Secrets and Lies: Digital Security in a Networked World

Welcome to thebusinessworld.com. It's digital: Information is more readily accessible than ever. It's inescapably connected: Businesses are increasingly more – if not totally – dependent on digital communications. But our passion for technology has a price: increased exposure to security threats. Companies around the world need to understand the risks associated with doing business electronically. The answer starts here.

Information-security expert Bruce Schneier reveals what everyone in business needs to know about security in order to survive and to be competitive. Pragmatic, interesting, and humorous, Schneier exposes the digital world and the realities of our networked society. He examines the entire system, from the reasons for technical insecurities to the minds behind malicious attacks. You'll be guided through the security war zone, and learn how to understand and arm yourself against the threats of our connected world. There are no quick fixes for digital security. And with the number of security vulnerabilities, breaches, and digital disasters increasing over time, it's vital that you learn how to manage the vulnerabilities and protect your data in this networked world. You need to understand who the attackers are, what they want, and how to deal with the threats they represent. In Secrets and Lies, you'll learn about security technologies and product capabilities, as well as their limitations. And, you'll find out how to respond given the landscape of your system and the limitations of your business.

With its accessible style, this practical guide covers: The digital threats and attacks that you must understand; the security products and processes currently available; the limitations of technology; the steps involved in product testing to discover security flaws; the technologies to watch for over the next couple of years; risk assessment in your company; and the implementation of security policies and countermeasures.

Secrets and Lies offers the expert guidance you'll need to make the right choices about securing your digital self.

"...Schneier's book joins a host of other popular works on digital security – most notably Winn Schwartau's Cybershock. Setting himself apart, Schneier navigates rough terrain without being overly technical or sensational – two common pitfalls of writers who take on cybercrime and security. All this helps to explain Schneier's long-standing cult-hero status, even – indeed especially – among his esteemed hacker adversaries." The Industry Standard

Information security expert Schneier tells businesses what they need to know to protect themselves from the risks of the wired world. He examines many aspects of networked society, from the reasons for technical insecurities to what's in the minds of hackers who engineer viruses and other malicious attacks. He provides practical advice about the capabilities and limitations of security technologies and products as well as how to recognize and manage vulnerabilities and protect data. Schneier is also the author of Applied Cryptography.
Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Praise for Sectrets and Lies

"This is a business issue, not a technical one, and executives can no longer leave such decisions to techies. That's why Secrets and Lies belongs in every manager's library."-Business Week

"Clear and passionate, this is the definitive book on Internet security from the leading thinker on the subject."-The Industry Standard

"Startlingly lively....a jewel box of little surprises you can actually use."-Fortune

"Secrets is a comprehensive, well-written work on a topic few business leaders can afford to neglect."-Business 2.0

"Instead of talking algorithms to geeky programmers, [Schneier] offers a primer in practical computer security aimed at those shopping, communicating or doing business online-almost everyone, in other words."-The Economist

"Schneier...peppers the book with lively anecdotes and aphorisms, making it unusually accessible."-Los Angeles Times

Bestselling author Bruce Schneier offers his expert guidance on achieving security on a network

Internationally recognized computer security expert Bruce Schneier offers a practical, straightforward guide to achieving security throughout computer networks. Schneier uses his extensive field experience with his own clients to dispel the myths that often mislead IT managers as they try to build secure systems. This practical guide provides readers with a better understanding of why protecting information is harder in the digital world, what they need to know to protect digital information, how to assess business and corporate security needs, and much more.

* Walks the reader through the real choices they have now for digital security and how to pick and choose the right one to meet their business needs

* Explains what cryptography can and can't do in achieving digital security

BRUCE SCHNEIER is CTO and cofounder of Counterpane Internet Security, Inc., the first managed security monitoring services firm. He is the bestselling author of Applied Cryptography (Wiley) and a contributor to numerous business and technical publications. Schneier is also a frequent keynote speaker at conferences, and a creator of the Blowfish and Twofish encryption algorithms.

THE LANDSCAPE.

Digital Threats.

Attacks.

Adversaries.

Security Needs.

TECHNOLOGIES.

Cryptography.

Cryptography in Context.

Computer Security.

Identification and Authentication.

Networked-Computer Security.

Network Security.

Network Defenses.

Software Reliability.

Secure Hardware.

Certificates and Credentials.

Security Tricks.

The Human Factor.

STRATEGIES.

Vulnerabilities and the Vulnerability Landscape.

Threat Modeling and Risk Assessment.

Security Policies and Countermeasures.

Attack Trees.

Product Testing and Verification.

The Future of Products.

Security Processes.

Conclusion.

Afterword.

Resources.

Index.