I highly recommend this book to anyone who is involved with securing Internet servers. The book strikes a nice balance between theoretical background and implementation examples.
Though certainly not all encompassing, the book touches on several key elements of server security, including DNS, Email, File Servers, Web Services, IDS methods and more. People new or just curious about Linux server security will gain the most. More experienced system administrators will find a few implementation tips and useful background information for presentation or training purposes.
Unlike many server security books, this one includes some notes on alternatives to the most popular software packages. For example, the chapter on securing Internet email includes excellent tips on securing both Sendmail and Postfix while the IDS chapter covers the popular Tripwire package and some lesser-known integrity checkers. References and the end of each chapter are provided to point you to even more solutions.
This book certainly will not replace a dedicated reference volume, but I find it to be a good summary of major security practices for bastion hosts. Note that the book focuses primarily on host hardening. Though there are some sections on network security, most of the chapters focus on locking down your server. So if you are mainly interested in network clusters, network surveillance, or honeypots, you will probably want to find another reference. Also, if you have several years of experience, you may not find too much new information, but the book is a handy reference volume that can point you in the right direction. If, however, you are new to Linux server security or just simply want a concise summary of common security practices, then this will be a welcomed addition to your technical library.
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