Description:
Secure transmission of data over public and semipublic Internet Protocol (IP) networks is essential to organizations that are geographically distributed. Such companies rely on the ability of road warriors to connect transparently to local area network (LAN) resources across the Internet via a virtual private network (VPN), and require fixed resources to be able to communicate securely and inexpensively. Respected networking author Uyless Black explains certain aspects of the state of the art in secure IP data communications in Internet Security Protocols: Protecting IP Traffic. For the most part, he endeavors to explain network-security concepts at a systems-engineering level, leaving the details of implementation of specific environments to more specialized books. In explaining an aspect of IP security, Black typically opens with a statement of what the protocol or technology at hand is good for, examining how it fits with other elements of IP security and citing relevant standards documents. From there, he moves on to how the technology works, typically with the help of conceptual schematics and packet diagrams. Special features receive focused discussion, and usually you'll find a couple of annotated diagram sequences to help clarify what happens in specific applications of the technology. There also are fine explanations of such widely applicable techniques as public-key cryptography and certification authorities. Read this book for its conceptual clarity; back it up with another security text that addresses the administration-level specifics of your operating environment. --David Wall Topics covered: Protocols and techniques for securing Internet Protocol (IP) data communications, including Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) and several of its more secure variants, as well as dial-in security provided by Password Authentication Protocol (PAP), Challenge Handshake Authentication Protocol (CHAP), Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service (RADIUS), and Diameter. The IPSec specification is dissected; and there's coverage of Public Key Infrastructures (PKI), although not of Kerberos. Key exchange with Internet Key Exchange (IKE) and Internet Security Association and Key Management Protocol (ISAKMP) is discussed, too.
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