net-security.org Online Interview
13 November, 2007
net-security.org interviewed me
about various topics in computer security (with an emphasis on Linux security). The interview
grew out of the publication of the Linux
Firewalls book, and Mirko Zorz wrote the (excellent) interview questions. Writing answers
to these questions was a thought provoking process, and I'm grateful for having the opportunity to
write for net-security.org. The interview opens with a question about how I became interested
in computer security, and I'd like to mention the following note (I didn't put this in the
interview):
One of the best books I have ever read in the field of computer security is Firewalls and Internet Security: Repelling the Wily Hacker by Cheswick and Bellovin. It was 1997, and I was getting my feet wet working with Check Point firewalls and a few Cisco NetRanger systems for network IDS, and with the help of the book to provide some fascinating examples, I was hooked. I have not yet read the second edition of the book, but the first edition was outstanding. A nice balance is struck between theory and practical examples (such as concepts in cryptography vs. tracking the movements of a malicious individual with a custom modifications to an STMP daemon). Anyone looking for an authoritative introduction to computer security should read the book.
On an unrelated note, there have been a couple of additional reviews of the Linux Firewalls book; one at linuxsecurity.com and the other by A.P. Lawrence. The later even includes a video review at youtube.com.
