Foreword Everyone wants to be connected. The use of computer networks has become almost universal. Where you find a computer you now generally find a network. However, without security, electronic communications hold little value and computer networks present significant security challenges, including protecting against network attacks, establishing physical control, and preventing unauthorized access. Security professionals and application developers, along with IT and network staff in all types of organizations, all need to do their part in assuring that network and system security issues are addressed. This book provides an extensive analysis of network and system security practices, procedures, and technologies. Design issues and architectures are also expertly covered. But this book goes beyond theory and analysis to explain numerous implementation issues. This book is written for people that need to cut through the confusion about network security and get down to adoption and deployment. The book starts with the basic concepts and takes readers through all of the necessary learning steps to enable them to effectively secure computer networks and information systems. Michael Erbschloe