The Bottom Line
The title implies that the audience is administrators and remote users of business networks. Really, the audience is anyone connected to the Internet because they all have a need for a firewall.
Pros
- Learn the use and pitfalls of personal firewalls
- Easy to read writing style - not too techie
Cons
- Review section misses some well known products
Description
- Beginning chapters provide overview of networking and security basics to help novices understand
- Discusses not only the purpose and use of firewalls, but their limitations and pitfalls as well
- Appendix compares features and weaknesses of firewall products- but leaves out some key players
- Details on configuration, maintenance and troubleshooting to help readers set their firewalls up
Guide Review - Book Review: Personal Firewalls
Personal Firewalls is a very informative book. The information is presented in a format that most readers should be able to follow and understand. Lisa Yeo does a good job of providing a framework of the basics of networking and security (chapters that more experienced people can probably skip) and walks the reader through the why's and how's of personal firewalls. The discussion of the limitations and pitfalls in personal firewalls will help readers to understand that a firewall is not a magic bullet and that they still must be diligent about security even after they install one. The configuration, maintenance and troubleshooting sections will help people do just that. Overall, it is a good book on the subject of personal firewalls.