The anonymous author of this book has done a fine job of recognising that his readers, despite the fact that they're probably pretty accomplished power users just because they're messing around with Linux, aren't really experienced with Linux or with computer security. He's careful to explain his subjects carefully. For example, he goes to considerable effort to explain how to set up user accounts properly (with emphasis on preventing obvious security holes), in addition to documenting offensive and defensive weapons like SAINT and Crack. Most entries on software include URL references to the latest versions, as well as cross-references to related programs. --David Wall

Topics covered: Good Linux security practice, as well as specific malicious software packages and ways to defend against them.

Amazon.co.uk Review
Linux machines serve scores of purposes on networks but their very integration with networked environments means they're constantly exposed to attack. Maximum Linux Security: A Hacker's Guide to Protecting Your Linux Server and Network provides a comprehensive picture of Linux's strengths and weaknesses when it comes to protecting your systems from bad guys. The author offers explicit advice (e.g., replace sendmail with Qmail)and general recommendations (e.g., be on the lookout for unused services and disable them). In case you're wondering which Anonymous this is, he's the same guy who wrote the very highly regarded Maximum Security.

In Maximum Linux Security, readers become familiar with scores of offensive and defensive weapons, including Crack, Tripwire, linux_sniffer, mendax and many more. For each program, the author documents the required infrastructure (such as C or Perl), the required permissions and a URL from which the program can be downloaded. Most valuably, he walks you through the use of each program (using Red Hat Linux 5.1 and Caldera Open Linux 1.3 on his test bed machines). Readers can follow along as the author performs various hacks, including an IP spoofing attack. He lists hundreds of hacking tools in an appendix and includes a lot of software (Linux security products, code examples, technical documents, system logs and utilities) on the companion CD-ROM. --David Wall

Topics covered: Sniffers, scanners, firewalls, auditing tools, intrusion detectors and denial-of-service software. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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