Computer security is one of those topics that most Novell NetWare system administrators think is something their Unix (and more recently Microsoft NT) administrator counterparts have to worry about. While those involved in security circles have known otherwise for years, Novell is making leaps and bounds into a more open world of web servers, NetWare/IP, and other connectivity to public networks, and it has become very important to consider all aspects of the security of Novell's products.
Novell has also been less than forthcoming regarding security patches for vulnerabilities in their products, and often release security patches as a part of regular maintenance patches without communicating the nature of the original security problem and the importance behind loading the latest patch. Due to some fairly high profile security exploits that have recently surfaced (including some I have helped author), Novell is slowly beginning to address security in a more proactive way. But they, like most other large commercial software producers, have a long way to go.
Therefore it is important to learn exactly how NetWare servers can be compromised, how easy it is to gain access to the tools to perform intrusions, how the tools work, and how easy it is to patch most holes. It is also important to understand not only the nature of the attacks, but also the nature of potential attackers.