Network Security Hacks

How This Book Is Organized

Although each hack is designed to stand on its own, this book makes extensive use of cross-referencing between hacks. If you find a reference to something you’re interested in while reading a particular hack, feel free to skip around and follow it (much as you might while browsing the Web). The book itself is divided into several chapters, organized by subject:

Chapter 1, Unix Host Security

As the old saying goes, Unix was designed to share information, not to protect it. This old saw is no longer true with modern operating systems, where security is an integral component to any server. Many new programs and kernel features have been developed that provide a much higher degree of control over what Unix-like operating systems can do. Chapter 1 demonstrates advanced techniques for hardening your Linux, FreeBSD, or OpenBSD server.

Chapter 2, Windows Host Security

Microsoft Windows is used as a server platform in many organizations. As the Windows platform is a common target for various attacks, administering these systems can be challenging. This chapter covers many important steps that are often overlooked by Windows administrators, including tightening down permissions, auditing all system activity, and eliminating security holes that are present in the default Windows installation.

Chapter 3, Network Security

Regardless of the operating system used by your servers, if your network is connected to the Internet, it uses TCP/IP for communications. Networking ...