Assessing Network Security

Chapter 8. Information Reconnaissance

Forget about computer security for a moment and imagine that you’re a big-time bank robber. If you were a robber in the days of the Wild West, you pretty much could have walked into a bank, broken the lock on the safe, and ridden off into the sunset. Nowadays, with electronic alarm systems, blast proof vaults, and other security mechanisms, pulling off a bank heist is much harder. In fact, you’re almost guaranteed to get caught. No longer so bold, today’s professional bank robber tries to gather as much information about the target as possible before committing the actual crime—for example, the number of security guards on duty, escape routes, and building blueprints. The reason is simple: doing this homework ...