Friend and colleague Jim Litchko has self-published a book aimed at educating executives and managers in the basics of IT security. Its full title is KNOW IT Security: Secure IT Systems Casino Style. I hate to start with a warning, but I must: Do not read this book expecting a technical book. It is not. It is not meant to be. It is, as the cover states, "Securing computers and networks for non-technical managers: A practical case study."

In this book Jim explains all of the key aspects -- the Essentials -- of IT security for the manager. He does it in perhaps the most effective format possible: as a narrative. We tag along with two ITSEC professionals -- the master and his apprentice -- as they go over a just-finished consulting engagement at a island-paradise-based casino operation.

This book is short enough to be fit into a manager's busy schedule, interesting enough to hold his or her attention, yet thorough enough to cover the subject. More than just presenting definitions -- what is a firewall? what are IDSes for? what can we do about strong user authentication? -- this short book also lays out the philosophy of good IT security through risk management.

Spend the money. Buy it for your favorite manager or CXO for Christmas or Chanukah, or Kwanza, or Winter Solstice, or whatever. Well, okay not for your sweetheart for Valentine's Day, unless you have a strange relationship.

This book and others in the series are available at http://www.knowbookpublishing.com/