-have for any security practitioner's reference set.
-- Mathias Thurman
Internet Security Dictionary, by Vir V. Phoha; Springer-Verlag Heidelberg, 2002.
In the fast-moving world of Internet security, it's hard to be sure that everyone is using the same jargon. At last a dictionary has been put together to fill the gaps. This title is a useful resource for anyone who has to communicate about Internet security. I looked up all the terms I use and found valuable definitions for all of them except DMZ - one for the next edition, perhaps?
Anti-Hacker Tool Kit, by Mike Shema, Bradley C. Johnson and Keith J. Jones; Osborne McGraw-Hill, 2002.
Think of this as a cookbook of recipes for specific situations, with examples and step-by-step instructions on how to use some of the most popular security tools available on the Internet. The included CD-ROM contains almost all the tools referenced. The chapters explaining forensics are particularly strong - the authors offer up useful tips for analyzing both Windows NT and Unix systems.
Anti-Hacker Tool Kit is an awesome complement to any security professional's reference set. Recommended.
• Writing Secure Code, by Michael Howard and David Leblanc (Microsoft Press, 2001).
• Building Secure Software, by John Viega and Gary McGraw (Addison Wesley Professional, 2001).
The most cost-effective way to write secure code is to train your developers to get it right the first time. Both of these titles cover the same ground but go in depth in different areas.
I recommend both, but the edge goes to Writing Secure Code, which includes an electronic copy on CD-ROM.

Hackers Beware by Eric Cole (New Riders Publishing, 2001).



Eric Cole is an expert on protecting against hacking and exploits and has authored this fine reference on the subject. From hacker methodology and mentality to attacks against specific operating systems and applications, Hackers Beware covers almost every area of computer and network security.



Cole writes for intermediate-level security professionals, but there is plenty here to interest others. For many of the exploits, he includes a description, screenshots, where the code can be retrieved, how to detect it and how to avoid becoming a victim.