Hacking For Dummies®, 4th Edition

Published by
John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
111 River Street
Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
www.wiley.com

Copyright © 2013 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey

Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey

Published simultaneously in Canada

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) 750-8400, fax (978) 646-8600. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, (201) 748-6011, fax (201) 748-6008, or online at http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions.

Trademarks: Wiley, the Wiley logo, For Dummies, the Dummies Man logo, A Reference for the Rest of Us!, The Dummies Way, Dummies Daily, The Fun and Easy Way, Dummies.com, Making Everything Easier, and related trade dress are trademarks or registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the United States and other countries, and may not be used without written permission. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book.

Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: The publisher and the author make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this work and specifically disclaim all warranties, including without limitation warranties of fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales or promotional materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for every situation. This work is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional services. If professional assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought. Neither the publisher nor the author shall be liable for damages arising herefrom. The fact that an organization or Website is referred to in this work as a citation and/or a potential source of further information does not mean that the author or the publisher endorses the information the organization or Website may provide or recommendations it may make. Further, readers should be aware that Internet Websites listed in this work may have changed or disappeared between when this work was written and when it is read.

For general information on our other products and services, please contact our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at 877-762-2974, outside the U.S. at 317-572-3993, or fax 317-572-4002.

For technical support, please visit www.wiley.com/techsupport.

Wiley publishes in a variety of print and electronic formats and by print-on-demand. Some material included with standard print versions of this book may not be included in e-books or in print-on-demand. If this book refers to media such as a CD or DVD that is not included in the version you purchased, you may download this material at http://booksupport.wiley.com. For more information about Wiley products, visit www.wiley.com.

Library of Congress Control Number: 2012955723

ISBN 978-1-118-38093-2 (pbk); ISBN 978-1-118-38094-9 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-118-38095-6 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-118-38096-3 (ebk)

Manufactured in the United States of America

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

About the Author

Kevin Beaver is an independent information security consultant, expert witness, professional speaker, and author with Atlanta-based Principle Logic, LLC. He has two and a half decades of experience and specializes in performing information security assessments for corporations, security product vendors, independent software developers, universities, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations. Before starting his information security consulting practice in 2001, Kevin served in various information technology and security roles for several healthcare, e-commerce, financial, and educational institutions.

Kevin has appeared on CNN television as an information security expert and has been quoted in The Wall Street Journal, Entrepreneur, Fortune Small Business, Women’s Health, and Inc. magazine’s technology site IncTechnology.com. Kevin’s work has also been referenced by the PCI Council in their Data Security Standard Wireless Guidelines. Kevin has been a top-rated speaker, giving hundreds of presentations and panel discussions for IT and security seminars, conferences, and webcasts over the past decade.

Kevin has authored/coauthored 10 information security books, including Hacking Wireless Networks For Dummies, Implementation Strategies for Fulfilling and Maintaining IT Compliance (Realtimepublihers.com), and The Practical Guide to HIPAA Privacy and Security Compliance (Auerbach). Kevin has written more than 30 whitepapers and 600 articles and is a regular contributor to SearchCompliance.com, SearchEnterpriseDesktop.com, and Security Technology Executive magazine. Kevin is the creator and producer of the Security On Wheels audiobooks, which provide security learning for IT professionals on the go (securityonwheels.com), and the Security On Wheels blog (securityonwheels.com/blog). He also covers information security and related matters on Twitter (@kevinbeaver) and YouTube (PrincipleLogic). Kevin earned his bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering Technology from Southern College of Technology and his master’s degree in Management of Technology from Georgia Tech. He has obtained his CISSP certification in 2001 and also holds MCSE, Master CNE, and IT Project+ certifications.

Kevin can be reached through his website, www.principlelogic.com, and you can connect to him via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/kevinbeaver.

Dedication

This one’s for my country, the United States of America. You’re under attack and have been dealt another blow — kicked while you were down. I know without a doubt I wouldn’t be where I’m at both personally and professionally without the opportunities your Founding Fathers and brave soldiers fighting for freedom have afforded me. I’m going to continue to fight, along with my fellow independent thinkers, to preserve America in the spirit of which it was intended. We shall prevail.

Author’s Acknowledgments

First, I want to thank Amy, Garrett, and Mary Lin for being here for me yet again and putting up with my intermittent crankiness while working on this edition. I love you all 100 percent!

I’d also like to thank Melody Layne, my original acquisitions editor at Wiley, for contacting me long ago with this book idea and providing me this great opportunity. I’d also like to thank my current acquisitions editor, Amy Fandrei, for continuing this project and presenting me the opportunity to shape this book into something I’m very proud of.

I’d like to thank my project editor, Becky Huehls. You’ve been extraordinarily patient and a real gem to work with! I hope I have a chance to work with you again. I’d also like to thank Virginia Sanders, my copy editor, for helping me keep my focus and really fine-tuning the wording. Also, many thanks to my technical editor, business colleague, friend, and coauthor of Hacking Wireless Networks For Dummies, Peter T. Davis. Again, I’m honored to be working with you and very much appreciate your valuable feedback and additions. Your keen eye has kept me in check, yet again.

Much gratitude to Robert Abela with Acunetix; HD Moore, Jill McInnis, and Chris Kirsch with Rapid7; Vladimir Katalov and Olga Koksharova with Elcomsoft; Charlene Sciberras with GFI Software; Maty Siman and Asaph Schulman with Checkmarx; Dmitry Sumin with Passware; Brian Miller with HP’s Application Security Center; Kirk Thomas with Northwest Performance Software; David Vest with Mythicsoft; Justin Warren and Dan Kuykendall with NT Objectives; Michael Berg with TamoSoft; Terry Ingoldsby with Amenaza Technologies; Oleg Fedorov with Oxygen Software Company; Todd Feinman and Chris Arold with Identity Finder for responding to all my requests. Thanks to Dave Coe for your help in keeping me current on the latest security tools and hacks. Much gratitude to all the others I forgot to mention as well!

Mega thanks to Queensrÿche, Rush, Incubus, Black Country Communion, and Dream Theater for your energizing sounds and inspirational words. Your music truly helped me stayed motivated during the long hours spent getting this new edition out!

Serious thanks to Neal Boortz for going against the grain and educating me about what’s happening in our country and the world we live in. You have kept me motivated as an entrepreneur, small business owner, and libertarian for a couple of decades. You speak the truth and I’m saddened that you’re retiring. Enjoy it though; you’ve earned it!

Thanks to Brian Tracy, John Maxwell, and the late Richard Carlson for your immeasurable insight and guidance on what it takes to be a better person. Each of your contributions have helped me in so many ways that I couldn’t possibly pay you back.

Finally, I want to send out a sincere thanks and humble appreciation to my clients for hiring me, a “no-name-brand” consultant, and keeping me around for the long term. I wouldn’t be here without your willingness to break out of the “must hire big company” mindset and your continued support. Thank you very much.

Publisher’s Acknowledgments

We’re proud of this book; please send us your comments at http://dummies.custhelp.com. For other comments, please contact our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at 877-762-2974, outside the U.S. at 317-572-3993, or fax 317-572-4002.

Some of the people who helped bring this book to market include the following:

Acquisitions and Editorial

Sr. Project Editor: Rebecca Huehls

Acquisitions Editor: Amy Fandrei

Copy Editor: Virginia Sanders

Technical Editor: Peter T. Davis

Sr. Editorial Manager: Leah Michael

Editorial Assistant: Annie Sullivan

Sr. Editorial Assistant: Cherie Case

Cover Photo: © Nicolas Loran / iStockphoto (computer image); © rionm / iStockphoto (background image)

Cartoons: Rich Tennant (www.the5thwave.com)

Composition Services

Project Coordinator: Sheree Montgomery

Layout and Graphics: Jennifer Creasey

Proofreaders: Cynthia Fields, Jessica Kramer

Indexer: Potomac Indexing, LLC

Publishing and Editorial for Technology Dummies

Richard Swadley, Vice President and Executive Group Publisher

Andy Cummings, Vice President and Publisher

Mary Bednarek, Executive Acquisitions Director

Mary C. Corder, Editorial Director

Publishing for Consumer Dummies

Kathleen Nebenhaus, Vice President and Executive Publisher

Composition Services

Debbie Stailey, Director of Composition Services

Hacking For Dummies®, 4th Edition

Visit www.dummies.com/cheatsheet/hacking to view this book's cheat sheet.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Who Should Read This Book?

About This Book

How to Use This Book

What You Don’t Need to Read

Foolish Assumptions

How This Book Is Organized

Part I: Building the Foundation for Ethical Hacking

Part II: Putting Ethical Hacking in Motion

Part III: Hacking Network Hosts

Part IV: Hacking Operating Systems

Part V: Hacking Applications

Part VI: Ethical Hacking Aftermath

Part VII: The Part of Tens

Icons Used in This Book

Where to Go from Here

Part I: Building the Foundation for Ethical Hacking

Chapter 1: Introduction to Ethical Hacking

Straightening Out the Terminology

Defining hacker

Defining malicious user

Recognizing How Malicious Attackers Beget Ethical Hackers

Ethical hacking versus auditing

Policy considerations

Compliance and regulatory concerns

Understanding the Need to Hack Your Own Systems

Understanding the Dangers Your Systems Face

Nontechnical attacks

Network infrastructure attacks

Operating system attacks

Application and other specialized attacks

Obeying the Ethical Hacking Commandments

Working ethically

Respecting privacy

Not crashing your systems

Using the Ethical Hacking Process

Formulating your plan

Selecting tools

Executing the plan

Evaluating results

Moving on

Chapter 2: Cracking the Hacker Mindset

What You’re Up Against

Who Breaks into Computer Systems

Why They Do It

Planning and Performing Attacks

Maintaining Anonymity

Chapter 3: Developing Your Ethical Hacking Plan

Establishing Your Goals

Determining Which Systems to Hack

Creating Testing Standards

Timing

Running specific tests

Blind versus knowledge assessments

Picking your location

Responding to vulnerabilities you find

Making silly assumptions

Selecting Security Assessment Tools

Chapter 4: Hacking Methodology

Setting the Stage for Testing

Seeing What Others See

Gathering public information

Mapping the network

Scanning Systems

Hosts

Open ports

Determining What’s Running on Open Ports

Assessing Vulnerabilities

Penetrating the System

Part II: Putting Ethical Hacking in Motion

Chapter 5: Social Engineering

Introducing Social Engineering

Starting Your First Social Engineering Tests

Why Attackers Use Social Engineering

Understanding the Implications

Performing Social Engineering Attacks

Seeking information

Building trust

Exploiting the relationship

Social Engineering Countermeasures

Policies

User awareness and training

Chapter 6: Physical Security

Identifying Basic Physical Security Vulnerabilities

Pinpointing Physical Vulnerabilities in Your Office

Building infrastructure

Utilities

Office layout and usage

Network components and computers

Chapter 7: Passwords

Understanding Password Vulnerabilities

Organizational password vulnerabilities

Technical password vulnerabilities

Cracking Passwords

Cracking passwords the old-fashioned way

Cracking passwords with high-tech tools

Cracking password-protected files

Understanding other ways to crack passwords

General Password-Cracking Countermeasures

Storing passwords

Creating password policies

Taking other countermeasures

Securing Operating Systems

Windows

Linux and UNIX

Part III: Hacking Network Hosts

Chapter 8: Network Infrastructure

Understanding Network Infrastructure Vulnerabilities

Choosing Tools

Scanners and analyzers

Vulnerability assessment

Scanning, Poking, and Prodding the Network

Scanning ports

Scanning SNMP

Grabbing banners

Testing firewall rules

Analyzing network data

The MAC-daddy attack

Testing denial of service attacks

Detecting Common Router, Switch, and Firewall Weaknesses

Finding unsecured interfaces

Exploiting IKE weaknesses

Putting Up General Network Defenses

Chapter 9: Wireless LANs

Understanding the Implications of Wireless Network Vulnerabilities

Choosing Your Tools

Discovering Wireless LANs

Checking for worldwide recognition

Scanning your local airwaves

Discovering Wireless Network Attacks and Taking Countermeasures

Encrypted traffic

Countermeasures against encrypted traffic attacks

Wi-Fi Protected Setup

Countermeasures against the WPS PIN flaw

Rogue wireless devices

Countermeasures against rogue wireless devices

MAC spoofing

Countermeasures against MAC spoofing

Physical security problems

Countermeasures against physical security problems

Vulnerable wireless workstations

Countermeasures against vulnerable wireless workstations

Default configuration settings

Countermeasures against default configuration settings exploits

Chapter 10: Mobile Devices

Sizing Up Mobile Vulnerabilities

Cracking Laptop Passwords

Choosing your tools

Countermeasures

Cracking Phones and Tablets

Cracking iOS Passwords

Countermeasures against password cracking

Part IV: Hacking Operating Systems

Chapter 11: Windows

Introducing Windows Vulnerabilities

Choosing Tools

Free Microsoft tools

All-in-one assessment tools

Task-specific tools

Gathering Information about Your Windows Vulnerabilities

System scanning

NetBIOS

Detecting Null Sessions

Mapping

Gleaning information

Countermeasures against null session hacks

Checking Share Permissions

Windows defaults

Testing

Exploiting Missing Patches

Using Metasploit

Countermeasures against missing patch vulnerability exploits

Running Authenticated Scans

Chapter 12: Linux

Understanding Linux Vulnerabilities

Choosing Tools

Gathering Information about Your Linux Vulnerabilities

System scanning

Countermeasures against system scanning

Finding Unneeded and Unsecured Services

Searches

Countermeasures against attacks on unneeded services

Securing the .rhosts and hosts.equiv Files

Hacks using the .rhosts and hosts.equiv files

Countermeasures against .rhosts and hosts.equiv file attacks

Assessing the Security of NFS

NFS hacks

Countermeasures against NFS attacks

Checking File Permissions

File permission hacks

Countermeasures against file permission attacks

Finding Buffer Overflow Vulnerabilities

Attacks

Countermeasures against buffer-overflow attacks

Checking Physical Security

Physical security hacks

Countermeasures against physical security attacks

Performing General Security Tests

Patching Linux

Distribution updates

Multi-platform update managers

Part V: Hacking Applications

Chapter 13: Communication and Messaging Systems

Introducing Messaging System Vulnerabilities

Recognizing and Countering E-Mail Attacks

E-mail bombs

Banners

SMTP attacks

General best practices for minimizing e-mail security risks

Understanding Voice over IP

VoIP vulnerabilities

Countermeasures against VoIP vulnerabilities

Chapter 14: Websites and Applications

Choosing Your Web Application Tools

Seeking Web Vulnerabilities

Directory traversal

Countermeasures against directory traversals

Input-filtering attacks

Countermeasures against input attacks

Default script attacks

Countermeasures against default script attacks

Unsecured login mechanisms

Countermeasures against unsecured login systems

Performing general security scans for web application vulnerabilities

Minimizing Web Security Risks

Practicing security by obscurity

Putting up firewalls

Analyzing source code

Chapter 15: Databases and Storage Systems

Diving into Databases

Choosing tools

Finding databases on the network

Cracking database passwords

Scanning databases for vulnerabilities

Following Best Practices for Minimizing Database Security Risks

Opening Up about Storage Systems

Choosing tools

Finding storage systems on the network

Rooting out sensitive text in network files

Following Best Practices for Minimizing Storage Security Risks

Part VI: Ethical Hacking Aftermath

Chapter 16: Reporting Your Results

Pulling the Results Together

Prioritizing Vulnerabilities

Creating Reports

Chapter 17: Plugging Security Holes

Turning Your Reports into Action

Patching for Perfection

Patch management

Patch automation

Hardening Your Systems

Assessing Your Security Infrastructure

Chapter 18: Managing Security Processes

Automating the Ethical-Hacking Process

Monitoring Malicious Use

Outsourcing Ethical Hacking

Instilling a Security-Aware Mindset

Keeping Up with Other Security Efforts

Part VII: The Part of Tens

Chapter 19: Ten Tips for Getting Upper Management Buy-In

Cultivate an Ally and a Sponsor

Don’t Be a FUDdy Duddy

Demonstrate How the Organization Can’t Afford to Be Hacked

Outline the General Benefits of Ethical Hacking

Show How Ethical Hacking Specifically Helps the Organization

Get Involved in the Business

Establish Your Credibility

Speak on Management’s Level

Show Value in Your Efforts

Be Flexible and Adaptable

Chapter 20: Ten Reasons Hacking Is the Only Effective Way to Test

The Bad Guys Think Bad Thoughts, Use Good Tools, and Develop New Methods

IT Governance and Compliance Are More Than High-Level Checklist Audits

Ethical Hacking Complements Audits and Security Evaluations

Clients and Partners Will Ask, “How Secure Are Your Systems?”

The Law of Averages Works against Businesses

Ethical Hacking Improves Understanding of Business Threats

If a Breach Occurs, You Have Something to Fall Back On

Ethical Hacking Brings Out the Worst in Your Systems

Ethical Hacking Combines the Best of Penetration Testing and Vulnerability Assessments

Ethical Hacking Can Uncover Weaknesses That Might Go Overlooked for Years

Chapter 21: Ten Deadly Mistakes

Not Getting Prior Approval

Assuming That You Can Find All Vulnerabilities during Your Tests

Assuming That You Can Eliminate All Security Vulnerabilities

Performing Tests Only Once

Thinking That You Know It All

Running Your Tests without Looking at Things from a Hacker’s Viewpoint

Not Testing the Right Systems

Not Using the Right Tools

Pounding Production Systems at the Wrong Time

Outsourcing Testing and Not Staying Involved

Appendix: Tools and Resources

Cheat Sheet

Introduction

Welcome to Hacking For Dummies, 4th Edition. This book outlines — in plain English — computer hacker tricks and techniques that you can use to assess the security of your information systems, find the security vulnerabilities that matter, and fix the weaknesses before criminal hackers and malicious users take advantage of them. This hacking is the professional, aboveboard, and legal type of security testing — which I call ethical hacking throughout the book.

Computer and network security is a complex subject and an ever-moving target. You must stay on top of it to ensure that your information is protected from the bad guys. That’s where the tools and techniques outlined in this book can help.

You can implement all the security technologies and other best practices possible, and your information systems might be secure — as far as you know. However, until you understand how malicious attackers think, apply that knowledge, and use the right tools to assess your systems from their point of view, you can’t get a true sense of how secure your information really is.

Ethical hacking — which encompasses formal and methodical penetration testing, white hat hacking, and vulnerability testing — is necessary to find security flaws and to help validate that your information systems are truly secure on an ongoing basis. This book provides you with the knowledge to implement an ethical hacking program successfully, perform ethical hacking tests, and put the proper countermeasures in place to keep external hackers and malicious users in check.

Who Should Read This Book?

Disclaimer: If you choose to use the information in this book to hack or break into computer systems maliciously and without authorization, you’re on your own. Neither I (the author) nor anyone else associated with this book shall be liable or responsible for any unethical or criminal choices that you might make and execute using the methodologies and tools that I describe. This book is intended solely for IT and information security professionals to test information security — either on your own systems or on a client’s systems — in an authorized fashion.

Okay, now that that’s out of the way, it’s time for the good stuff! This book is for you if you’re a network administrator, information security manager, security consultant, security auditor, compliance manager, or interested in finding out more about legally and ethically testing computer systems and IT operations to make things more secure.

As the ethical hacker performing well-intended information security assessments, you can detect and point out security holes that might otherwise be overlooked. If you’re performing these tests on your systems, the information you uncover in your tests can help you win over management and prove that information security really is a business issue to be taken seriously. Likewise, if you’re performing these tests for your clients, you can help find security holes that can be plugged before the bad guys have a chance to exploit them.

The information in this book helps you stay on top of the security game and enjoy the fame and glory of helping your organization and clients prevent bad things from happening to their information.

About This Book

Hacking For Dummies, 4th Edition, is a reference guide on hacking your systems to improve security and help minimize business risks. The ethical hacking techniques are based on written and unwritten rules of computer system penetration testing, vulnerability testing, and information security best practices. This book covers everything from establishing your hacking plan to testing your systems to plugging the holes and managing an ongoing ethical hacking program. Realistically, for many networks, operating systems, and applications, thousands of possible hacks exist. I cover the major ones on various platforms and systems. Whether you need to assess security vulnerabilities on a small home office network, a medium-sized corporate network, or across large enterprise systems, Hacking For Dummies, 4th Edition, provides the information you need.

How to Use This Book

This book includes the following features:

Various technical and nontechnical hack attacks and their detailed methodologies

Information security testing case studies from well-known information security experts

Specific countermeasures to protect against hack attacks

Before you start hacking your systems, familiarize yourself with the information in Part I so you’re prepared for the tasks at hand. The adage “if you fail to plan, you plan to fail” rings true for the ethical hacking process. You must get permission and have a solid game plan in place if you’re going to be successful.

This material is not intended to be used for unethical or illegal hacking purposes to propel you from script kiddie to megahacker. Rather, it is designed to provide you with the knowledge you need to hack your own or your clients’ systems — ethically and legally — to enhance the security of the information involved.

What You Don’t Need to Read

Depending on your computer and network configurations, you may be able to skip chapters. For example, if you aren’t running Linux or wireless networks, you can skip those chapters. Just be careful. You may think you’re not running certain systems, but they could very well be on your network somewhere.

Foolish Assumptions

I make a few assumptions about you, the aspiring information security professional:

You’re familiar with basic computer-, network-, and information-security–related concepts and terms.

You have a basic understanding of what hackers and malicious users do.

You have access to a computer and a network on which to use these techniques.

You have access to the Internet to obtain the various tools used in the ethical hacking process.

You have permission to perform the hacking techniques described in this book.

How This Book Is Organized

This book is organized into seven modular parts, so you can jump around from one part to another as needed. Each chapter provides practical methodologies and practices you can use as part of your ethical hacking efforts, including checklists and references to specific tools you can use, as well as resources on the Internet.

Part I: Building the Foundation for Ethical Hacking

This part covers the fundamental aspects of ethical hacking. It starts with an overview of the value of ethical hacking and what you should and shouldn’t do during the process. You get inside the malicious mindset and discover how to plan your ethical hacking efforts. This part covers the steps involved in the ethical hacking process, including how to choose the proper tools.

Part II: Putting Ethical Hacking in Motion

This part gets you rolling with the ethical hacking process. It covers several well-known and widely used hack attacks, including social engineering and cracking passwords, to get your feet wet. This part covers the human and physical elements of security, which tend to be the weakest links in any information security program. After you plunge into these topics, you’ll know the tips and tricks required to perform common general hack attacks against your systems, as well as specific countermeasures to keep your information systems secure.

Part III: Hacking Network Hosts

Starting with the larger network in mind, this part covers methods to test your systems for various well-known network infrastructure vulnerabilities. From weaknesses in the TCP/IP protocol suite to wireless network insecurities, you find out how networks are compromised by using specific methods of flawed network communications, along with various countermeasures that you can implement to avoid becoming a victim. I then delve down into mobile devices and show how phones, tablets, and the like can be exploited. This part also includes case studies on some of the network hack attacks that are presented.

Part IV: Hacking Operating Systems

Practically all operating systems have well-known vulnerabilities that hackers often exploit. This part jumps into hacking the widely used operating systems: Windows and Linux. The hacking methods include scanning your operating systems for vulnerabilities and enumerating the specific hosts to gain detailed information. This part also includes information on exploiting well-known vulnerabilities in these operating systems, taking over operating systems remotely, and specific countermeasures that you can implement to make your operating systems more secure. This part includes case studies on operating system hack attacks.

Part V: Hacking Applications

Application security is gaining more visibility in the information security arena these days. An increasing number of attacks — which are often able to bypass firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and antivirus software — are aimed directly at various applications. This part discusses hacking specific business applications, including coverage of e-mail systems, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), web applications, databases, and storage systems, along with practical countermeasures that you can put in place to make your systems more secure.

Part VI: Ethical Hacking Aftermath

After you perform your ethical hack attacks, what do you do with the information you gather? Shelve it? Show it off? How do you move forward? This part answers these questions and more. From developing reports for upper management to remediating the security flaws that you discover to establishing procedures for your ongoing ethical hacking efforts, this part brings the ethical hacking process full circle. This information not only ensures that your effort and time are well spent, but also is evidence that information security is an essential element for success in any business that depends on computers and information technology.

Part VII: The Part of Tens

This part contains tips to help ensure the success of your ethical hacking program. You find out how to get upper management to buy into your ethical hacking program so you can get going and start protecting your systems. This part also includes the top ten ethical hacking mistakes you absolutely must avoid.

This part also includes an Appendix that provides a one-stop reference listing of ethical hacking tools and resources. You can find all the links in the Appendix on the Hacking For Dummies online Cheat Sheet at www.dummies.com/cheatsheet/hacking.

Icons Used in This Book

This icon points out information that is worth committing to memory.

This icon points out information that could have a negative impact on your ethical hacking efforts — so please read it!

This icon refers to advice that can help highlight or clarify an important point.

This icon points out technical information that is interesting but not vital to your understanding of the topic being discussed.

Where to Go from Here

The more you know about how external hackers and rogue insiders work and how your systems should be tested, the better you’re able to secure your computer systems. This book provides the foundation that you need to develop and maintain a successful ethical hacking program in order to minimize business risks.

Keep in mind that the high-level concepts of ethical hacking won’t change as often as the specific information security vulnerabilities you protect against. Ethical hacking will always remain both an art and a science in a field that’s ever-changing. You must keep up with the latest hardware and software technologies, along with the various vulnerabilities that come about month after month and year after year. When I do have important updates to this book, you can find them at www.dummies.com/go/hackingfdupdates.

You won’t find a single best way to hack your systems, so tweak this information to your heart’s content. Happy (ethical) hacking!

Part I

Building the Foundation for Ethical Hacking

In this part . . .

Your mission — should you choose to accept it — is to find the holes in your network before the bad guys do. This mission will be fun, educational, and most likely entertaining. It will certainly be an eye-opening experience. The cool part is that you can emerge as the hero, knowing that your organization will be better protected against malicious hackers and insider attacks and less likely to experience a breach and have its name smeared across the headlines.

If you’re new to ethical hacking, this is the place to begin. The chapters in this part get you started with information on what to do and how to do it when you’re hacking your own systems. Oh, and you find out what not to do as well. This information will guide you through building the foundation for your ethical hacking program. This foundation will keep you on the right path and off any one-way dead-end streets. This mission is indeed possible — you just have to get your ducks in a row first.

Chapter 1

Introduction to Ethical Hacking

In This Chapter

arrow Differentiating between ethical hackers and malicious attackers

arrow Understanding hackers’ and malicious users’ objectives

arrow Examining how the ethical hacking process came about

arrow Understanding the dangers that your computer systems face

arrow Starting to use the ethical hacking process

This book is about hacking ethically — the methodology of testing your computers and networks for security vulnerabilities and plugging the holes you find before the bad guys get a chance to exploit them.

Although ethical is an often overused and misunderstood word, Webster’s New World Dictionary defines perfectly for the context of this book and the professional security testing techniques that I cover — that is, “conforming to the standards of conduct of a given profession or group.” IT and information security practitioners are obligated to perform the tests covered in this book aboveboard and only after permission has been obtained by the owner(s) of the systems. That’s why, in this book’s Introduction, you find a disclaimer. Use your power of choice wisely.

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!