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Counter Hack: A Step-by-Step Guide to Computer Attacks and Effective Defenses (The Radia...
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by Edward Skoudis
Sales Rank: 295276
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$1.86
At Amazon
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Paperback: 592 pages
Publisher: Prentice Hall PTR; 1 edition July 23, 2001
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0130332739
ISBN-13: 978-0130332738
Product Dimensions:
9.2 x 6.8 x 1.3 inches
Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds
Product Review
In defending your systems against intruders and other meddlers, a little knowledge can be used to make the bad guys--particularly the more casual among them--seek out softer targets. Counter Hack aims to provide its readers with enough knowledge to toughen their Unix and Microsoft Windows systems against attacks in general, and with specific knowledge of the more common sorts of attacks that can be carried out by relatively unskilled "script kiddies." The approach author Ed Skoudis has chosen is effective, in that his readers accumulate the knowledge they need and generally enjoy the process.
The best part of this book may be two chapters, one each for Windows and Unix, that explain the essential security terms, conventions, procedures, and behaviors of each operating system. This is the sort of information that readers need--a Unix person getting into Windows administration for the first time needs an introduction to the Microsoft security scheme, and vice versa. A third chapter explains TCP/IP with focus on security. With that groundwork in place, Skoudis explains how (with emphasis on tools) attackers look for vulnerabilities in systems, gain access, and maintain their access for periods of time without being discovered. You'll probably want to search online resources for more specific information--Skoudis refers to several--but this book by itself will provide you with the vocabulary and foundation knowledge you need to get the details you want. --David Wall
Topics covered: How black-hat hackers work, what tools and techniques they use, and how to assess and improve your systems' defenses. The author explains how Windows, Unix, and TCP/IP can be exploited for nefarious purposes, and details a modus operandi that's typical of the bad guys.
Back Cover Copy
The Next Generation Hacker Book
The step-by-step guide to defending against hacker intrusions! - Defend against today's most powerful hacker attacks!
- Hands-on, step-by-step techniques for UNIX/Linux and Windows environments
- Intrusion detection: New evasion techniquesand countermeasures
- By the security expert who demonstrated hacking to the U.S. Senate!
This easy-to-use, step-by-step guide will empower network and system administrators to defend their information and computing assetswhether or not they have security experience. In Counter Hack, leading network security expert Edward Skoudis presents comprehensive, insider's explanations of today's most destructive hacker tools and tactics-and specific, proven countermeasures for both UNIX and Windows environments. Skoudis covers all this and more: - Know your adversary: from script kiddies to elite attackers
- A hacker's view of networks, TCP/IP protocols, and their vulnerabilities
- Five phases of hacking: reconnaissance, scanning, gaining access, maintaining access, and preventing detection
- The most dangerous and widespread attack scenariosexplained in depth
- Key hacker tools: port scanners, firewall scanners, sniffers, session hijackers, RootKits, and more
- How hackers build elegant attacks from simple building blocks
- Detecting and preventing IP spoofing, covert channels, denial of service attacks, and other key attacks
- How hackers cover their tracksand how you can uncover their handiwork
- A preview of tomorrow's hacker tools, attacks, and countermeasures
Whatever your role in protecting network infrastructure and data, Counter Hack delivers proven solutions you can implement right nowand long-term strategies that will improve security for years to come.
Customer Reviews & Comments
I am a senior engineer for network security operations, who has taught SANS, InfraGard, and FIRST audiences. Since late 1998 I've been looking for the one book I could recommend to newcomers to the digital security realm. Ed Skoudis' "Counter Hack" is that book. My previous reviews show I don't shelter weaker books, and I reserve praise for truly deserving titles. "Counter Hack" is a solid, accessible, practical title that merits my highest recommendation. "Counter Hack" contains all I could ask for in an introductory book. Chapters three (30 pages) and four (40 pages) provide the basics of UNIX and Windows (respectively). For each operating system, one reads about file architecture, accountability, privileges, trust, and services. Armed with this background, "Counter Hack" then explains reconnaissance, scanning, application/OS-based attacks, network-based attacks, denial of service, maintaining access, and covering tracks. Each chapter is thorough and very well written. Chapter twelve's three attack scenarios are a fitting conclusion, showing how the earlier tactics are utilized in realistic network intrusions. Veterans will find "Counter Hack" useful too. Some of the topics receiving exceptionally good coverage are Route's "Firewalk" tool, IDS evasion techniques, the Achilles web proxy/attack tool, netcat relays, Reverse WWW Shell, and Covert_TCP. "Counter Hack" includes the single clearest, most concise explanation of stack-based buffer overflows I've read. It offers novel material, like a comparison of netcat's superiority to telnet, and implementing source routing attacks. Most of these discussions include excellent diagrams and well-documented command line instructions. "Counter Hack" is not perfect. I think the mentions of sequence numbers could be more accurate (ACK with ISN B+1 rather than simply ISN B, for example). Also, early in the book MAC addresses are shown with four bytes, when they are actually six bytes. These minor errors were the only ones I found, however. If you are a new player in the security arena, I highly recommend reading "Counter Hack." I plan to buy several copies for my office. It's the single most useful volume published for entry level security personnel, and it also contains material which veterans will appreciate. (Disclaimer: I received a free review copy from the publisher.)
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Counter Hack: A Step-by-Step Guide to Computer Attacks and Effective Defenses (The Radia...
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Price: $1.86
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