Chapter 4

This chapter went through the process of assessing a computer network for potential threats, how to perform this assessment (both through the philosophical and application means) and how to turn aside the threats this assessment has identified, using various tools available in the marketplace. First, the book went through the terminology of an assessment, such as what a threat is, a risk, and a vulnerability. The book then went through what taking a baseline was (the normal look and function of the network when not under attack), then went through how how software is developed, taking into consideration how security conscious programmers are trained to be in the modern day. The chapter then went through some of the tools available for detecting vulnerabilities, such as port scanner, protocol analyzers, vulnerability scanners (these perform a variety of functions to detect network changes that might indicate an ongoing attack) and honeypots and nets, which fool attackers into thinking they have found a vulnerable network and thus hide the real network from their attention. Penetration testing is covered next, each of the box methods being described in detail from the least foreknowldge of a network (black box) to a map of the network (white box) being given to the team. Methods of attack mitigation were covered next, which outlined a few basic means through which attacks could be discouraged when encountered by attackers.