Many books tell you what to do. This one tells you how.

If your job is to design or implement IT security solutions, or if you're studying for any security certification, this is the how-to guide you've been looking for. Here's how to assess your needs, gather the tools, and create a controlled environment in which you can experiment, test, and develop the solutions that work. With liberal examples from real-world scenarios, it tells you exactly how to implement a strategy to secure your systems now and in the future.

* Collect the necessary hardware and software and assemble your own network lab
* Configure a bootable Linux CD
* Explore various methods for gathering information about existing security
* Identify automated attack and penetration tools
* Understand cryptographic systems and encryption and authentication attacks
* Learn to find, identify, and defeat malware
* Address the special protection needs of wireless systems
* Use Snort® to build an IDS that will help to detect and identify attacks in real time