ABSTRACT
OK, so now that you have seen the “movie,” let us revisit some general themes, leveraging the case study material from Chapter 2 (“Case Study in Subversion”) and the chess game theme first played out in the Preface. To recap, the following chess-related analogies were alluded to in the Preface (Chapter 1) as a means of detailing the hacking and security “landscape”:
As with many other strategic games, the success of either party in a chess game depends upon that party’s ability to enhance his or her skills relative to the opponent’s.
Chess players engage, to varying extents, in an attempt to predict the moves of their opponents so that they can prevail and “check-mate” their opponents.
Chess is essentially a game of move and countermove — hacking and security tactics can be conceived of in the same manner.
Defensive strategies exist in hacking and security, but an aggressive and creative attacker can overcome them.
Offensive strategies exist, but intelligent and vigilant defenders can counter them.
Poorly executed plans or rigid adherence to a plan is less effective than learning and adjusting as the chess game progresses.
The whole hacking vs. security “chess match” can turn upon a single move.
