This complete new guide to auditing network security is an indispensable resource for security, network, and IT professionals, and for the consultants and technology partners who serve them.

Cisco network security expert Chris Jackson begins with a thorough overview of the auditing process, including coverage of the latest regulations, compliance issues, and industry best practices. The author then demonstrates how to segment security architectures into domains and measure security effectiveness through a comprehensive systems approach.

Network Security Auditing thoroughly covers the use of both commercial and open source tools to assist in auditing and validating security policy assumptions. The book also introduces leading IT governance frameworks such as COBIT, ITIL, and ISO 17799/27001, explaining their values, usages, and effective integrations with Cisco security products.

This book arms you with detailed auditing checklists for each domain, realistic design insights for meeting auditing requirements, and practical guidance for using complementary solutions to improve any company’s security posture.

• Master the five pillars of security auditing: assessment, prevention, detection, reaction, and recovery.
• Recognize the foundational roles of security policies, procedures, and standards.
• Understand current laws related to hacking, cracking, fraud, intellectual property, spam, and reporting.
• Analyze security governance, including the roles of CXOs, security directors, administrators, users, and auditors.
• Evaluate people, processes, and technical security controls through a system-based approach.
• Audit security services enabled through Cisco products.
• Analyze security policy and compliance requirements for Cisco networks.
• Assess infrastructure security and intrusion prevention systems.
• Audit network access control and secure remote access systems.
• Review security in clients, hosts, and IP communications.
• Evaluate the performance of security monitoring and management systems.

This security book is part of the Cisco Press Networking Technology Series. Security titles from Cisco Press help networking professionals secure critical data and resources, prevent and mitigate network attacks, and build end-to-end, self-defending networks.