Books to expand your knowledge

It’s cold outside, so what better time to snuggle up with a good book? And since you’re all dedicated IT professionals the only publications you’ll want on your nightstand are technology books, right?

The people at Cisco Press tell me that this month they are publishing “Intrusion Prevention Fundamentals” by Earl Carter and Jonathan Hogue. The book offers an introduction and in-depth overview of intrusion prevention systems technology using real-world scenarios and fictitious case studies, the publishers say. The book also provides a lifecycle of an IPS project from defining the need to the points to consider on deployment.

“This book will help users know if and when IPS technology is appropriate for their needs and will be an invaluable resource for anyone wanting to know how the technology works, what problems it can or cannot solve, how it is deployed, and where it fits in the larger security marketplace,” the publishers say.

The publication also provides RFP/RFI guidelines, an ROI calculator and sample statement of work (task list, general time frames, etc. for an IPS deployment).

You can read more about this book at the Cisco Press site.

Also out this month is “Information Dashboard Design: The Effective Visual Communication of Data” by Stephen Few and published by O’Reilly Digital Media. According to the publishers, the book discusses the visual design skills required to create effective dashboards that collate information and present it in meaningful ways. The book provides examples of a CIO dashboard, and discusses dashboards in relation to business performance management and business intelligence.

More details about this book can be found at the O’Reilly site.

Due out in February from O’Reilly is the second edition of “Learning Windows Server 2003” by Jonathan Hassell. The handbook provides readers with the “nuts and bolts for installing, configuring, securing and managing Windows Server 2003-plus,” the publishers say. The book has been updated for Service Pack 1 and release R2.

The book discusses the different features and systems of Windows Server 2003 and the publishers say readers will learn how to install Windows Server 2003, create and manage user accounts (with particular attention to Active Directory), manage access to system resources, such as printers and files and configure and manage its numerous major subsystems.

More details about “Learning Windows Server 2003” can also be found at the O’Reilly site.

If you’re interested in knowing which networking books are topping Amazon.com’s lists each week, be sure to log on every Friday to NetworkWorld.com, where my colleagues list the top-five networking titles available from the virtual bookseller.

Happy reading!