The Basics of Hacking and Penetration Testing

The Basics of Hacking and Penetration Testing serves as an introduction to the steps required to complete a penetration test or perform an ethical hack from beginning to end. This book makes ethical hacking and penetration testing easy – no prior hacking experience is required. It shows how to properly utilize and interpret the results of the modern-day hacking tools required to complete a penetration test. With a simple and clean explanation of how to effectively utilize these tools – as well as the introduction to a four-step methodology for conducting a penetration test or hack – the book provides students with the know-how required to jump start their careers and gain a better understanding of offensive security.

The book is organized into 7 chapters that cover hacking tools such as Backtrack Linux, Google reconnaissance, MetaGooFil, dig, Nmap, Nessus, Metasploit, Fast Track Autopwn, Netcat, and Hacker Defender rootkit. Each chapter contains hands-on examples and exercises that are designed to teach learners how to interpret results and utilize those results in later phases. PowerPoint slides are available for use in class.

This book is an ideal reference for security consultants, beginning InfoSec professionals, and students.

• Named a 2011 Best Hacking and Pen Testing Book by InfoSec Reviews
• Each chapter contains hands-on examples and exercises that are designed to teach you how to interpret the results and utilize those results in later phases.
• Writen by an author who works in the field as a Penetration Tester and who teaches Offensive Security, Penetration Testing, and Ethical Hacking, and Exploitation classes at Dakota State University.
• Utilizes the Backtrack Linus distribution and focuses on the seminal tools required to complete a penetration test.

Security Consultants, beginning InfoSec professionals, Students

Chapter 1: What is Penetration Testing?
Introduction
Introduction to Backtrack Linux: Tools. Lots of Tools
Working with Backtrack: Starting the Engine
The Use and Creation of a Hacking Lab
Phases of a Penetration Test
Chapter Review
Summary

Chapter 2: Reconnaissance
Introduction
HTTrack: Website Copier
Google Directives – Practicing your Google-Fu
The Harvester: Discovering and Leveraging Email Addresses
Whois
Netcraft
Host
Extracting Information From DNS
Extracting Information from Email Servers
MetaGooFil
Social Engineering
Sifting through the Intel to Finding Attackable Targets
How Do I Practice This Step?
Where Do I Go From Here?
Summary

Chapter 3: Scanning
Introduction
Pings and Ping Sweeps
Port Scanning
Vulnerability Scanning
How Do I Practice This Step?
Where Do I Go From Here?
Summary

Chapter 4: Exploitation
Introduction
Gaining Access to Remote Services with Medusa
Metasploit: Hacking, Hugh Jackman Style!
John the Ripper: King of the Password Crackers
Password Resetting: Kind of Like Driving a Bulldozer through the Side a Building
Sniffing Network Traffic
Macof: Making Chicken Salad Out of Chicken Sh*t
Fast-Track Autopwn: Breaking Out the M-60
How Do I Practice This Step?
Where Do I Go From Here?
Summary

Chapter 5: Web Based Exploitation
Introduction
Interrogating Web Servers: Nikto
Websecurify: Automated Web Vulnerability Scanning
Spidering: Crawling Your Target’s Website
Intercepting Requests with Web Scarab
Code Injection Attacks
Cross Site Scripting: Browsers that Trust Sites
How Do I Practice this Step?
Where Do I Go From Here?
Summary

Chapter 6: Maintaining Access with Backdoors and Rootkits
Introduction
Netcat: The Swiss Army Knife
Netcat’s Cryptic Cousin: Cryptcat
Rootkits
Detecting and Defending Against Rootkits
How Do I Practice This Step?
Where Do I Go From Here?
Summary

Chapter 7: Wrapping Up the Penetration Test
Introduction
Writing the Penetration Testing Report
You Don’t Have to Go Home but You Can’t Stay Here
Where Do I Go From Here?
Wrap up
The Circle of Life
Summary