ABSTRACT
This case study — really the “chess game” at work — is unique among the chapters presented in this book. The case study examines the actions of a fictitious administrator, hacker, and investigator in the context of a series of security events that beset a fictional company (Dalmedica). These events are depicted from a “defensive” standpoint — from the standpoint of the administrator and investigator trying to make sense of them — using a “real” network. The network, systems, and application environment chosen for the case study is dynamic, transitions over the course of the study timeline, and is representative of a reasonably sound security design. The events that occur are illustrations of hacking exploits and attacks presented in the remainder of the book but are represented from a “symptomatic” perspective; later chapters illuminate and explain the types of attacks alluded to in the case study.
