Digital Certificates: Applied Internet Security [With Contains a Complete System for Controlling...]

I really got a lot out of this book. While I was not thrilled with the Microsoft-centricity of the book, I don't feel it detracted from the purpose of the book. They go at a reasonable pace, and do an excellent job at explaining complex subjects.I do disagree with some of the other reviewers about it being a good book for learning about digital and/or network security. Digital certificates are a small albeit important component of computer security.

This is surely a book I would recommend for those who are interested in learning about digital security without having to delve into complex algorithms and technicalities. The language is simple and objective, and the content provides a comprehensive overview, without being vague. There are a lot of clear examples and cases. A great work indeed !

step-by-step get you in to the security arena, very well organized, teaches you things that you can use and work with in a very short period of time. Enjoyed especially the simple yet effective language used in explaining rather complex topic.

If you would like to get an overview of digital certificates - this is the book. It doesn't go much into the details, but as an interview it's great.

This book is a valuable help for everybody involved in digital certificates based systems design and implementation. It covers both digital certificates technical matter (strating from crypto basics) and the most popular certification based applications of to-day. The book may be regarded as built up with three main sections plus appendixes. In the first section (including three chapters) are introduced, with clearness and property, basic terms and concepts reagarding data security in the Internet context (and beyond). A chapter is for cryptography, discussing for non math professionals, buth in reasonable depth, crypto basics and secret key, public key and message digest algorithms. A third, accurate chapter covers both the format and the functionalities of digital certificate. The consistent second section (chapters 3 to 15) covers the most popular digital certificate based applications, taking into account both technical and functional aspects: code authentication, secure e-mail, secure Web-site, Certification Authority services and so on. Some popular certification management platforms and engines are covered in detail. The third section (chapters 16 to 20) is the most system oriented part of the book, and may be see as a working companion for the system developer. It covers in depth, additionally supported by the included CD-ROM content, the usage of Microsoft Certificate Server to develop a complete C.A. Appendix contains Microsoft Certification Server related additional material and a short description of ASN.1, a popular abstract syntax notation language used to describe security mechanisms. The CD-ROM completes with a ful PKCS standard set. Plenty of useful security standard references, pertinent and well organised bibliography, intriguing Web site documentation sources are additional pay-off when buying this professional and highly commendable book.