2004.09_Books-Linux Unwired, Hacking for Dummies and Network Security Hacks.pdf

REVIEWS

Books

Book Reviews

Network Security Hacks

The latest book in the Hacks series is

subtitled “100 Industrial-Strength Tips

and Tools”. This does seem like a hard

challenge to live up to. Although the

book is divided into eight chapters, it is

split into 100 different

topics. These range

from the “Test your

firewall” to “Encrypt

your temp folder”.

Each of these top-

ics then describes

what it is intending to

do such as looking

for suspicious activity

by monitoring file

access. It then goes

on to explain why we

should be doing this,

and how this activity

can be achieved in the most sensible

manner.

Command line examples are shown at

each stage along with screenshots of any

graphical tool required. The chapters try

to give some sort of subject order to help

you find similar topics, and while this is

a good idea, there is noth-

ing to stop you dipping

into the book at any point

just to browse and spark a

little interest.

Overall the book is in a

different class to the Hack-

ing for Dummies book.

This is not because it con-

centrates on Linux tools,

but that it does not treat

the reader as a mindless

drone. Although every

technique should be famil-

iar to security personnel, it

is a nice way to make sure you are not

just checking boxes on your security

worksheet as each topic makes you think

of other possibilities.

Normally security books can leave the

reader with a cold feeling that they are

not in control of anything. After working

your way through this small book, you

realize that you may once again have the

power to hold off the attackers from the

gates to your castle.

For those who are unsure whether

they want to spend the money on such a

book, you can always visit the http://

hacks.oreilly.com site and take a look at

the full list of 100 topics covered, then if

you feel you want the details with the

methods to achieve each topic, you can

buy the book.

■

Andrew Lockhart

316 pages

O’Reilly, 0-596-00643-8

£17.50, US$ 24.95, EUR 23.00

Hacking for Dummies

If you are a security-conscious system

administrator, then this book may well

be what you need to inspire you into

checking and improving your company’s

policies. I suspect, however, that “The

Art of Deception” does a better job of

instilling paranoia. This one seems just a

little too cozy and twee with its little

symbols for warnings. The dummies for-

mat works well with other subjects but

seems to sit less happily with such a seri-

ous topic as security.

Much of the book deals with Windows

vulnerabilities. Some general chapters

touch briefly on Linux and Unix, Usually

just to mention programs and applica-

tions that can be used. Even the chapter

devoted to Linux says little that cannot

be covered by common sense. Make sure

you update your system with the latest

security patches etc.

A couple of chapters deal with the

things the sysadmin has little or no con-

trol over. There are lengthy discussions

on social engineering and passwords,

but as everybody knows

there is little that can be

done about the one idiot

who decides that their

mother’s maiden name

is good enough for the

bank, so it must be good

enough for all of their

passwords at work, and

then compromises all

security by passing this

fact on to the over-

friendly engineer who drops by to test

their machine.

The basic premise of the book is that

by learning where our systems’ vulnera-

bilities lie, we can protect them against

attack. The author promotes so called

white hat or ethical hacking to test a sys-

tem and prevent malicious hacking

attacks. There is, of course, nothing to

prevent the book being used in the

wrong way. Most of the information is

there to be found on the Internet or else-

where, so it is unlikely to encourage the

wrong sort of people to

hack into your system.

Many utilities are

mentioned to test spe-

cific parts of the

system, to crack pass-

words etc., Some are

Windows-specific, oth-

ers can be used across

the board. Some sec-

tions such as the one

on War dialing are US-

oriented, and will be of little interest to

readers in Europe, but the majority of

topics are relevant to us all. This is a

good basic introduction to a topic that

concerns us all, but in many ways it does

not go far enough and in my opinion is

best read in conjunction with other texts

on the topic.

■

Kevin Beaver

358 pages

Wiley , 0-7645-5784-X

£16.99, US$ 24.99, EUR 21.50

September 2004

www.linux-magazine.com

Books

REVIEWS

Linux Unwired

All you ever wanted to know about WiFi.

Actually, this book is all you ever wanted

to know plus a whole lot more. It has

everything from hidden nodes to build-

ing your own access points.

The book starts with an introduction

to wireless technologies for those of us

who are not radio hams and need that

physics refresher course. It is written in

such a way that it is understandable to

all readers no matter what their level of

competence is. Later chapters walk you

through the practicalities of connecting a

Linux system to a wireless network.

The book is good at explaining the

hardware choices and options and this

can be put to good use when you need to

purchase more hardware at a later date.

Differing configurations are stepped

through to get the various hardware to

work, while explaining what is optimal

and what you can get away with.

For those who fancy a hardware chal-

lenge, the book describes various

projects that focus

around recycling older

computer hardware,

with tips on what to

buy, as well as the

prices you should ex-

pect to pay for the

hardware.

Although some of the

commercial networks

mentioned are no longer

in existence, the tech-

niques mentioned are

still valid.

The main chapters in the book deal

with setting up your own WiFi system

using an access point, and a four steps to

WiFi guide that covers compiling the

Linux kernel to ensure you have the cor-

rect tools for the job. There is even a

guide to war chalking symbols that you

can look out for while walking to your

nearest Starbucks.

For those who just want to get their

hardware up and run-

ning the book is

overkill. They may be

better advised to

search for specific

howtos on the Web.

Anyone who wishes to

go a little further, and

explore the world of

WiFi, should find this a

most useful reference

book. It can be read

from cover to cover,

although you will probably need to go

and find more about some of the projects

mentioned to satisfy your own curiosity.

Every topic for wireless networking is

covered, from PalmOS connectivity and

Bluetooth, to Antenna design and GPS. ■

Roger Weeks, Edd Dumbill & Brian Jepson

298 pages

O’Reilly , 0-596-00583-0

£17.50, US$ 24.95, EUR 23.00

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