computers and internet

With all the literature on network security, I really found this book a refreshing change of pace. Security experts will tell you that it is not enough to just know how to update patches and turn off unnecessary services. One must understand the mindset of a hacker, know the tools they like to use, and how they see your network from their perspective.

I really liked the approach of this book. It obscures nothing, and gives the would-be security person an in-depth view of how one can penetrate a system given time and a little know-how. The blunt honesty of this book can be surprising, as it gives default passwords for routers and switches among other things, but its this sort of wake-up call that turns network admins into security -conscious ones. I am definitely this book is in print.

I did have to give 4 starts to the book because it covers so many topics that it cannot devote as much as I would like on any one. Sections on Unix and Windows hacking are better left in the other books in the "Hacking Exposed" series. However, the information contained in those sections is no less useful.

All in all, this is a very worthwhile investment for admins and security guys who want to see things from the other side of the firewall, so to speak. :)

"Hacking Exposed" series grew from a relative unknown to one of the most famous information security books of all times. The interesting part about it is that its reputation is largely deserved.

The fourth edition presents an incremental improvement over the previous ones. Considering that the previous books were great, it is no mean feat! Its is a pity that the book lacks "What's New" section, which would be useful for those familiar with the series.

As usual, the book offers balanced platform coverage (UNIX, Windows, Novell) and follows the same winning paradigm (from scanning to owning the system). The above is obvious since the same author crew from Foundstone is behind the book. The book is somewhat biased towards the attacker side, just as the title promises. Among new sections are wireless security, web hacking and attacking clients (such as web browsers) by malicious servers. The latter section presents some interesting tips on attacking over email, web browser (via ActiveX and other malicious technologies), IRC, etc.

Overall, if you own the 3rd edition, there is some motivation to go grab this one. However, if you haven't read "Hacking Exposed" yet, run to the store to get your copy if you are involved with network or system security in any role. For novices the book will server as a useful introduction to security and hacking, for intermediate readers the book will bring new tools and techniques and will serve as a useful refresher for experts. Companion website hackingexposed.com has the books' table of contents and some other material.

Anton Chuvakin, Ph.D., GCIA, GCIH is a Senior Security Analyst with a major information security company. His areas of infosec expertise include intrusion detection, UNIX security, forensics, honeypots, etc. In his spare time, he maintains his security portal info-secure.org

I have plenty of experience with computers and have been hacking since the term Hacker wasn't a dirty word. Anyway, a friend of mine that is very interested in Hacking purchased this book and a few other titles from these authors. He showed me the books and asked me to give him my opinion of them. As I was looking thru these books I started to laugh and told my friend to get his money back. I was shocked to see that all the info in these books can be obtained just by doing a search on SecurityFocus and Google and most of the info in this and the other books where outdated exploits that have been patched already. The IT industry moves at the speed of light and the most important aspect when it comes to securing your networks is having the newest attack and exploit information, which no book can ever provide... including this lousy book that is nothing but a compilation of what can be found for free online. Don't waste your money! I wish I could give this book zero stars.