Special Edition Using Linux®, Sixth Edition

Under Attack

After you've been probed or attacked, you need to have a plan to deal with the situation: Do you allow it to continue in an attempt to track it, or do you stop it cold? Do you alert the authorities? (It is a crime.) Do you have the authority to contact the police? If not, who does?

These—and many more—questions are all part of a good network security policy. But it is just as important to practice what you'll do when the time comes. Note that I said when, not if. Some Internet sites that carry tools for crackers are a constant source of new exploits, so finding out how the attacker entered, if possible, is essential to preventing a recurrence.