BOOK REVIEW

.NET Framework Security

Addison-Wesley

Brian A. LaMacchia

Sebastian Lange

Matthew Lyons

Rudi Martin

Kevin T. Price

ISBN 067232184X

 

Category

Rating

LEGEND:

5=Excellent

4=Good

3=Standard

2=Fair

1=Poor

 

Overall recommendation

4

Quality of organization

4

Easy to read and navigate

5

Sufficient quantity of examples

3

Examples are error free

4

Reuse for reference

3

Quality of index

4

 

Summary Review 

 This is the best book about the security infrastructure of Microsoft .NET Framework that I have ever read. This book has brought me the overall picture of the .NET security system: How does the system work and interact with the existing security system on Win NT platform? In addition, the book is clearly written, well- organized, and full of in-depth information.  

Overall, I consider this is an excellent book which could satisfy the security needs for all .NET developers and administrators.

Detailed Comments 

 This book is divided into five sections:

 

1. Introduction to the .NET Developer Platform Security:

 

 This section provides an introduction to the .NET Framework platform and all of the new security features available. Although this section describes only brief information, I still recommend that every one should read it first before jumping to the others. The first section "provides common background material for the topic-specific discussions in the remainder of the book."

 

2. Code Access Security Fundamentals:

 

This section provides an extensive introduction to Code Access Security, a powerful and surprising code-based security feature shipping in .NET Framework. Many new terminologies are explained: Evidence, Permissions, Stack Walk, Code Groups, Policy Levels, etc.

 

This section is really difficult. I felt overwhelmed with too many new concepts and skipped it. However, after reading some chapters of the next section, I realized that the code-based security concept is the keystone for the entire security system. I had to come back to section two and read it carefully. Learn from my lesson, you should try to understand it at the first time you read it.

 

3. ASP.NET and Web Services Security Fundamentals:

 

This section provides brief information about server-side security features of ASP.NET and Web Services.

 

4. .NET Framework Security Administration:

 

This section provides a comprehensive guide to administer .NET Framework security. It shows you when and how to make modifications. Some topics are presented as tutorials. It is very to easy to capture and follow the steps.

 

5. .NET Framework Security for Developers

 

The final section is devoted to developers. It provides all needed information to build secure assemblies, web sites, applications, and web services. It also provides an in-depth introduction to the cryptography library shipping in the .NET Framework and to XML digital signatures. For developers who don’t have enough time to read the whole book, this is the section that you should spend your time on.

 

Reviewer:

Trung Ngo

Date:

1/11/03