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Foundations of Mac OS X Leopard Security (Books for Professionals by Professionals)
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by Charles Edge, William Barker, and Zack Smith
Sales Rank: 79856
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List Price: $39.99
$26.39
At Amazon
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Paperback: 488 pages
Publisher: Apress April 24, 2008
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1590599896
ISBN-13: 978-1590599891
Product Dimensions:
9.1 x 7 x 1.2 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
Product Description
Foundations of Mac OS X Leopard Security is written in part as a companion to the SANS Institute course for Mac OS X. It contains detailed Mac OS X security information, but also walkthroughs on securing systems. By using the SANS Institute course as a sister to the book, the focus includes both the beginning home user and the seasoned security professional not accustomed to the Mac, and allows this title to establish the “best practices” for Mac OS X for a wide audience. Additionally, the authors of the book are seasoned Mac and security professionals, having built many of the largest network infrastructures for Apple and spoken at both DefCon and Black Hat on OS X security. What you’ll learn - Security overview
- Walkthroughs to secure systems
- Walkthroughs and suggestions for third–party applications on systems
- Mac forensics
- Mac hacking
- Apple wireless security
- Mac OS X security
Who is this book for?
A wide audience of users, power users, and administrators who wish to make sure their Mac platform is secure. Related Titles - Getting StartED with Mac OS X Leopard
- Mac OS X Leopard: Beyond the Manual
- Foundation Mac OS X Web Development
- AppleScript: A Comprehensive Guide to Scripting and Automation on Mac OS X
About The Author
Charles Edge has been working with Apple products since he was a child. Professionally, Charles started with the Mac OS and Apple server offerings in1999 after years working with various flavors of Unix. Charles began his consulting career working with Support Technologies and Andersen Consulting. In 2000, he found a new home at 318, a consulting firm in Santa Monica, California which is now the largest Mac consultancy in the country. At 318, Charles leads a team of over 40 engineers and has worked with network architecture, security and storage for various vertical and horizontal markets. Charles has spoken at a variety of conferences including DefCon, BlackHat, LinuxWorld, MacWorld and the WorldWide Developers Conference. Charles' first book, Mac Tiger Server Little Black Book, can be purchased through Paraglyph Press. Charles recently hung up his surfboard and moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota, with his wife, Lisa. Charles can be contacted at krypted@mac.com
William Barker is a technical consultant at 318 and a freelance writer. He has a penchant for all things Web 2.0 related and is eagerly anticipating the day that he can wash his dishes and take out the trash online. His website, techiestravel.com, is a hobbie haven for two of his passions, technology and travel. He also wears a musician hat from time to time, making music: as a DJ, playing guitar, playing piano and mixing CD's for friends. He lives in Venice, California with his trusty automobile, Lucille.
Zack Smith has been working as an IT consultant his entire adult life. He has consulted for insurance companies, entertainment companies, medical organizations, and governmental agencies. Zack holds an Apple Certified Trainer position where has taught at Apple and various market centers in Boston, Virginia, Los Angeles, and Cupertino. As a certified instructor, Zack has taught Apple's Security Best Practices Class, as well as many of the other Apple Certified System Administrator level classes (such as Mac OS X Deployment and Mac OS X Directory Services). Zack has been a speaker at MacWorld San Francisco as well as many other smaller venues such as IT user groups. Zack is also the author of a set of open-source IT administration software and scripts and has long term plans of being a full time Objective C developer. When not attending IT & Security conferences or traveling for work at 318, Zack can be found in Portland Oregon with his partner in crime Anna, and dog, Watson.
Customer Reviews & Comments
At least a half-dozen times in the book "Foundations of Mac OS X Leopard Security" the authors state that there is a misconception that the Macintosh computer is immune from security problems. That allegation may explain why there are very few books published (and nearly none in recent years) about security for the Mac. This book is meant to change all that. The authors acknowledge that the Mac OS Xsoftware has had little of the security problem experience of Windows (and other operating systems, to a lesser extent) but they spend 488 pages detailing exactly where and how the Macintosh platform is (or may be?) vulnerable. Many of the security issues raised in the book are theoretical or deal with added elements of the Mac software install that contain non-Apple components -- Apache Web server and Perl and PHP scripting packages, for example. Many of the items of concern deal with generic problem areas of computer usage in general, both software and hardware, which affect the Mac as well as any other computers and networks. While the perspective of the book is on the Mac, much of the security review will apply to any type of computer or network. Messieurs Edge, Barker, and Smith are seasoned Mac and security professionals who point out in a very systematic and comprehensive way the potential problems of running the Mac both in single use and networked environments. The focus is primarily on Mac OS X Leopard and the other software which comes with any new Mac computer, although there is some discussion of earlier OS X versions and earlier generations of Apple applications like Airport. The book has five main parts covering general security matters, essential security fundamentals, networking, sharing, and workplace security issues. There are four very short appendices of modest value. The initial first three chapters deal with general security and security fundamentals is basic stuff discussing how technical computer security issues are entwined with practical realities of using computers in a business or home, and that compromises between security and practicality generally must be made. There is discussion of types of security attacks, how the Windows booting programs, Parallels and Boot Camp, implicate Windows security issues on the Mac, and how the UNIX underpinnings of the Mac OS X allow for more sophisticated techniques and tools in securing the Mac computer and networks. Chapter 1 is a useful "quick start" guide of items which can be addressed readily by nearly any level of user to safeguard the Mac from many security concerns. Apple has provided a lot of built-in security features and services which can be adjusted by individual users to his or her own needs, like FileVault, Secure Trash, Keychain, permissions, and others. Higher-level users and maybe experienced security professionals not used to the Mac may be bored with the first part of the book. Part two deals with protecting the Mac from malware and exploitable services in the OS and major applications like the Safari browser and Mail applications. It explains how malware can affect the Mac through script viruses, social engineering techniques, and other exploits. The book lists a number of available software tools which can help solve some of the potential problems. The section on reviewing and configuring monitoring processes and logs is especially interesting. Securing networks, using and configuring firewalls, and wireless networking make up the bulk of part three. The content in chapters 7 through 9 is quite technical covering types of networks; routers, hubs and switches;proxy, DMZ, and other servers and hardware setups, advanced firewall configuration using both GUI and command line interfaces; filtering; traffic throttling; and more. The sections describing testing of firewalls and hacking wireless networks using tools like Kismac and iStumbler are especially useful. Chapter 11, in part four, dealing with website security when utilizing the built-in Apple web services, includes a checklist of at least a dozen items to be dealt with in locking down a site. Security for remote conductivity is addressed also, with particular emphasis given to VPN, secure shell, and the use of network administration tools like Timbuktu and DAVE. Attention is given to both the standard MacOS X installation as well as to OS X Server. The most complex discussions involve using Open Directory in a security plan. My favorite sections were in chapters 14 on network scanning, monitoring, and intrusion prevention tools. The book describes how to understand your own machine/network security status by learning how to attack other networks. And how to use techniques like white/black box testing, fingerprinting, enumeration, port and TCP/UDP scans, ping sweeps, and more. The book describes how intrusion detection is accomplished. Guidance is provided on software tools like Tripwire, snort, Checkmate, and others. The last chapter concerns forensics and how to handle attempted or successful intrusions to both understand security weaknesses and to preserve evidence for civil or criminal proceedings, CSI-like. Nearly all of the presentations cover two levels of interactivity using either GUI-based tools or the command line. Except for a handful of sections, the presentations are useful even for higher-end users, including those dealing with medium to large networks. The writing is workmanlike and without style or wit, but carefully organized and expressed. There are plenty of (grayscale) screenshots of relevant software application configurations, and sidebar Notes and Tips on many topics. Anyone who has a serious interest in Mac OS X security will benefit from this book as its main virtue is its systematic and comprehensive approach to the issues. It is designed to inform users of all levels how and why to think about OS X security. Geeks who want or need to know Mac OS X security will get a nicely organized book sufficiently filled with useful content. This is not a book intended to raise all security issues or to provide all the answers. It does answer many problems, and will point nearly all users in the right direction for their specific needs.
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Foundations of Mac OS X Leopard Security (Books for Professionals by Professionals)
List Price: $39.99
Available from Amazon
Price: $26.39
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