Web Security, Privacy & Commerce, 2nd Edition

Conclusion

In this chapter we looked at a range of issues affecting host and network security for organizations operating web servers. We saw that practically every business decision that you make for your computers can have significant security impacts. Many businesses treat security as an afterthought, something that can be added after other decisions have already been made—such as the choice of vendor, the decision whether or not to use consultants, and the allocated budget for personnel.

A chapter such as this one cannot convey all the knowledge necessary to securely operate a computer on the Internet today. This is just an introduction to this important topic. For specific details of securing a Unix computer on the Internet, we recommend our book Practical Unix & Internet Security. Even though the book was published back in 1996, much of the information that it contains is still current. That book, combined with this one and updates from your vendor, will provide you with the information that you need to operate a Unix computer securely on the Internet today.

If you are running a computer with a Microsoft operating system on the Internet, we recommend the book Securing Windows NT/2000 Servers for the Internetby Stefan Norberg (O’Reilly).