Author Acknowledgments

Writing a book is a rewarding experience, but it's certainly not a solo venture. Thanks first to my immediate friends and familyLisa, Amy, Dee Ann, Rosie, Jackie Brown, and Bailee. Thanks for putting up with me, book writing and all. Thanks to my mother, Anne, for early instruction in English grammar (it started at birth and continues to this day…) and for ongoing support of my writing efforts. Thanks to my father, Richard, for instilling in me a love for all things technical. Special thanks to my dear friend Shirley for a lifetime of encouragement.

I'd also like to thank my MBA friend Patty Hoenig for introducing me to Nels, the talented technical editor for this tome. Sincere gratitude and thanks to Nelsyou did a great job on the technical editing. I enjoyed our virtual conversations and the book benefited from those shared insights. You contributed to the depth and breadth of this book and the content is that much stronger for it. It was an insightful collaborative experience and I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

Thanks also to the friends and colleagues who agreed to supply real world examples for the book including Amy Buttery, Chris Compton, Gary Frost, David Getman, Lorraine Gutsche, Nels Hoenig, Chris Landi, Lisa Mainz, Kim Nagle, Sonal Rana and Ralph Spitzen.

I'd also like to thank Nick Mammana for demanding excellence earlier in my life and Sensei Ken Carson for teaching me the real meaning of kaizen (continuous improvement). Both were instrumental in helping me develop the professional and personal skills I have today.

Finally, I'd like to thank the brilliant folks at Syngress who do what they do to bring these books to fruition. Andrew, thanks for making this book possible and Jaime, thanks for making this process as enjoyable as you do and for your diligent efforts on all fronts. I think I'll take a couple days off now; I encourage you to do the same.

Susan Snedaker