Product Description

Hackers Beware starts with a roadmap of the various areas of hacking but quickly delves into the details of how specific attacks work and how to protect against them. Since most attacks we hear about either occur or are perceived to come from hackers, people are very interested "in how they do that" - the techniques hackers use to break into systems. Hackers Beware is unique in that it gives specific exploits, exactly how they work and how to protect against them. This book will help readers understand what security threats they are up against and what they need to do to protect against them. Some books cover this from a high level but do not get into the details of specific exploits and cover it in a case by case fashion. This book will cover the complete picture. It will not only describe how an exploit works but present the signature of the attack, what to look for on a network and how to protect against it.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #662380 in Books
• Published on: 2001-08-21
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 800 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
In Hackers Beware, Eric Cole succeeds in explaining how hackers break into computers, steal information, and deny services to machines' legitimate users. An intended side effect of his documentary efforts is a feeling for how network-connected computers should be configured for maximum resistance to attack. Cole, who works with the attack-monitoring SANS Institute as an instructor and security consultant, conveys to his readers specific knowledge of offensive and defensive weaponry as well as general familiarity with attack strategies and good security practices. Hackers Beware is a good primer, and really earns its price by going into enough detail to enable readers to actually do something to make their resources safer. It also enables its readers to understand more specialised security texts, including Stephen Northcutt's fine Intrusion Signatures and Analysis.

Cole's didactic style is largely conversational, embracing the fact that most computer exploits can be conveyed as stories about what hackers want and the steps they take to achieve their goals. He punctuates his prose passages with line drawings that clarify what gets passed among the machines involved in an attack, and pauses frequently to show programs' user interfaces and passages from their logs. Cole explains all the jargon he uses--a characteristic that alone distinguishes this book from many of its competitors. --David Wall

Topics covered: What motivates black-hat hackers, and the technical means they use to go about satisfying their ambitions. General attack strategies--spoofing, password cracking, social engineering, and buffer overflows, among others--are explained, and the tools used to carry them out are catalogued. The same goes for defensive tools and practices.

From the Back Cover

Hackers Beware starts with a roadmap of the various areas of hacking but quickly delves into the details of how specific attacks work and how to protect against them. Since most attacks we hear about either occur or are perceived to come from hackers, people are very interested "in how they do that" - the techniques hackers use to break into systems. Hackers Beware is unique in that it gives specific exploits, exactly how they work and how to protect against them. This book will help readers understand what security threats they are up against and what they need to do to protect against them. Some books cover this from a high level but do not get into the details of specific exploits and cover it in a case by case fashion. This book will cover the complete picture. It will not only describe how an exploit works but present the signature of the attack, what to look for on a network and how to protect against it.

About the Author

Eric Cole has worked in the information security arena for over 10 years. He is certified as a CISSP, MCSE and CCNA. Eric is very involved with the SANS Institute. He is in charge of the SANS Level One notebook, an instructor of hacking courses, and a member of the CVE (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposure) editorial board. Eric has extensive experience in the security and hacking area and devotes a lot of time to performing penetration testing for various clients. These clients range from banks, to hospitals, to health care providers, to large construction companies. Eric has also spent several years at the CIA performing security testing and red teaming. He is currently an adjunct professor at Georgetown University and has taught at NYIT.

Customer Reviews

Ideal starter for those wanting a career in network security
I found hackers beware both inovating and informative even so i have deployed a few of the techniques on to my own corporate network. It has helped me understand more of the hacking world and how to prevent such attacks. In this day information is critical to the business engine, stopping hackers and malicous activities is of number 1 priority.