Windows 2000 (Hacking Exposed)

With a revised Microsoft operating system comes a revised set of security holes and means of attacking them. Hacking Exposed: Windows 2000 presents a snapshot of known Windows 2000 security weaknesses and the tools that have been developed to exploit them, in turn enabling system operators to mount better defenses. This book builds on and contributes to the small but respected Hacking Exposed series, giving network administrators a detailed picture of the threats their Windows 2000 machines face--and all the motivation they should need to install the latest patches right away. Which points out a characteristic of this book: Many of the problems it catalogs are known bugs that shouldn't be a problem if you've installed the latest fixes and have good password and privilege policies. The point: Even with this book on your shelf, keep an eye on the security sites for news of emerging problems.

Joel Scambray and Stuart McClure have chosen to organize their book according to the steps involved in system compromise (identifying a target, gaining access and privileges, using or destroying the system, and so on) as well as by area of vulnerability. In addition to well-written passages that explain general hacking strategies and concepts, the authors devote sections to software (meaning native Windows commands, tools that are part of the Windows NT/2000 Resource Kit, as well as external software). Sometimes, they'll just offer a description, but most of the time, the authors present a step-by-step guide to carrying out the exploit at hand. This is a valuable book that every Windows 2000 expert should read closely. --David Wall

Topics covered: How to break into a Windows 2000 system and, by extension, how to go about defending against attacks. Sections deal with tools for locating victim systems, gaining access to them, and either damaging them, overloading them, or using them as bases for further attacks. The authors also highlight the weaknesses in Windows 2000 services, including Internet Information Services (IIS) and Microsoft SQL Server.