Staying on my current security theme, O'Reilly has published a second edition of Linux Server Security by Michael D. Bauer. The book, targeted toward those managing Internet-connected systems, also known as bastion hosts, packs a powerful arsenal of security design, theory and practical configuration schemes into 500 pages.

Bauer gained some notoriety from his Paranoid Penguin columns in the Linux Journal Magazine, which ultimately inspired the book. What stands out prominently is the time Bauer took to introduce network security design and risk management before digging into the hands-on nuts and bolts. As business models change for web professionals, many developers find themselves donning at least a part time system administrator's hat. Understanding how underlying network designs work and how specific configurations can prevent attacks are critical before jumping into a command shell and making changes on a production server.

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