Practical Cybersecurity: A Fat-Free Guide to Network Security Best Practices (Fat-Free Technology Guides) review

?Want a practical, no-fluff guide that teaches you real network security steps you can apply today?

Table of Contents

Overview of the book

You’ll find Practical Cybersecurity: A Fat-Free Guide to Network Security Best Practices (Fat-Free Technology Guides) is designed to give you straightforward, actionable advice on protecting networks without excessive theory. The book takes a pared-down approach and focuses on what you need to do, not every academic detail behind why it works. If you prefer usable checklists and clear configurations over long-winded explanations, this book speaks directly to you.

What the title promises

The title promises a “fat-free” treatment of network security best practices, and the book largely delivers by emphasizing practical tasks and real-world setups. You can expect short chapters, concrete examples, and prioritized recommendations that are meant to fit into busy schedules. The promise is minimal theory and maximum application.

How the book feels to read

You’ll notice a brisk pace and a pragmatic tone that keeps you moving from one task to the next. The writing favors clarity and brevity, so you won’t get bogged down in jargon. If you value quick wins and the ability to apply techniques immediately, the reading experience will likely be satisfying.

Who this book is for

This book is aimed at a broad audience that values practicality over academic completeness. You’ll find it particularly useful if you manage small to medium-sized networks, work in IT operations, or are building a foundational cybersecurity skillset.

Beginners and IT generalists

If you’re relatively new to network security, the book breaks down essential concepts and gives step-by-step guidance that reduces the learning curve. You’ll avoid getting overwhelmed because the author strips out unnecessary complexity and focuses on immediately useful practices.

Busy sysadmins and managers

If your days are already full of tickets and infrastructure work, you’ll appreciate how the book prioritizes tasks and provides checklists. You can use it as a quick reference to validate your existing controls or as a guide for quick improvements without dedicating huge blocks of time.

Security practitioners wanting practical templates

If you’re already a security professional, the book won’t replace advanced texts, but it will give you a practical toolbox for communicating and implementing basic network hardening across teams. You’ll find it handy for training non-security staff and for creating baseline policies.

Structure and layout

The book is organized into short, focused chapters with hands-on steps, configuration examples, and recommended tools. You’ll move from foundational topics to specific network hardening practices in a logical, incremental way that makes it easier to apply what you learn.

Chapter length and pacing

Chapters are compact and structured so that you can read a single chapter between meetings and still walk away with a clear action item. The pacing keeps momentum, and each chapter typically ends with a summary or checklist so you can implement the most critical points immediately.

Use of examples and commands

You’ll find real-world configuration snippets and command-line examples that you can adapt to your environment. The examples are intentionally concise, showing you what to change and what to check, reducing guesswork during implementation.

Key contents and themes

The book covers standard network security domains—firewalls, segmentation, access controls, secure administrative practices, logging and monitoring, and basic incident response. The emphasis is on best practices you can apply without needing a large team or advanced tooling.

Firewalls and perimeter defenses

You’ll get clear guidance on configuring firewalls to enforce least privilege, how to structure rule sets, and tips for avoiding common misconfigurations. The book stresses simplicity: simpler rules mean fewer errors and easier audits.

Network segmentation and zoning

You’ll learn practical segmentation strategies that reduce blast radius for compromised hosts. The book explains how to prioritize segmentation work, identify high-value assets, and isolate critical systems while minimizing operational friction.

Access control and authentication

You’ll get actionable advice on user and device authentication, plus guidance on multi-factor authentication (MFA) deployment and privilege management. The focus is on reducing attack surface through strong authentication and minimizing standing administrative access.

Logging, monitoring, and alerting

You’ll see guidance on what logs to collect, how to set useful alerts, and how to avoid alert fatigue. The book emphasizes collecting the right signals and transforming them into actionable incidents rather than flooding you with noise.

Secure administration and change control

You’ll be walked through secure remote administration practices, least-privilege configuration for admins, and simple change-control practices that protect operational environments. The goal is to reduce human error and prevent privilege escalation via sloppy administrative practices.

Chapter-by-chapter highlights

Below, you’ll find a concise breakdown of typical chapter topics and what each chapter aims to give you. You can use this as a quick guide when picking which chapters to read first.

Chapter topic	What you’ll learn	Primary takeaway
Foundations of network security	Core principles like defense-in-depth and least privilege	Keep designs simple and layered
Asset inventory and classification	How to identify and prioritize devices and services	Protect the most critical assets first
Perimeter controls and firewalls	Rule management, default-deny, and NAT best practices	Keep rules explicit and minimal
Network segmentation	VLANs, ACLs, and microsegmentation basics	Limit lateral movement
Secure remote access	VPNs, zero trust principles, and remote admin controls	Reduce persistent remote admin pathways
Identity and access management	MFA, RBAC, and account lifecycle	Eliminate unused admin accounts
Endpoint hardening	Baseline configurations and patching cadence	Standardize to reduce variance
Logging and monitoring	Log retention, centralized collection, and useful alerts	Detect meaningful anomalies quickly
Incident response basics	Playbooks, roles, and tabletop exercises	Test readiness before incidents happen
Practical checklists	Step-by-step implementation lists for key controls	Turn advice into action fast

How to use this chapter list

You’ll want to start with the foundations and asset inventory chapters to ensure you protect what matters most. After that, pick perimeter or segmentation topics depending on whether your environment is perimeter-heavy or has distributed risk.

Practical tools and scripts included

The book includes command-line snippets and configuration templates that you can copy and adapt. You’ll find these especially useful when you have to implement controls quickly and verify settings.

Templates and examples

You’ll see firewall rule templates, sample ACLs, and logging configuration examples that you can adapt to your vendor. The templates aim to be vendor-agnostic and focus on the principle rather than a specific syntax.

Recommended tools

You’ll get recommendations for commonly used open-source tools and lightweight commercial products that align with small- to medium-sized deployments. Recommendations emphasize cost-effective, dependable options rather than enterprise-only solutions.

Readability and tone

The writing style is direct, practical, and accessible. You’ll appreciate that the book avoids long detours into academic details and focuses on what you need to do, step by step.

Language and clarity

You’ll find concise sentences and plain-language explanations that make complex topics approachable. The author uses real-world analogies sparingly to illuminate points without distracting from the technical guidance.

Humor and voice

The tone stays friendly and supportive; you’ll feel like a colleague walking you through each step. That keeps the material engaging and prevents it from feeling dry or overly prescriptive.

Pros — what you’ll gain

You’ll be able to implement practical defenses quickly. The book excels at translating security goals into concrete steps, making it valuable for day-to-day security work.

Rapid applicability

You’ll be able to apply many of the book’s recommendations within hours or days since the guidance is tightly focused on practical tasks. The checklists and templates accelerate implementation.

Clear prioritization

You’ll learn how to prioritize actions so that limited time and resources target the highest-impact improvements. That triage mindset helps you make incremental progress without getting overwhelmed.

Suitable for constrained budgets

You’ll find low-cost or free tool recommendations, and the guidance avoids prescriptive reliance on expensive enterprise solutions. That makes it realistic for smaller teams and organizations.

Cons — where it might fall short

Because the book prioritizes practicality, you might find gaps if you want deep theoretical background or advanced cryptographic discussions. You’ll need additional resources for high-end, large-scale deployments.

Not a deep academic text

You’ll not find exhaustive theoretical treatments or mathematical proofs. If you’re seeking a deep dive into protocol internals or advanced threat modeling, you’ll need supplementary material.

Vendor-specific nuances

You’ll notice the book keeps examples vendor-neutral, which is good for portability but may require additional adaptation for specific products and appliances. Expect to map the general guidance to your vendor’s configuration language.

Scale limits

If you’re operating at enterprise scale with complex identity fabrics, cloud-native microservices, or massive telemetry pipelines, you’ll need more advanced references and architecture guides to complement this book.

Practical use cases and workflows

You’ll get immediately usable workflows for everyday problems such as securing a remote workforce, locking down administrative access, or building a basic detection capability.

Secure remote worker setup

You’ll find step-by-step recommendations for combining secure VPN or zero trust configurations with MFA and device posture checks. The guidance helps you reduce the attack surface that remote access introduces.

Quick segmentation project

You’ll be able to run a short project to identify high-risk segments and apply ACLs or firewall rules to isolate critical systems. The book gives a prioritized approach so you can get effective segmentation with minimal disruption.

Incident handling basics

You’ll learn how to set up a lightweight incident response playbook and run simple tabletop exercises that improve coordination and speed. This is practical for teams with limited incident response maturity.

Comparison with other books

Compared to dense textbooks and vendor manuals, this book is quicker to consume and better suited for hands-on practitioners. You’ll find it more actionable than academic works but less comprehensive than enterprise architecture references.

Versus encyclopedic security texts

If you compare it to large reference works, you’ll notice that this guide trades exhaustive coverage for immediate applicability. That trade-off makes it more accessible if your priority is operational improvement.

Versus vendor-specific guides

You’ll find vendor-specific manuals provide exact command sequences for particular devices, while this guide gives vendor-neutral best practices that you’ll adapt. That broader applicability is helpful if you manage diverse equipment.

Sample actionable checklist

You can use the following compact checklist as a starting point for a short audit or quick hardening pass. Each item is something you can verify and, if necessary, fix quickly.

Inventory and classify assets: Identify critical systems and data flows.
Enforce least privilege: Audit admin accounts and remove unused privileges.
Harden perimeter controls: Apply default-deny model and document rules.
Segment networks: Isolate sensitive segments and test access paths.
Enable MFA for admin access: Apply to all privileged accounts.
Standardize baseline configs: Use templates for endpoints and network devices.
Centralize logging: Collect critical logs in an auditable store.
Implement simple alerting: Create priority alerts for signs of compromise.
Backup and test restores: Verify backups and restoration procedures.
Run tabletop exercises: Test your basic incident response plan.

How to get the most from the book

You’ll get more value if you read with a project in mind and apply the steps incrementally. The book is best used as a manual for guided improvement rather than a one-time read.

Apply chapter actions immediately

You’ll remember content better by implementing one or two recommendations from each chapter in your environment. Turn reading into doing and watch progress accumulate.

Keep it as a living reference

You’ll return to the book when you need a checklist or a quick template. Treat it as an operations manual and incorporate its checklists into your team’s runbooks and standard operating procedures.

Pricing and value proposition

While specific pricing varies by seller and format, you’ll generally find that this concise, hands-on guide delivers high value because it accelerates practical security improvements. The cost of fixing a configuration error or remediating a compromise is typically far higher than the price of a short, actionable guide.

Return on investment

You’ll likely recoup the book’s cost through reduced exposure, fewer misconfigurations, and faster incident handling. If your team can implement even a handful of the recommended practices, the operational risk reduction often justifies the purchase.

FAQs you might have

You’ll probably have a few practical questions; the ones below reflect common concerns from practitioners.

Will this book teach advanced threat hunting?

Not really. You’ll get foundational monitoring guidance and practical alerting, but advanced threat hunting and deep-dive forensic techniques are outside the scope of this concise guide.

Is there vendor-specific content?

You’ll find mostly vendor-neutral advice and templates. If you need exact commands for a specific firewall vendor or cloud provider, you’ll have to consult product documentation or vendor guides to translate the templates.

Can small teams implement the recommendations?

Yes. The book is intentionally designed for small to medium-sized teams and solo practitioners, focusing on high-impact, low-overhead controls.

Practical limitations to be aware of

You’ll need to supplement the book with hands-on experience and possibly vendor-specific docs for complex environments. The guide is a springboard, not a complete curriculum for advanced architectures.

Adapting to cloud-native environments

You’ll find guidance that applies to traditional network constructs, but cloud-native microservices and serverless environments may require additional cloud-specific design patterns and tooling.

Scaling detection and response

You’ll learn how to get started with logging and alerts, but large-scale telemetry collection, machine learning detection, and full Security Operations Center (SOC) operations are beyond the book’s concise scope.

Final verdict

You’ll find Practical Cybersecurity: A Fat-Free Guide to Network Security Best Practices useful if you want fast, practical steps to improve network security. It’s an excellent manual for practitioners who prefer actionable checklists over deep theoretical treatments, and it’s particularly valuable for smaller teams and busy sysadmins.

Who should buy it

You should buy this book if you manage networks, support security operations in a small-to-medium organization, or need a practical guide to communicate security basics to technical peers. The book is best for people who want to implement improvements quickly and with minimal overhang.

Who might look elsewhere

If you’re seeking comprehensive academic coverage, deep protocol analysis, or vendor-specific command guides at scale, you should pair this book with other references or look for more specialized texts.

Overall rating and recommendation

You’ll appreciate the pragmatic approach and immediate usefulness. If you implement a portion of the recommendations and use the templates, you’ll likely reduce risk and improve day-to-day operational security. Treat it as a compact operations handbook rather than an exhaustive textbook.

Quick actionable next steps

You should:

Read the chapters on inventory and perimeter controls.
Run the sample checklist against your critical systems.
Implement one high-impact control (MFA for admins or default-deny firewall rules).
Add the checklists into your team’s runbooks for repeatable implementation.

If you follow those steps, you’ll convert the book’s guidance into real security improvements quickly and efficiently.

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.