ABSTRACT
Computer attackers continue to hone their techniques, getting ever better at undermining our systems and networks. As the computer technologies we use advance, these attackers find new and nastier ways to achieve their goals — unauthorized system access, theft of sensitive data, and alteration of information. This chapter explores some of the recent trends in computer attacks and presents tips for securing your systems. To create effective defenses, we need to understand the latest tools and techniques our adversaries are throwing at our networks. With that in mind, we will analyze four areas of computer attack that have received significant attention in the past 12 months: wireless LAN attacks, active and passive operating system fingerprinting, worms, and sniffing backdoors.
