The
description in the introduction seems to indicate that
this text
might be similar to SATAN (Security Administrator's Tool
for Analyzing
Networks), in that it explains how to build a set of
utilities in
order to identify vulnerabilities. As such, there is
the possibility
that the work is open to a charge of being more useful
to attackers
than to defenders. Fortunately, the book does not provide
a great
deal of information that could be used to break into
systems.
Unfortunately, it doesn't help much with defence, either.
Part
one is supposed to describe how to build a multisystem "Tiger
Box," similar to SATAN, and the overview outlines
the components of a
penetration test. Chapters one to four, however, simply
narrate the
installations for Microsoft Windows NT and 2000, Red
Hat Linux,
Solaris, and Mac OS X, using the installation programs
provided. The
material is heavy on screen shots, and light on explanations
of what
is going on and why. There is no provision for specific
security
testing requirements, or even multiboot systems.
Part
two lists penetration analysis tools for Microsoft
Windows, and
the introduction tabulates common vulnerability classes.
Chapter five
explains how to install the Cerberus Internet scanner,
enumerates the
possible reports, and gives one (eight page) sample report.
Much the
same is true for the Cybercop Scanner, Internet Scanner,
Security
Threat Avoidance Technology (STAT), and TigerSuite products
in
chapters six through nine. All of these systems do multiple
probes
and analysis.
The
description of UNIX and OS X tools, in part three,
starts with a
twenty page list of UNIX commands. UNIX utilities tend
to be more
single purpose: hping/2 is for IP spoofing and nmap is
for port
scanning, but Nessus, SAINT (Security Administrator's
Integrated
Network Tool), and SARA (Security Auditor Research Assistant)
are
collections.
Part
four is entitled "Vulnerability Assessment," but
contains only
chapter fifteen, which contains checklists for securing
various
systems, primarily relying on outside sources.
Despite
the introduction, this book does *not* describe how
to set up
a "Tiger Box." It lists a few vulnerability
scanners and utilities.
There is little in the way of help or explanations, and
the material
seems to be based primarily on product documentation
and commonly
available guides. The content actually by Chirillo often
seems so
oddly written that it is difficult to parse any meaning
from the text.
The
book does provide you with a list of vulnerability
scanners. But
then, so would any decent Web search.
copyright Robert M. Slade, 2003 BKHKATTS.RVW 20030330
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