14.7 Closing Comments

I was at a book signing in the United Kingdom a few weeks ago, where the author Neal Stephenson was asked about his writing processes, and how much time and effort goes into outlining the plot and characters before writing the novel. Neal replied that any skilled professional (whether a blacksmith, race car driver, or computer programmer) can do their job with a minimal amount of planning because the human mind can be trained in such a way that relevant information can be stored and manipulated in a very fluid sense.

By reading through this book, you should be aware of the major Internet-based security issues that have been publicized over the last 10 years. The trick now is for you to keep up-to-date with the latest threats, and learn to manage and use this data in an efficient and fluid way. By performing assessment exercises and building up your own knowledge base, you will become proficient at protecting IP networks from remote attack.