Dave Teumim’s Industrial Network Security, published by ISA, is a very basic, very short book that does a good job of introducing cyber security to an ICS manager with zero security experience.
This “book” really is more of a pamphlet. It’s 130 pages long with huge spacing and the fewest number of words on the page since a Dr. Seuss book. At $69 it is hugely overpriced, which led to the 3-star rating. At $9.95 for a book and $4.95 for a Kindle version, and correctly positioned as a very basic introduction, it would have warranted 4-stars.
To the publishers credit, a blurb on the back cover is a quite accurate summary:
This easy-to-read book introduces managers, engineers, technicians, and operators on how to keep our industrial networks secure amid rising threats from hackers, disgruntled employees, and even cyberterrorists.
The book is well organized, well written and a light, easy read. People with any security experience will not learn much and find the book wanting. They are better off with Eric Knapp’s much more substantial, albeit also more flawed, book with the same title, Industrial Network Security … and Eric’s book cost 50% less.
Engineers will find this book too basic and will be much better off with Ralph Langner’s new book which is more detailed and speaks their language.
Next Week’s Book Review: Securing the Smart Grid