Lightweight textbook; lab material is dated

books:


	• Security+ Guide to Networking Security Fundamentals, Second Edition Mark Ciampa Course Technology, 2004 - 576 pages average customer review:based on 8 reviews view larger image
	for more information click here

Security+ Networking Book

Book arrived on time as stated by sender in very good condition at a very competive price. I saved $40 than if I would have bought the same book as the college bookstore.

Lightweight textbook; lab material is dated

My instructor uses this as one of two textbooks for the Network Security course, primarily because there is an answer key for the chapter review questions. The book isn't bad, although I find it lightweight in comparison to the other text, Designing Network Security 2nd ed., by Merike Kaeo.

My biggest issue is that the lab material presented is woefully out of date, since this book was published in 2004. The principles of network security do not change radically in two years' time, but software certainly does!

I attend Illinois Institute of Technology, which is unique in that some programs mix graduate students and undergrad students in classes, with the expectation that graduate students perform at a higher level than the undergrads. IIT is also known for the [...], or Interprofessional Projects Program, which brings together students from engineering, science, humanities, business, architecture, psychology, law and design to solve many unique and useful problems.

As you can see, IIT encourages diversity and teamwork. My project team consists of myself (grad student with a good deal of experience) and three undergrads with varying levels of experience.

If one does not have a certain level of PC experience, doing some of the labs in this book without current instructions can be tedious, if not impossible for some people.

The official website has only two downloads for the book. One is a list of errata, dated July 2006. The other maps the textbook content to the LabSim content, which I suspect would be useful only if you purchased that option. My suggestion to the author is that he publish a quarterly update on the website with revisions to the labs in the textbook.

Regardless, I would not advise paying full price for this book, especially since the Security+ exam is going to be revised soon, from what I have been reading.

for more information click here

Not For The Timid

The advances in technology have opened doors for the unscrupulous. This book can help prepare you for the Security+ exam but shouldn't be relied on as the only resource. At exactly 550 pages long, it's impossible to conclude everything you need to pass the exam is here. It does have a test prep CD-ROM so maybe the $73+ cost is justified. When the cost of the exam is about $237, the cost of not passing it makes it feel more. However, if you have substantial experience and taking a Security+ course as well, then this should suffice.

reviews: page 1, 2

Completely rewritten to include Microsoft Windows Server 2003 coverage and other cutting-edge technologies, this best selling text will ensure your students' success on CompTIA's latest Server+ Exam.

for more information click here