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 year or so:
wireless LAN attacks, active and passive operating system fingerprinting, worms, and
sniffing backdoors.
