The Ethical Hack: A Framework for Business Value Penetration Testing

There are many books that detail tools and techniques of penetration testing, but none of these effectively communicate how the information gathered from tests should be analyzed and implemented. Until recently, there was very little strategic information available to explain the value of ethical hacking and how tests should be performed in order to provide a company with insight beyond a mere listing of security vulnerabilities. Now there is a resource that illustrates how an organization can gain as much value from an ethical hack as possible. The Ethical Hack: A Framework for Business Value Penetration Testing explains the methodologies, framework, and "unwritten conventions" that ethical hacks should employ to provide the maximum value to organizations that want to harden their security. This book is unique in that it goes beyond the technical aspects of penetration testing to address the processes and rules of engagement required for successful tests. It examines testing from a strategic perspective, shedding light on how testing ramifications affect an entire organization. Security practitioners can use this resource to reduce their exposure and deliver a focused, valuable service to customers. Organizations will learn how to align the information about tools, techniques, and vulnerabilities that they gathered from testing with their overall business objectives.

Table of Contents:
INTRODUCTION Perspectives of Value SECURITY AND HACKING Information Security Security Architecture Hacking Impacts THE FRAMEWORK Business Planning and Operations Reconnaissance Enumeration Vulnerability Analysis Exploitation Final Analysis Deliverable Integration INFORMATION SECURITY PROGRAM Scope of Information Security Programs The Process of Information Security Component Parts of Information Security Programs BUSINESS PLANNING AND OPERATIONS Business Objectives Security Policy Previous Test Results Business Challenges The Business of Security Reasoning Overall Expectations How Deep is Deep Enough? Timing is Everything Attack Type Source Point Required Knowledge Inherent Limitations Imposed Limitations Multi-Phased Attacks Teaming and Attack Structure The Security Consultant The Tester Logistics Technical Preparation Managing of the Engagement Scenario RECONNAISSANCE The Hacker Reconnaissance Techniques ENUMERATION Technical Objective Soft Objective Scope of Effort Looking Around or Attack? Preparing for the Next Phase VULNERABILITY ANALYSIS Weighing the Vulnerability Source Points Reporting Dilemma EXPLOITATION Intuitive Testing Evasion War Dialing Threads and Groups Operating Systems Password Crackers Rootkits Applications Network Services and Areas of Concern FINAL ANALYSIS Critical Warning Informational DELIVERABLE Overall Structure Aligning Findings Format INTEGRATION Mitigation Defense Planning Incident Management Security Policy CONCLUSION APPENDIX-SPOOFING AND SEQUENCE ATTACK