| | |  | Extranet | Home » » » » Virtual Private Networks for Dummies | | | | | | | Description: | | Let’s face it: the information age makes dummies of us all at some point. One thing we can say for sure, though, about things related to the Internet is that their best strengths are often also their worst weaknesses. This goes for virtual private networks (VPNs). They may reach a wide base of customers – but can also be vulnerable to viruses, hackers, spoofers, and other shady online characters and entities. VPNs may allow for super-efficient communication between customer and company – but they rely on information which, if compromised, can cause huge losses. The Internet is still a frontier – sometimes so wide open it leaves us bewildered – and, like any frontier, the risks go hand in hand with potentially huge rewards.Virtual Private Networks for Dummies offers you a no-nonsense, practical guide to evaluating your company’s need for a VPN, understanding what it takes to implement one, and undertaking the challenging quest to set it up, make it work, and keep it safe. Whether you’re the resident expert leading the project team, or you just want to learn what makes e-commerce tick, this detailed, from-the-ground-up guide will soon have you comfortably conceptualizing: - Security goals and strategies
- The evolution of VPNs
- Privacy in VPNs
- Extranets
- Remote-Access VPNs
- Funding
- Custom network solutions design
- Testing VPNs
- And more
With new products and technologies offering supposedly revolutionary solutions to IT departments every day, this book focuses on the real world – you know, the one full of obstacles, mishaps, threats, delays, and errors – and gives you the background knowledge to make decisions for yourself about your VPN needs. Written with a dash of humor, Virtual Private Networks for Dummies contains both technical detail (standards, protocols, etc.) and more general concepts (such as conducting cost-benefit analyses). This clear, authoritative guide will have you securely and cost-effectively networking over the Internet in no time. | | | Product Details: | | | Author:
| Mark S. Merkow | | Paperback:
| 336 pages | | Publisher:
| For Dummies | | Publication Date:
| November 15, 1999 | | Language:
| English | | ISBN:
| 0764505904 | | Product Length:
| 9.22 inches | | Product Width:
| 7.39 inches | | Product Height:
| 0.83 inches | | Product Weight:
| 1.34 pounds | | Package Length:
| 9.1 inches | | Package Width:
| 7.3 inches | | Package Height:
| 0.9 inches | | Package Weight:
| 1.4 pounds | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 5 reviews |
| | | | Customer Reviews: | |
Average Customer Review:
 ( 5 customer reviews )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
19 of 21 found the following review helpful:
 As It Promises, An IntroductionMar 16, 2000
By A Novice Administrator
As part of the For Dummies series, this book delivers what it sets out to do: provide an introduction to the technically complex world of VPNs. I searched other titles and found them all starting at a higher level of competence than I possessed. This book provides the beginning primer that leaves me ready to move to those other available volumes. This book focuses upon security issues (the author is a security specialist), but also provides useful historical information, steps to plan, implement and test your VPN, and illustrative case studies of those who have been there before. The book also includes helpful appendices about other available resources (a buyer's guide), and even includes hints on how to justify a VPN to your boss...
8 of 8 found the following review helpful:
 In serious need of updating.Jun 01, 2005
By M. Koehler
I should have paid more attention to the copyright date: this text is too old to be of much use to anybody. Computer technology changes quickly and this book was written in the late 90's. For example if you already use Windows XP, there is some built-in VPN capability which you could use for free; but this is not even mentioned due to the age of the book. I wish the "For Dummies" people would produce an updated book on this subject.
8 of 8 found the following review helpful:
Disappointing at best.Nov 27, 2004
By James E. Andrada
"Aspiring Geek"
I found this book to be a largely random collection of superficial comments about VPN's. There seems to be no coherent flow or direction and the few items of value, while interesting, are completely tangential to the implementation of an actual VPN. Even one well presented example of an actual implementation would have been welcome.
One doesn't expect in depth analyses in the "Dummies" series, but they generally present some introductory level and quite usable "how to's" that can get you started in the right direction. Unfortunately, this book falls woefully short of providing a useful starting point.
This book has set a new speed record in moving from my mail box to my recycling box. I honestly cannot give it even one star.
21 of 26 found the following review helpful:
 A little to simplisticMar 13, 2000
By L-Train8
I know the "for dummies" series is meant to be a jumping off point for people with no experience, but this was a little too simplistic for me. I expected that since the topic was pretty advanced, the material would be more advanced than something like, say, "PC's for Dummies". It wasn't.This book gave a very basic primer on encryption. If you have ever used PGP, you understand most of the concepts covered in the first two chapters. I guess if you are not a network administrator or other computer professional, this would be good for covering the basics without jargon. But if you are at all familiar with any kind of encryption and networking concepts, start with something like O'Reilly's "Virtual Private Networks" by Scott, Wolfe, and Erwin.
1 of 2 found the following review helpful:
AwfulJun 24, 2006
By J. Foutz
This book contains basically no information - instead it's just a very very long definition of what a VPN is. If I could give it less than one star I would.
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