Foundations of Information Security: A Straightforward Introduction

Written by Jason Andress, this book is a must to all fresh starters in cyber security. It will introduce you to fundamental concepts that every person within the infosec field should be aware of and use constantly. You’ll not get anything better than this one!

When most people start at cyber-security, it is common to target ethical hacking because all we want is to break systems, hosts, apps and have some fun. You can agree that red teaming will always be the charming role of infosec. It’s where they start and probably where they want to stay.

However, we should not go outside playing bug bounties and hacking stuff without any foundational knowledge. That’s where the book fits perfectly. You’ll be exposed to concepts of authentication, authorization which is a must when you start breaking into stuff(or defending).

As the book goes, you’ll be familiar with concepts of auditing, cryptography, compliance, operations security, the importance of the human element in security. That knowledge will make you closer to the high-level experience needed to work as a cyber security specialist in many business companies.

The last chapters will target concepts of physical security, network, OS, mobile, and App security which are the quintessential ideas that you should bring to work in every role of cyber security daily. This part is by far the most relevant that makes a solid ground for you to start or sustain your infosec career.

Enjoy!