Features
- Cover Type: Paperback with 522 pages
- Published by: Wrox July 5, 2006
- Written in: English
- ISBN 10 Number: 0471789666
- ISBN 13 Number: 978-0471789666
-
Book Dimensions:
9 x 7.2 x 1.3 inches
- Weighs: 1.6 pounds
Product Description
There is no such thing as "perfect security" when it comes to keeping all systems intact and functioning properly. Good penetration (pen) testing creates a balance that allows a system to be secure while simultaneously being fully functional. With this book, you'll learn how to become an effective penetrator (i.e., a white hat or ethical hacker) in order to circumvent the security features of a Web application so that those features can be accurately evaluated and adequate security precautions can be put in place.
After a review of the basics of web applications, you'll be introduced to web application hacking concepts and techniques such as vulnerability analysis, attack simulation, results analysis, manuals, source code, and circuit diagrams. These web application hacking concepts and techniques will prove useful information for ultimately securing the resources that need your protection.
What you will learn from this book
* Surveillance techniques that an attacker uses when targeting a system for a strike
* Various types of issues that exist within the modern day web application space
* How to audit web services in order to assess areas of risk and exposure
* How to analyze your results and translate them into documentation that is useful for remediation
* Techniques for pen-testing trials to practice before a live project
Who this book is for
This book is for programmers, developers, and information security professionals who want to become familiar with web application security and how to audit it.
Wrox Professional guides are planned and written by working programmers to meet the real-world requirements of programmers, developers, and IT professionals. Focused and relevant, they address the issues technology professionals face every day. They provide examples, practical solutions, and expert education in new technologies, all designed to help programmers do a better job.
Back Cover Copy
There is no such thing as "perfect security" when it comes to keeping all systems intact and functioning properly. Good penetration (pen) testing creates a balance that allows a system to be secure while simultaneously being fully functional. With this book, you'll learn how to become an effective penetrator (i.e., a white hat or ethical hacker) in order to circumvent the security features of a Web application so that those features can be accurately evaluated and adequate security precautions can be put in place.
After a review of the basics of web applications, you'll be introduced to web application hacking concepts and techniques such as vulnerability analysis, attack simulation, results analysis, manuals, source code, and circuit diagrams. These web application hacking concepts and techniques will prove useful information for ultimately securing the resources that need your protection.
What you will learn from this book
- Surveillance techniques that an attacker uses when targeting a system for a strike
- Various types of issues that exist within the modern day web application space
- How to audit web services in order to assess areas of risk and exposure
- How to analyze your results and translate them into documentation that is useful for remediation
- Techniques for pen-testing trials to practice before a live project
Who this book is for
This book is for programmers, developers, and information security professionals who want to become familiar with web application security and how to audit it.
Wrox Professional guides are planned and written by working programmers to meet the real-world requirements of programmers, developers, and IT professionals. Focused and relevant, they address the issues technology professionals face every day. They provide examples, practical solutions, and expert education in new technologies, all designed to help programmers do a better job.
Reader ReviewsI recently received copies of Hacking Exposed: Web Applications, 2nd Ed (HE:WA2E) by Joel Scambray, Mike Shema, and Caleb Sima, and Professional Pen Testing for Web Applications (PPTFWA) by Andres Andreu. I read HE:WA2E first, then PPTFWA. Both are excellent books, but I expect potential readers want to know which is best for them. I could honestly recommend readers buy either (or both) books. Most people should start by reading HE:WA2E, and then fill in gaps by reading PPTFWA. Before proceeding I should note I used to work with the two ex-Foundstone authors of HE:WA2E, although I haven't been afraid in the past to review books honestly. First, I must say PPTFWA was published in the right series. The motto "Programmer to Programmer," and the term "Professional" in the title, clearly apply to this book. Author Andres Andreu takes his work very seriously, sometimes at the expense of the non-programming network security crowd. You will feel welcome if you are a programmer/security person, but maybe not if you work with "edge devices" like firewalls, IDS, and so on. Given this stance, I found it ironic that PPTFWA's advice (on p 220) for dealing with such impediments is "[m]ake sure your client disables these." Despite the author's focus on application security, he still notes (on p 425) "edge-level protective steps are interesting because they can provide the same level of protection to multiple Web applications simultaneously... [t]his is important because many times you will be faced with a Web application that needs remediation, but the stakeholders will not allow anyone to touch it at the core." Exactly! PPTFWA's strengths lie in the depth it covers certain subjects. For example, its discussions of Web Services are very strong, easily better than HE:WA2E. PPTFWA introduces a wider variety of tools than HE:WA2E, many of which were totally new to me. Even tools without a strict security use (e.g., Twill) are shown to have powerful assessment features. (I liked the hints on p0f in Ch 3, and I use p0f with Sguil.) I like the examples of real cross-site scripting attacks in Ch 4 and the case studies in several parts of the book. PPTFWA deserves credit for two other features. First, the book covers report writing, especially identification and removal of false positives. This is critical yet not often mentioned elsewhere. Second, the book links to a VMware image built by the author containing vulnerable Web app software. This is exceptional and much appreciated. I couldn't give PPTFWA five stars for two reasons. First, I didn't think the book was as well-organized as HE:WA2E. One of the other reviews mentions this fact. Signs of weak structure include repeating or rephrasing material, or wondering why a chapter is placed (e.g., Ch 5?). Second, I found conceptional problems with PPTFWA that are unfortunately not limited to this book; i.e, they often appear in Web app security community discussions. On p 5 the author writes "truly thorough defensive postures can always beat out the offense in these scenarios because there will just be an easier target elsewhere." I disagree, especially when targeted attacks or insiders are at work. Speaking of insiders, on p 11 we read that FBI and CSI reports say "a majority of attacks [come] from inside." This isn't true either, and hasn't been for many years (if it were ever true at all). I found the author's use of the terms threat and vulnerability to be all over the map. For example, p 191 says "Threats that are identified as unresolved become vulnerabilities. Vulnerability is also present when a threat exists and the steps to mediate it have not been implemented." This is just wrong; vulnerabilities exist despite the presence or absence of threats. Risk exists when a vulnerability is present, a threat has the capabilities and intentions to exploit it, and an asset has value. Furthermore, much of the "threat" talk in PPTFWA is built on the flawed characterizations of mostly attacks and vulnerabilities found in WASC and OWASP documents. It would have been great for PPTFWA to build on these technically exceptional but terminologically challenged guides by wrapping them with a sound risk, threat, vulnerability, asset, and attack framework. Aside from these issues (which bother me but can be ignored in favor of technical material) I really liked PPTFWA. I think the book is an example of the sort of higher-end book we should expect to see from good security authors in the future. There is much more to digital security than Web applications, although you might not feel that way when reading PPTFWA. Nevertheless, I consider PPTFWA a must-read after HE:WA2E.
Search for books at
