The Bottom Line
Ed Skoudis has written one of the best books of this genre. Having been originally published in 2001 some of the information is slightly dated, but I would definitely recommend this book.
Pros
- An easy, enjoyable read
- In depth explanation of tools
- Excellent book on hack attacks and defense
Cons
- Slightly dated
Description
- Author provides comprehensive overview of TCP/IP, Unix and Windows NT/2000 as a foundation
- The scenarios in the "Putting It All Together" chapter really help to illustrate the information
- Explains how hackers find holes and gain access to your network while hiding their actions
- Contains list of alternate sources for information security information
- Tools are taught in detail- not just command line parameters and switches, but actual explanations
Guide Review - Book Review: Counter Hack
Ed Skoudis has written an excellent book on the subject of computer attacks and effective defense. Counter Hack is well-written and informative, while also being fairly easy to read. Mr. Skoudis manages to make seemingly dry information into an enjoyable read. Rather than simply naming tools or displaying a list of command line switches to use with tools, he weaves the tools into the paragraphs providing more detailed and useful descriptions that help you understand how you would apply the tool in your situation. This book makes an excellent primer for Mr. Skoudis interactive CD course- The Hack-Counter Hack Training Course. Overall this is an excellent book- one of the best of this genre. I highly recommend this book to anyone.
