hacking

Hacking: The Next Generation (Animal Guide)
$39.99
Hacking The Next Generation

This was a very well written book. The authors did a great job of mixing technical and non-technical attack vectors. I felt the flow of the book was very well done, keeping the reader engaged the entire time. The authors gave enough information on each topic to get you started, but did not inundate you with the minute details that can get overwhelming. In many chapters of the book the authors use scenarios to relate the reader to a topic. This method helped me grasp a few of the concepts that may have otherwise taken a second or third read.

In most of the sections that described technical attack vectors the authors gave links to tools that would help the reader perform that specific attack. Not only is this a great way to help the reader increase their tool set, it allows the reader to put into practice what was just read.

Chapter 2: Inside-Out-Attacks is an example of how every technical topic should be taught. The authors used scenario based writing mixed with technical details that really help the reader grasp the concept. Again, these are not littered with enough technical detail to understand in-depth how these attacks work, but they will give you a general understanding of each topic.

Chapter 7: Infiltrating the Phishing Underground was my favorite in the book. The author did a great job of relating how the underground works, how you get in contact with people, and how the act of phishing transpires. I was amazed to read how templates are shared, how they are put in place, and how the phishing crowd feel about each other.

Chapter 5: Sharing the Cloud with Your Enemy was not really what I expected. I was hoping to hear of some new attack vectors, but didn't seem to get that. It was a great reminder of the risks to companies that use shared resources, and allow other administrators to control those resources, but this all seemed like common knowledge.

Overall this book was great. The content seemed very fresh, and where it was overlap from previous readings the authors seemed to put a new spin on old ideas. If you are looking for a book that will teach you step by step how to hack a website, or steal some credit cards, this book is not for you. This book is a great overview of multiple attack vectors, giving broad overviews of each one.

Wayne Gipson, CISSP, CISA

Hacking: The Art of Exploitation, 2nd Edition
$49.95
The biggest problem I had with this book is that the Live-Cd had some sort of defect. Regardless of what I choose in Grub, it always came back with the same error. Starch Press' response was to download and reburn the cd, but that didn't change anything.

I was able to do some of the examples in Ubuntu, which I already had, but b/c of particulars in gcc and the environment in general, I wasn't able to get many of the examples to work.

The book itself is good, although requires that you sit down and work through the problems in order to understand them.

Hacking Exposed: Network Security Secrets and Solutions, Sixth Edition
$49.99
My first exposure with hacking series was back in 2002 the 2nd edition, in the Foreword of the 2nd edition they summed up the expectation and identified the who should read this book "...But if a computer network has a security vulnerability and no one knows about it, is it insecure?".
In writing this review I like to bring to attention the fact that I am not sure who is the intended audience anymore.
I have seen this book on every network engineer's and self proclaimed security guru's book shelf, many of the one's I have seen were not even used once.
So my question is why do people keep on buying this book, is it the title? The marketing? Or is it a cult think? I was given the 6th edition as a gift. I read most of it out of curiosity, and after a while I realized that this book does not have a true audience.

This book is not written for;
.-The hacker since many of the hacking techniques are either irrelevant or old and most hackers know a better way.
.-The criminal. See previous note.
.-An auditor. If it was, it would have specific processes on how to conduct and audit.
.-Management, they don't care how hping2 works.
.-Those who are concerned about wireless security. There is a "hacking exposed for wireless" book for them.

If we take away the fat, this book has about 200 pages of useful information, most of which can be found using the authors favorite search engine Google
why did I give it a 2 star instead of just 1, I did like the entire 10th Chapter, this section has very relevant information, and it has a purpose, it introduces the concept of governance and use of standards such as ISO17799 which is actually ISO27001:2005 and NIST Publications 800-64 and 800-27. It explains the SDLC although the author calls it SDL combining the Life with Cycle. So if this is your First Hacking Exposed book, buy it with caution, but if you already have one, don't "upgrade".
Best Fishes and thank you for reading.

Hacking For Dummies (For Dummies (Computer/Tech))
$29.99
Great book. Be very careful with the software links however. Many will damage your computer or network. Learn how to defend your computer without downloading hazardous programs. Steve