For years, Counter Hack has been the primary resource for every network/system administrator and security professional who needs a deep, hands-on understanding of hacker attacks and countermeasures. Now, leading network security expert Ed Skoudis, with Tom Liston, has thoroughly updated this best-selling guide, showing how to defeat today’s newest, most sophisticated, and most destructive attacks. For this second edition, more than half the content is new and updated, including coverage of the latest hacker techniques for scanning networks, gaining and maintaining access, and preventing detection. The authors walk you through each attack and demystify every tool and tactic. You’ll learn exactly how to establish effective defenses, recognize attacks in progress, and respond quickly and effectively in both UNIX/Linux and Windows environments.

Revised edition of: Counter hack, c2002.

Ch. 1. Introduction -- Ch. 2. Networking overview : pretty much everything you need to know about networking to follow the rest of this book -- Ch. 3. Linux and UNIX overview : pretty much everything you need to know about Linux and UNIX to follow the rest of this book -- Ch. 4. Windows NT/2000/XP/2003 overview : pretty much everything you need to know about Windows to follow the rest of this book -- Ch. 5. Phase 1 : reconnaissance -- Ch. 6. Phase 2 : scanning -- Ch. 7. Phase 3 : gaining access using application and operating system attacks -- Ch. 8. Phase 3 : gaining access using network attacks -- Ch. 9. Phase 3 : denial-of-service attacks -- Ch. 10. Phase 4 : maintaining access : Trojans, backdoors, and rootkits ... oh my! -- Ch. 11. Phase 5 : covering tracks and hiding -- Ch. 12. Putting it all together : anatomy of an attack -- Ch. 13. The future, references, and conclusions.