on Windows 7
Add Printer
Local Printer
Add Local Port
\\XPMACHINE\printersharename (Make the share name one word or you have to "" quote the whole thing)
Friday, 30 December 2011
Reset Windows 7 Enterprise Trial
We should also mention that it can be rearmed 5 times
"slmgr /rearm" (to reset the 100 days)
"slmgr /dlv" (to find number of rearms left)
"slmgr /rearm" (to reset the 100 days)
"slmgr /dlv" (to find number of rearms left)
Monday, 26 December 2011
One for the n00bs
SOURCE:http://daveshackleford.com/?p=277
We’ve all been a n00b at some point. I don’t care who you are, at some stage of the game you didn’t know much, or started a new gig, or tried something for the first time in full view of other people, or whatever the case may be – you’ve been a n00b. My friend Raf Los at HP, who I’ve known for years and has been through the security gamut just like me, posted a really interesting semi-rant the other day, check it out here. His observation? We crusty security types kind of suck at letting new people into the club. I don’t know about most of you (well, actually I do), I hated cliques in high school. The “you can’t sit at our lunch table” crowd. The “we’re having a massive party at XYZ’s house tomorrow night, and you can’t come” crowd. Yes, we all know who I’m talking about.
We’ve kind of become that crowd.
We’re not welcoming, or mentoring, or open-minded about new people coming in. Be honest – when was the last time someone arbitrarily asked you to guide them or lend some experience, where you really went out of your way to help them learn about infosec? This is, of course, for all you crusty types like me. Well, I was pretty lucky, I guess – I had a few really kick-ass people who let me ask a plethora of questions in the early days, and really bolstered my confidence and desire to keep forging ahead: Lampe, Herb, Jimmy the Slick…I’m talking to you.
So I have some advice for the n00bs. Those of you that aren’t truly n00bs anymore, you may want to check out an earlier post of mine called “Career Tips for Security Geeks.” Noobs, read this first, then read that one too. So here goes:
Please please please please PLEASE do not come out of school with a degree in “Information Assurance” or some other bullshit and tell me you are a security professional. You are not. You are either a) still my intern for another year until I have hazed you sufficiently, or b) the new anti-virus admin. Yes, I’m serious. Experience and technical skills count in security – I’ma let you finish, but first you will be starting at the bottom rung of the ladder if all you have is said IA degree and a will to learn. This leads us to…
Show me. Yep. Don’t talk theory, or concepts, or God forbid mention wretchedness like the Bell-LaPadula Model. Help me get security in order. Models don’t actually DO anything. They’re great for drunken whiteboarding sessions. And CISSP exams.
At this point, you’re thinking “Wow – Shack said he was going to help us out! He’s being one of those clique-ish types, though!”. Well…not really. That’s all the harshness I’m giving out, and there are good reasons for this advice. Well…one more, don’t get cocky. We’ve got way too many cocky folks already, and we’re trying to change the dynamic. So here’s some more practical advice for the n00bs:
Really, the best security people came from some other backgrounds. I really think you should spend a few years doing something else first. Coding, systems admin or network admin, DBA, etc. How can you secure stuff when you have no experience with it? Security isn’t all about IDS, pen testing, etc. The most important security is mitigating risk in regular old technology design and use, and you should have some hands-on time with THAT before you go saving the world.
Understand the following: TCP/IP, Cisco IOS, Windows admin (basic), Unix admin (basic). Pick a scripting language and endeavor to become a little bit proficient with it. Not a lot, that’s OK, but a little Perl-Fu or Python-Fu or Ruby-Fu or just Shell scripting-Fu can go a LONG way. These are basic skills. What about security? Re-read #1 above. Now do it again.
Allocate $500 and go visit your friend Amazon.com. Or better yet, roll Ramen noodle style and get used books by perusing titles at www.bestbookdeal.com. It rocks. What to buy? Hacking Exposed, latest edition. Counter-Hack Reloaded. Network Security Hacks (2e). Everything written by Richard Bejtlich. Malware (Skoudis and Zeltser). Security Engineering (2e). Applied Cryptography. This is a good start, look for others too – read them and keep going. Plan on spending $50-100 a month on books.
Understand how to lock down operating systems. Read the CIS benchmarks, DISA STIGs, and vendor guides from M$ and others. This is 101 stuff, and you need to know it WAY before you get to the “sexy” things like pen testing.
Become familiar with a packet sniffer of your choice. Wireshark is good. So is TCPdump. Both are free, and you can start breaking down packets and looking at them to see what the hell is going on.
Learn about Snort. Spend a month or so installing it, tweaking the configs, learning about rule creation, planning architecture and so on. Will it be your only IDS? Maybe, maybe not, but it’s the best for the $$$ and you need to learn.
Download the Backtrack security assessment toolkit from http://www.remote-exploit.org/backtrack.html. Load it up in a test network (repeat – test network. Did I mention test network?) and start running some tools to learn about scanning (nmap, hping3), vulnerability scanning (OpenVAS, maybe Nessus for local scans or if you have a license), and pen testing with Metasploit and exploits from Milw0rm and others.
Plan on going for the SANS GSEC certification. Forget about your CISSP or anything else right now, you need a solid set of fundamentals, and the SANS Security Essentials course is your best bet. I teach for SANS, full disclosure, but I endorse this with no bias whatsoever – it really is the best for newcomers to the field.
You now have the basics. Specialties, like code security, Web app security, pen testing, network security, etc all come a bit later. I won’t go into all that here, but you should be waking up every day with a fire under your ass. READ! Check out blogs and sites like darkreading.com, csoonline.com, packetstormsecurity.org, and others. Listen to Paul, Larry, John, Carlos and gang at www.pauldotcom.com to get in the spirit of things. And when you tell someone you are new to the field, and you have a legitimate question that they can help with, don’t let their lack of social skills get in the way. If they won’t help you, find some of us that aren’t worried about impressing the clique and we’ll help you. I got my OWN lunch table. And you’re invited. Unless you have, like, body odor or something. Then you’re not.
We’ve all been a n00b at some point. I don’t care who you are, at some stage of the game you didn’t know much, or started a new gig, or tried something for the first time in full view of other people, or whatever the case may be – you’ve been a n00b. My friend Raf Los at HP, who I’ve known for years and has been through the security gamut just like me, posted a really interesting semi-rant the other day, check it out here. His observation? We crusty security types kind of suck at letting new people into the club. I don’t know about most of you (well, actually I do), I hated cliques in high school. The “you can’t sit at our lunch table” crowd. The “we’re having a massive party at XYZ’s house tomorrow night, and you can’t come” crowd. Yes, we all know who I’m talking about.
We’ve kind of become that crowd.
We’re not welcoming, or mentoring, or open-minded about new people coming in. Be honest – when was the last time someone arbitrarily asked you to guide them or lend some experience, where you really went out of your way to help them learn about infosec? This is, of course, for all you crusty types like me. Well, I was pretty lucky, I guess – I had a few really kick-ass people who let me ask a plethora of questions in the early days, and really bolstered my confidence and desire to keep forging ahead: Lampe, Herb, Jimmy the Slick…I’m talking to you.
So I have some advice for the n00bs. Those of you that aren’t truly n00bs anymore, you may want to check out an earlier post of mine called “Career Tips for Security Geeks.” Noobs, read this first, then read that one too. So here goes:
Please please please please PLEASE do not come out of school with a degree in “Information Assurance” or some other bullshit and tell me you are a security professional. You are not. You are either a) still my intern for another year until I have hazed you sufficiently, or b) the new anti-virus admin. Yes, I’m serious. Experience and technical skills count in security – I’ma let you finish, but first you will be starting at the bottom rung of the ladder if all you have is said IA degree and a will to learn. This leads us to…
Show me. Yep. Don’t talk theory, or concepts, or God forbid mention wretchedness like the Bell-LaPadula Model. Help me get security in order. Models don’t actually DO anything. They’re great for drunken whiteboarding sessions. And CISSP exams.
At this point, you’re thinking “Wow – Shack said he was going to help us out! He’s being one of those clique-ish types, though!”. Well…not really. That’s all the harshness I’m giving out, and there are good reasons for this advice. Well…one more, don’t get cocky. We’ve got way too many cocky folks already, and we’re trying to change the dynamic. So here’s some more practical advice for the n00bs:
Really, the best security people came from some other backgrounds. I really think you should spend a few years doing something else first. Coding, systems admin or network admin, DBA, etc. How can you secure stuff when you have no experience with it? Security isn’t all about IDS, pen testing, etc. The most important security is mitigating risk in regular old technology design and use, and you should have some hands-on time with THAT before you go saving the world.
Understand the following: TCP/IP, Cisco IOS, Windows admin (basic), Unix admin (basic). Pick a scripting language and endeavor to become a little bit proficient with it. Not a lot, that’s OK, but a little Perl-Fu or Python-Fu or Ruby-Fu or just Shell scripting-Fu can go a LONG way. These are basic skills. What about security? Re-read #1 above. Now do it again.
Allocate $500 and go visit your friend Amazon.com. Or better yet, roll Ramen noodle style and get used books by perusing titles at www.bestbookdeal.com. It rocks. What to buy? Hacking Exposed, latest edition. Counter-Hack Reloaded. Network Security Hacks (2e). Everything written by Richard Bejtlich. Malware (Skoudis and Zeltser). Security Engineering (2e). Applied Cryptography. This is a good start, look for others too – read them and keep going. Plan on spending $50-100 a month on books.
Understand how to lock down operating systems. Read the CIS benchmarks, DISA STIGs, and vendor guides from M$ and others. This is 101 stuff, and you need to know it WAY before you get to the “sexy” things like pen testing.
Become familiar with a packet sniffer of your choice. Wireshark is good. So is TCPdump. Both are free, and you can start breaking down packets and looking at them to see what the hell is going on.
Learn about Snort. Spend a month or so installing it, tweaking the configs, learning about rule creation, planning architecture and so on. Will it be your only IDS? Maybe, maybe not, but it’s the best for the $$$ and you need to learn.
Download the Backtrack security assessment toolkit from http://www.remote-exploit.org/backtrack.html. Load it up in a test network (repeat – test network. Did I mention test network?) and start running some tools to learn about scanning (nmap, hping3), vulnerability scanning (OpenVAS, maybe Nessus for local scans or if you have a license), and pen testing with Metasploit and exploits from Milw0rm and others.
Plan on going for the SANS GSEC certification. Forget about your CISSP or anything else right now, you need a solid set of fundamentals, and the SANS Security Essentials course is your best bet. I teach for SANS, full disclosure, but I endorse this with no bias whatsoever – it really is the best for newcomers to the field.
You now have the basics. Specialties, like code security, Web app security, pen testing, network security, etc all come a bit later. I won’t go into all that here, but you should be waking up every day with a fire under your ass. READ! Check out blogs and sites like darkreading.com, csoonline.com, packetstormsecurity.org, and others. Listen to Paul, Larry, John, Carlos and gang at www.pauldotcom.com to get in the spirit of things. And when you tell someone you are new to the field, and you have a legitimate question that they can help with, don’t let their lack of social skills get in the way. If they won’t help you, find some of us that aren’t worried about impressing the clique and we’ll help you. I got my OWN lunch table. And you’re invited. Unless you have, like, body odor or something. Then you’re not.
Who to Recruit for Security, How to Get Started, and Career Tracks
SOURCE:
http://securosis.com/blog/who-to-recruit-for-security-how-to-get-started-and-career-tracks
Who to Recruit for Security, How to Get Started, and Career Tracks
Today I read two very different posts on what to look for when hiring, and how to get started in the security field. Each clearly reflects the author’s experiences, and since I get asked both sides of this question a lot, I thought I’d toss my two cents in.
First we have Shrdlu’s post over at Layer 8 on Bootstrapping the Next Generation. She discusses the problem of bringing new people into a field that requires a fairly large knowledge base to be effective.
Then over at Errata Security, Marisa focuses more on how to get a job through the internship path (with a dollop of self-promotion). As one of our industry’s younger recruits, who successfully built her own internship, she comes from exactly the opposite angle.
My advice tends to walk a line slightly in the middle of the two, and varies depending on where in security you want to go.
When someone asks me how to get started in security I tend to offer two recommendations:
Start with a background as a systems and network administrator… probably starting with the lowly help desk. This is how I got started (yes, I’m thus biased), and I think these experiences build a strong foundation that spans most of the tasks you’ll later deal with. Most importantly, they build experience on how the real world works – even more so than starting as a developer. You are forced to see how systems and applications are really used, learn how users interact with technology, and understand the tradeoffs in keeping things running on a day to day basis. I think even developers should spend some time on the help desk or cleaning up systems – while I was only a mediocre developer from a programming standpoint, I became damn good at understanding user interfaces and workflows from the few years I spent teaching people how to unhide their Start menus and organize those Windows 3.1 folders.
Read a crapload of action thriller and spy novels, watch a ton of the same kinds of movies, and express your inner paranoid. This is all about building a security mindset, and it is just as important as any technical skills. It’s easy to say “never assume”, but very hard to put it into practice (and to be prepared for the social consequences). You are building a balanced portfolio of paranoia, cynicism, and skepticism. Go do some police ride-alongs, become an EMT, train in a hard martial art, join the military, or do whatever you need to build some awareness. If you were the kid who liked to break into school or plan your escape routes for when the commies (or yankees) showed up, you’re perfect for the industry. You need to love security.
The best security professionals combine their technical skills, a security mindset, and an ability to communicate (Marisa emphasized public speaking skills) with a wrapper of pragmatism and an understanding of how to balance the real world sacrifices inherent to security.
These are the kinds of people I look for when hiring (not that I do much of that anymore). I don’t care about a CISSP, but want someone who has worked with users and understands technology from actual experience rather than a library shelf, or a pile of certificates.
In terms of entry-level tracks, we are part of a complex profession and thus need to specialize. Even security generalists now need to have at least one deep focus area. I see the general tracks as:
Operational Security – The CISO track. Someone responsible for general security in the organization. Usually comes from the systems or network track, although systems integration is another option.
Secure Coder – Someone who either programs security software, or is responsible for helping secure general (non-security-specific) code. Needs a programmer’s background, but I’d also suggest some more direct user interaction if they’re used to coding in a closet with pizzas slipped under the door at irregular intervals.
Security Assessor (or Pen Tester) – Should ideally come out of the coder or operations track. I know a lot of people are jumping right into pen testing, but the best assessors I know have practical experience on the operational side of IT. That provides much better context for interpreting results and communicating with clients. The vulnerability researcher or penetration tester who speaks in absolutes has probably spent very little time on the defensive or operational side of security.
You’ll noticed I skipped a couple options – like the security architect. If you’re a security architect and you didn’t come from a programming or operational background, you likely suck at your job. I also didn’t break out security management – mostly since I hate managers who never worked for a living. To be a manager, start at the bottom and work your way up. In any case, if you’re ready for either of those roles you’re past these beginner’s steps, and if you want to get there, this is how to begin.
To wrap this up, when hiring look for someone with experience outside security and mentor them through if they have the right mindset. Yes, this means it’s hard to start directly in security, but I’m okay with that. It only takes a couple years in a foundational role to gain the experience, and if you have a security mindset you’ll be contributing to security no matter your operational role. So if you want to work in security, develop the mindset and jump on every security opportunity that pops up. As either a manager or recruit, also understand the different focus of each career track.
Finally, in terms of certifications, focus on the ‘low-level’ technical ones, often from outside security. A CISSP doesn’t teach you a security mindset, and as Shrdlu said it’s insane that something that is supposed to take 5 years of operational experience is a baseline for hiring – and we all know it’s easy to skirt the 5-year rule anyway.
I’m sure some of you have more to add to this one…
—Rich
http://securosis.com/blog/who-to-recruit-for-security-how-to-get-started-and-career-tracks
Who to Recruit for Security, How to Get Started, and Career Tracks
Today I read two very different posts on what to look for when hiring, and how to get started in the security field. Each clearly reflects the author’s experiences, and since I get asked both sides of this question a lot, I thought I’d toss my two cents in.
First we have Shrdlu’s post over at Layer 8 on Bootstrapping the Next Generation. She discusses the problem of bringing new people into a field that requires a fairly large knowledge base to be effective.
Then over at Errata Security, Marisa focuses more on how to get a job through the internship path (with a dollop of self-promotion). As one of our industry’s younger recruits, who successfully built her own internship, she comes from exactly the opposite angle.
My advice tends to walk a line slightly in the middle of the two, and varies depending on where in security you want to go.
When someone asks me how to get started in security I tend to offer two recommendations:
Start with a background as a systems and network administrator… probably starting with the lowly help desk. This is how I got started (yes, I’m thus biased), and I think these experiences build a strong foundation that spans most of the tasks you’ll later deal with. Most importantly, they build experience on how the real world works – even more so than starting as a developer. You are forced to see how systems and applications are really used, learn how users interact with technology, and understand the tradeoffs in keeping things running on a day to day basis. I think even developers should spend some time on the help desk or cleaning up systems – while I was only a mediocre developer from a programming standpoint, I became damn good at understanding user interfaces and workflows from the few years I spent teaching people how to unhide their Start menus and organize those Windows 3.1 folders.
Read a crapload of action thriller and spy novels, watch a ton of the same kinds of movies, and express your inner paranoid. This is all about building a security mindset, and it is just as important as any technical skills. It’s easy to say “never assume”, but very hard to put it into practice (and to be prepared for the social consequences). You are building a balanced portfolio of paranoia, cynicism, and skepticism. Go do some police ride-alongs, become an EMT, train in a hard martial art, join the military, or do whatever you need to build some awareness. If you were the kid who liked to break into school or plan your escape routes for when the commies (or yankees) showed up, you’re perfect for the industry. You need to love security.
The best security professionals combine their technical skills, a security mindset, and an ability to communicate (Marisa emphasized public speaking skills) with a wrapper of pragmatism and an understanding of how to balance the real world sacrifices inherent to security.
These are the kinds of people I look for when hiring (not that I do much of that anymore). I don’t care about a CISSP, but want someone who has worked with users and understands technology from actual experience rather than a library shelf, or a pile of certificates.
In terms of entry-level tracks, we are part of a complex profession and thus need to specialize. Even security generalists now need to have at least one deep focus area. I see the general tracks as:
Operational Security – The CISO track. Someone responsible for general security in the organization. Usually comes from the systems or network track, although systems integration is another option.
Secure Coder – Someone who either programs security software, or is responsible for helping secure general (non-security-specific) code. Needs a programmer’s background, but I’d also suggest some more direct user interaction if they’re used to coding in a closet with pizzas slipped under the door at irregular intervals.
Security Assessor (or Pen Tester) – Should ideally come out of the coder or operations track. I know a lot of people are jumping right into pen testing, but the best assessors I know have practical experience on the operational side of IT. That provides much better context for interpreting results and communicating with clients. The vulnerability researcher or penetration tester who speaks in absolutes has probably spent very little time on the defensive or operational side of security.
You’ll noticed I skipped a couple options – like the security architect. If you’re a security architect and you didn’t come from a programming or operational background, you likely suck at your job. I also didn’t break out security management – mostly since I hate managers who never worked for a living. To be a manager, start at the bottom and work your way up. In any case, if you’re ready for either of those roles you’re past these beginner’s steps, and if you want to get there, this is how to begin.
To wrap this up, when hiring look for someone with experience outside security and mentor them through if they have the right mindset. Yes, this means it’s hard to start directly in security, but I’m okay with that. It only takes a couple years in a foundational role to gain the experience, and if you have a security mindset you’ll be contributing to security no matter your operational role. So if you want to work in security, develop the mindset and jump on every security opportunity that pops up. As either a manager or recruit, also understand the different focus of each career track.
Finally, in terms of certifications, focus on the ‘low-level’ technical ones, often from outside security. A CISSP doesn’t teach you a security mindset, and as Shrdlu said it’s insane that something that is supposed to take 5 years of operational experience is a baseline for hiring – and we all know it’s easy to skirt the 5-year rule anyway.
I’m sure some of you have more to add to this one…
—Rich
Saturday, 10 September 2011
Config Huwei E1550 on Slackware 13.37
-Install wvdial wvstreams(slackbuilds.org)
-Run wvdialconf /etc/wvdial.conf to auto generate the config file
-Open /etc/wvdial.conf to add the following lines:
[Dialer dcom]
Init3=AT+CGDCONT=1,"IP","e-connect","",0,0
Username = ''
Password = ''
-Run 'wvdial dcom' to connect
-Edit /etc/resolve.conf to reflect new DNS servers
-Run wvdialconf /etc/wvdial.conf to auto generate the config file
-Open /etc/wvdial.conf to add the following lines:
[Dialer dcom]
Init3=AT+CGDCONT=1,"IP","e-connect","",0,0
Username = ''
Password = ''
-Run 'wvdial dcom' to connect
-Edit /etc/resolve.conf to reflect new DNS servers
Tuesday, 6 September 2011
How to get the Huawei 1550 3G (Three UK) mobile broadband dongle modem working in Slackware 13
How to get the Huawei 1550 3G (Three UK) mobile broadband dongle modem working in Slackware 13.
SOURCE: http://www.linuxquestions.org/linux/answers/networking/huawei_e_1550_3g_broadband_dongle_three_uk_slackware_13_how
This device is not currently supported directly yet by the kernel and when plugged in looks like an external drive. To get it to work as a modem the follwing steps will get it working.
Thanks to all the sources I pulled this together from
Prerequisites:
Need to belong to sudoers
Step 1.
Download usb_modeswitch from http://www.draisberghof.de/usb_modeswitch
This is a Debian package, so a couple of extra steps are needed.
Extract to a directory of your choice, the cd to that directory.
Either trash or delete the current binary file, then run the usual make and make install (as root) to install the resulting binary to /usr/sbin/usb_modeswitch, and the config file to /etc/usb_modeswitch.conf
Step 2
Plug in the 3g Mobile dongle, open a konsole or switch to cli mode and run (as root) dmesg and make a note of the dongle device id. Should see something similar to this
Code:
usb 1-6: New USB device found, idVendor=12d1, idProduct=1446
usb 1-6: New USB device strings: Mfr=2, Product=1, SerialNumber=0
usb 1-6: Product: HUAWEI Mobile
usb 1-6: Manufacturer: HUAWEI Technology
usb-storage: device found at 7
usb-storage: waiting for device to settle before scanning
usb-storage: device found at 7
usb-storage: waiting for device to settle before scanning
In this example, I am looking for the idVendor and idProduct strings. 12d1 and 1446 respectively
Unplug the dongle. (Be sure to eject safely if notified it has been detected as a usb storage device)
Step 3
Now edit and save the config file /etc/usb_modeswitch.conf using your favourite text editor and add the following line in the Huawei section: (well commented so quite easy)
Code:
########################################################
# Huawei E1550
DefaultVendor= 0x12d1
DefaultProduct= 0x1446
MessageEndPoint= "0x01"
MessageContent="55534243123456780000000000000011060000000000000000000000000000"
;DetachStorageOnly=1
;HuaweiMode=1
########################################################
Replace the DefaultVendor and DefaultProduct ids with whatever you discovered in step 2
Step 4
Now create a new udev rule for the dongle to have it automagically switch to modem mode. I called mine 45-3G.rules, but you can name yours whatever you like, and place in the /etc/udev/rules.d directory. It should look like this:
Code:
ACTION=="add" SUBSYSTEM=="usb", SYSFS{idProduct}=="1446", SYSFS{idVendor}=="12d1", RUN+="/usr/sbin/usb_modeswitch"
Above rule all on one line
Again, use your own idProduct and idVendor codes. Now either reboot, or issue (as root)
Code:
/etc/rc.d/rc.udev reload
to see your new rule.
Step 5
Plug the dongle back in and wait around 15 seconds then issue the dmesg command again and you should see this or similar:
Code:
usb 1-6: new high speed USB device using ehci_hcd and address 9
usb 1-6: configuration #1 chosen from 1 choice
scsi27 : SCSI emulation for USB Mass Storage devices
scsi28 : SCSI emulation for USB Mass Storage devices
usb 1-6: New USB device found, idVendor=12d1, idProduct=1446
usb 1-6: New USB device strings: Mfr=2, Product=1, SerialNumber=0
usb 1-6: Product: HUAWEI Mobile
usb 1-6: Manufacturer: HUAWEI Technology
usb-storage: device found at 9
usb-storage: waiting for device to settle before scanning
usb-storage: device found at 9
usb-storage: waiting for device to settle before scanning
usb 1-6: usbfs: process 24002 (usb_modeswitch) did not claim interface 0 before use
usb 1-6: USB disconnect, address 9
usb_storage: module is already loaded
usb_storage: module is already loaded
usb 1-6: new high speed USB device using ehci_hcd and address 10
usb 1-6: configuration #1 chosen from 1 choice
usb-storage: probe of 1-6:1.0 failed with error -5
option 1-6:1.0: GSM modem (1-port) converter detected
usb 1-6: GSM modem (1-port) converter now attached to ttyUSB0
usb-storage: probe of 1-6:1.1 failed with error -5
option 1-6:1.1: GSM modem (1-port) converter detected
usb 1-6: GSM modem (1-port) converter now attached to ttyUSB1
usb-storage: probe of 1-6:1.2 failed with error -5
option 1-6:1.2: GSM modem (1-port) converter detected
usb 1-6: GSM modem (1-port) converter now attached to ttyUSB2
scsi32 : SCSI emulation for USB Mass Storage devices
usb-storage: device found at 10
usb-storage: waiting for device to settle before scanning
scsi33 : SCSI emulation for USB Mass Storage devices
usb 1-6: New USB device found, idVendor=12d1, idProduct=1001
usb 1-6: New USB device strings: Mfr=2, Product=1, SerialNumber=0
usb 1-6: Product: HUAWEI Mobile
usb 1-6: Manufacturer: HUAWEI Technology
usb-storage: device found at 10
usb-storage: waiting for device to settle before scanning
scsi 32:0:0:0: CD-ROM HUAWEI Mass Storage 2.31 PQ: 0 ANSI: 2
sr0: scsi-1 drive
sr 32:0:0:0: Attached scsi CD-ROM sr0
sr 32:0:0:0: Attached scsi generic sg0 type 5
usb-storage: device scan complete
scsi 33:0:0:0: Direct-Access HUAWEI MMC Storage 2.31 PQ: 0 ANSI: 2
sd 33:0:0:0: [sda] Attached SCSI removable disk
sd 33:0:0:0: Attached scsi generic sg1 type 0
usb-storage: device scan complete
Notice that the idPrduct string has now changed to 1001. This means that the process has been successful, and as can be seen, the dongle is now identified as a GSM modem.
Step 6
Use your favourite dial up tool to connect to the 3G (Three UK) network. The parameters are:
* Device node is /dev/ttyUSB0
* Number to dial: *99#
* Login ID: Three
* Password: Three
Step 7 (optional)
Download and install UMTSmon from http://umtsmon.sourceforge.net/ for an easy GUI interface.
SOURCE: http://www.linuxquestions.org/linux/answers/networking/huawei_e_1550_3g_broadband_dongle_three_uk_slackware_13_how
This device is not currently supported directly yet by the kernel and when plugged in looks like an external drive. To get it to work as a modem the follwing steps will get it working.
Thanks to all the sources I pulled this together from
Prerequisites:
Need to belong to sudoers
Step 1.
Download usb_modeswitch from http://www.draisberghof.de/usb_modeswitch
This is a Debian package, so a couple of extra steps are needed.
Extract to a directory of your choice, the cd to that directory.
Either trash or delete the current binary file, then run the usual make and make install (as root) to install the resulting binary to /usr/sbin/usb_modeswitch, and the config file to /etc/usb_modeswitch.conf
Step 2
Plug in the 3g Mobile dongle, open a konsole or switch to cli mode and run (as root) dmesg and make a note of the dongle device id. Should see something similar to this
Code:
usb 1-6: New USB device found, idVendor=12d1, idProduct=1446
usb 1-6: New USB device strings: Mfr=2, Product=1, SerialNumber=0
usb 1-6: Product: HUAWEI Mobile
usb 1-6: Manufacturer: HUAWEI Technology
usb-storage: device found at 7
usb-storage: waiting for device to settle before scanning
usb-storage: device found at 7
usb-storage: waiting for device to settle before scanning
In this example, I am looking for the idVendor and idProduct strings. 12d1 and 1446 respectively
Unplug the dongle. (Be sure to eject safely if notified it has been detected as a usb storage device)
Step 3
Now edit and save the config file /etc/usb_modeswitch.conf using your favourite text editor and add the following line in the Huawei section: (well commented so quite easy)
Code:
########################################################
# Huawei E1550
DefaultVendor= 0x12d1
DefaultProduct= 0x1446
MessageEndPoint= "0x01"
MessageContent="55534243123456780000000000000011060000000000000000000000000000"
;DetachStorageOnly=1
;HuaweiMode=1
########################################################
Replace the DefaultVendor and DefaultProduct ids with whatever you discovered in step 2
Step 4
Now create a new udev rule for the dongle to have it automagically switch to modem mode. I called mine 45-3G.rules, but you can name yours whatever you like, and place in the /etc/udev/rules.d directory. It should look like this:
Code:
ACTION=="add" SUBSYSTEM=="usb", SYSFS{idProduct}=="1446", SYSFS{idVendor}=="12d1", RUN+="/usr/sbin/usb_modeswitch"
Above rule all on one line
Again, use your own idProduct and idVendor codes. Now either reboot, or issue (as root)
Code:
/etc/rc.d/rc.udev reload
to see your new rule.
Step 5
Plug the dongle back in and wait around 15 seconds then issue the dmesg command again and you should see this or similar:
Code:
usb 1-6: new high speed USB device using ehci_hcd and address 9
usb 1-6: configuration #1 chosen from 1 choice
scsi27 : SCSI emulation for USB Mass Storage devices
scsi28 : SCSI emulation for USB Mass Storage devices
usb 1-6: New USB device found, idVendor=12d1, idProduct=1446
usb 1-6: New USB device strings: Mfr=2, Product=1, SerialNumber=0
usb 1-6: Product: HUAWEI Mobile
usb 1-6: Manufacturer: HUAWEI Technology
usb-storage: device found at 9
usb-storage: waiting for device to settle before scanning
usb-storage: device found at 9
usb-storage: waiting for device to settle before scanning
usb 1-6: usbfs: process 24002 (usb_modeswitch) did not claim interface 0 before use
usb 1-6: USB disconnect, address 9
usb_storage: module is already loaded
usb_storage: module is already loaded
usb 1-6: new high speed USB device using ehci_hcd and address 10
usb 1-6: configuration #1 chosen from 1 choice
usb-storage: probe of 1-6:1.0 failed with error -5
option 1-6:1.0: GSM modem (1-port) converter detected
usb 1-6: GSM modem (1-port) converter now attached to ttyUSB0
usb-storage: probe of 1-6:1.1 failed with error -5
option 1-6:1.1: GSM modem (1-port) converter detected
usb 1-6: GSM modem (1-port) converter now attached to ttyUSB1
usb-storage: probe of 1-6:1.2 failed with error -5
option 1-6:1.2: GSM modem (1-port) converter detected
usb 1-6: GSM modem (1-port) converter now attached to ttyUSB2
scsi32 : SCSI emulation for USB Mass Storage devices
usb-storage: device found at 10
usb-storage: waiting for device to settle before scanning
scsi33 : SCSI emulation for USB Mass Storage devices
usb 1-6: New USB device found, idVendor=12d1, idProduct=1001
usb 1-6: New USB device strings: Mfr=2, Product=1, SerialNumber=0
usb 1-6: Product: HUAWEI Mobile
usb 1-6: Manufacturer: HUAWEI Technology
usb-storage: device found at 10
usb-storage: waiting for device to settle before scanning
scsi 32:0:0:0: CD-ROM HUAWEI Mass Storage 2.31 PQ: 0 ANSI: 2
sr0: scsi-1 drive
sr 32:0:0:0: Attached scsi CD-ROM sr0
sr 32:0:0:0: Attached scsi generic sg0 type 5
usb-storage: device scan complete
scsi 33:0:0:0: Direct-Access HUAWEI MMC Storage 2.31 PQ: 0 ANSI: 2
sd 33:0:0:0: [sda] Attached SCSI removable disk
sd 33:0:0:0: Attached scsi generic sg1 type 0
usb-storage: device scan complete
Notice that the idPrduct string has now changed to 1001. This means that the process has been successful, and as can be seen, the dongle is now identified as a GSM modem.
Step 6
Use your favourite dial up tool to connect to the 3G (Three UK) network. The parameters are:
* Device node is /dev/ttyUSB0
* Number to dial: *99#
* Login ID: Three
* Password: Three
Step 7 (optional)
Download and install UMTSmon from http://umtsmon.sourceforge.net/ for an easy GUI interface.
Tuesday, 19 July 2011
career change - it security
SOURCE: http://www.itworld.com/answers/topic/security/question/im-considering-slight-career-change-it-security-what-do-i-need-consi
Brent Huston 9 weeks ago
Vote Up (3)
One of the most common questions I get asked is “How can I become an information security professional?”. These days, it seems that a ton more people want to be in the “business” of information security. I get the question so often, I thought I would write this post as a quick and easy way to respond.
Are You Serious?
The first response is a “gut check”. Are you serious that you want to be an infosec person? Do you even know what you are asking? My suggestion is 2 steps. Number 1, read a basic information security guide (not Hacking Exposed or something on an aspect, but something more general like the ISO standards). Number 2, invest in your career option enough to buy a few coffees or beers and ask a couple of security folks you know of and trust to sit down, one on one with you for an hour chat. Talk about that person’s career, what day to day security work is like in their experience and what they think about your ideas for moving forward. If you can’t or won’t invest in these basic steps, then quit now and choose another career path. Security work is all about research, reading, guidance, networking and conversations with other humans. If you can’t do these toddler steps, then forget running with the big dogs and find another pack.
Get Serious, Quick!
Step 1: Knowledge boost: Start to read every single security book you can find. Listen to podcasts, read web sites, subscribe to mailing lists. Read RSS feeds.
Step 2: Find a way to contribute: Work on an open source security project. If you can’t code, then write the documentation or contribute to testing. Start a website/blog and start to aggregate or gather other security news. Wax poetic on what you think of certain topics. Think of this part as turning knowledge into wisdom. It is where the rubber meets the road and where you will encounter some pain, humiliation and grief, but it is another form of “gut check” to make sure you are ready to be in infosec.
Step 3: Build a lab & practice security skills: Build a lab. Make it out of old hardware, virtualization systems, Live CD’s, etc. Then hack stuff. Secure stuff. Apply settings, scenarios, access controls. Shop at eBay, garage sales, thrift stores or Walmart to cut the cost down. Be creative and pragmatic, both are essential security skills.
Step 4: Brand yourself: Once you have some wisdom and insight, then update your resume. Build a personal brand. Read books by Seth Godin and Guy Kawasaki to learn to do this. Learn how to separate yourself from Joe Six-Pack and how to turn your security experiences with the above projects into valuable differentiators that open doors for you to get that job you wanted. Is it work? Yes. Is it hard work? Yes. Does it take time? Heck, yes. Is it worth it? If you get what you really want, heck yeah!!!!
It’s OK to Turn Back
If, at any point during the above steps, you decide you are not interested enough to continue, then don’t. Security is tedious, hard work. Most of it is COMPLETELY NOT SEXY and has nothing to do with Swordfish, Hackers or the Matrix, no matter how much you want to be Neo, Cereal Killer or Angelina Jolie. Security is mundane, boring, full of science, analysis and research. If you want to be great at it, you also need to understand business, marketing, math, human resources, education, more marketing, sales, basic programming, public speaking, more marketing and oh, yeah, more marketing. Why so much marketing? Because, believe it or not, people need to be sold on being secure. That is the largest irony of the job. You have to not just identify how to make them secure AND teach them how to be secure, BUT you ALSO have to SELL them on the idea that security is worth their investment of time, energy and resources. It’s not that they don’t want to be secure, it’s that humans are REALLY BAD AT MAKING RISK DECISIONS. Keep this in mind as your security career progresses. It is a handy meme.
Are there Shortcuts?
Maybe, if you wanna be average. More than likely not, if you wanna be truly GREAT at what you do. Everything in life has a price. The good, the bad and the security career. Paying that price is a part of the reward, you just might not know it yet. Pay the price. This is one system you really don’t wanna “hack” to get at the “easy way”, it makes for a lot of pain down the road when you look foolish.
What About Certifications?
I am not a believer in certs. I have never made any secret about my position. I DO NOT HAVE MY CISSP NOR AM I LOOKING TO EVER HAVE ONE. Certs are NOT a good measure of experience, work ethic or intelligence. They represent all that I hate about the security industry and the idea of doing the minimum. This is not to say that you should not pursue them or that they are not valuable, it is just my belief that the IT industry puts way too much stock in certs. They believe that most every CISSP is a real “security person” and knows their stuff. I have met plenty who do not. I have met plenty who I would not let manage my security. I have met some that I would, as well. The same goes for all certs (MCSE, CSA, etc.). Certs are just a BASIC qualification mechanism, no more, no less. Experience and what you have done in the past speak volumes more to me, and anyone I would want to work for or with, than a cert. Period.
I hope this answers those basic questions about how I think you should move toward being a security professional. I hope you do choose security as a career, if you are willing to invest in being great at it. The world needs more great security people, but we also need less inadequate security professionals. The industry has its charlatans and fakes, but it also has some of the best people on the planet. This industry has been good to me for almost two decades. I have met and made friends with some of the most talented, fascinating and warm people in the world. I am very blessed and very grateful. I hope you will be too. Buy me a cup of coffee if you want to talk more about it. I promise to try and help you figure out if this is the way you want to go, if you are willing to invest in yourself first BEFORE you seek my input. More than likely, you will find the same to be true for other security experts too. They just might like cheaper coffee than I do….
Brent Huston 9 weeks ago
Vote Up (3)
One of the most common questions I get asked is “How can I become an information security professional?”. These days, it seems that a ton more people want to be in the “business” of information security. I get the question so often, I thought I would write this post as a quick and easy way to respond.
Are You Serious?
The first response is a “gut check”. Are you serious that you want to be an infosec person? Do you even know what you are asking? My suggestion is 2 steps. Number 1, read a basic information security guide (not Hacking Exposed or something on an aspect, but something more general like the ISO standards). Number 2, invest in your career option enough to buy a few coffees or beers and ask a couple of security folks you know of and trust to sit down, one on one with you for an hour chat. Talk about that person’s career, what day to day security work is like in their experience and what they think about your ideas for moving forward. If you can’t or won’t invest in these basic steps, then quit now and choose another career path. Security work is all about research, reading, guidance, networking and conversations with other humans. If you can’t do these toddler steps, then forget running with the big dogs and find another pack.
Get Serious, Quick!
Step 1: Knowledge boost: Start to read every single security book you can find. Listen to podcasts, read web sites, subscribe to mailing lists. Read RSS feeds.
Step 2: Find a way to contribute: Work on an open source security project. If you can’t code, then write the documentation or contribute to testing. Start a website/blog and start to aggregate or gather other security news. Wax poetic on what you think of certain topics. Think of this part as turning knowledge into wisdom. It is where the rubber meets the road and where you will encounter some pain, humiliation and grief, but it is another form of “gut check” to make sure you are ready to be in infosec.
Step 3: Build a lab & practice security skills: Build a lab. Make it out of old hardware, virtualization systems, Live CD’s, etc. Then hack stuff. Secure stuff. Apply settings, scenarios, access controls. Shop at eBay, garage sales, thrift stores or Walmart to cut the cost down. Be creative and pragmatic, both are essential security skills.
Step 4: Brand yourself: Once you have some wisdom and insight, then update your resume. Build a personal brand. Read books by Seth Godin and Guy Kawasaki to learn to do this. Learn how to separate yourself from Joe Six-Pack and how to turn your security experiences with the above projects into valuable differentiators that open doors for you to get that job you wanted. Is it work? Yes. Is it hard work? Yes. Does it take time? Heck, yes. Is it worth it? If you get what you really want, heck yeah!!!!
It’s OK to Turn Back
If, at any point during the above steps, you decide you are not interested enough to continue, then don’t. Security is tedious, hard work. Most of it is COMPLETELY NOT SEXY and has nothing to do with Swordfish, Hackers or the Matrix, no matter how much you want to be Neo, Cereal Killer or Angelina Jolie. Security is mundane, boring, full of science, analysis and research. If you want to be great at it, you also need to understand business, marketing, math, human resources, education, more marketing, sales, basic programming, public speaking, more marketing and oh, yeah, more marketing. Why so much marketing? Because, believe it or not, people need to be sold on being secure. That is the largest irony of the job. You have to not just identify how to make them secure AND teach them how to be secure, BUT you ALSO have to SELL them on the idea that security is worth their investment of time, energy and resources. It’s not that they don’t want to be secure, it’s that humans are REALLY BAD AT MAKING RISK DECISIONS. Keep this in mind as your security career progresses. It is a handy meme.
Are there Shortcuts?
Maybe, if you wanna be average. More than likely not, if you wanna be truly GREAT at what you do. Everything in life has a price. The good, the bad and the security career. Paying that price is a part of the reward, you just might not know it yet. Pay the price. This is one system you really don’t wanna “hack” to get at the “easy way”, it makes for a lot of pain down the road when you look foolish.
What About Certifications?
I am not a believer in certs. I have never made any secret about my position. I DO NOT HAVE MY CISSP NOR AM I LOOKING TO EVER HAVE ONE. Certs are NOT a good measure of experience, work ethic or intelligence. They represent all that I hate about the security industry and the idea of doing the minimum. This is not to say that you should not pursue them or that they are not valuable, it is just my belief that the IT industry puts way too much stock in certs. They believe that most every CISSP is a real “security person” and knows their stuff. I have met plenty who do not. I have met plenty who I would not let manage my security. I have met some that I would, as well. The same goes for all certs (MCSE, CSA, etc.). Certs are just a BASIC qualification mechanism, no more, no less. Experience and what you have done in the past speak volumes more to me, and anyone I would want to work for or with, than a cert. Period.
I hope this answers those basic questions about how I think you should move toward being a security professional. I hope you do choose security as a career, if you are willing to invest in being great at it. The world needs more great security people, but we also need less inadequate security professionals. The industry has its charlatans and fakes, but it also has some of the best people on the planet. This industry has been good to me for almost two decades. I have met and made friends with some of the most talented, fascinating and warm people in the world. I am very blessed and very grateful. I hope you will be too. Buy me a cup of coffee if you want to talk more about it. I promise to try and help you figure out if this is the way you want to go, if you are willing to invest in yourself first BEFORE you seek my input. More than likely, you will find the same to be true for other security experts too. They just might like cheaper coffee than I do….
Sunday, 17 July 2011
Tips for getting started in information security
SOURCE:http://www.leune.org/blog/kees/2008/10/-tips-for-getting-started-1.html
I regularly get questions of students who expect to graduate soon asking what they need to do to get started in the information security field. Unfortunately, I cannot give a straight unambiguous answer to that. What I can do is start a thought process for that student. In the end, they will have to do the work.
Become experienced
Get a job that sounds like it is relevant to security. It does not actually have to be dead-on, but when a potential employer reads your resume, she must feel some sort of connect. Unfortunately, most security jobs ask for experience, so that is exactly what you need to get.
Most likely, the easiest way to do so is to find a job for a large consultancy organization and make it clear to them that you are willing to work hard, travel when necessary, and add value to their organization. At the same time, don't let your employer ever doubt that you are going to become an information security specialist.
Focus
Information security professionals are service providers and you need to figure out if you want to become a consultant that comes in to do a job, or if you want to work for the organization that uses your services. Make up your mind if you want to become a product specialist. Early in your career, consulting is not a bad way to go, since that will expose you to different industries, different problems and different working cultures.
Deciding if you want to work in a specific industry, or in a particular geographic area is also part of making the focus decisions. I know people who decided very early on that they wanted to work for a specific organization and they had their career plan centered around that goal. The same is true for geographical areas. If you decide that you want to work in the New York City, you will probably end up in the financial services industry or in fashion. If you are on Long Island, start learning about medical services. Other areas have similar industry focuses.
Specialize
Think hard about the area in which you want to specialize and work towards that. Depending on the direction in which you want to move, you will need to spend just about every waking hour doing "stuff" with security.
If you chose your direction to be penetration testing, find a pentesting job. When you come home, start doing stuff in your own lab. If you want to become an incident responder, look in that area and start dabbling with forensics-type stuff on your own time. If you want to become an information security manager, try to get some leadership experience. If you want to become an application security specialist, start coding.
Certify
There is much discussion surrounding the actual value of a security certification, but the basic fact is that employers will look for something that can distinguish you from the rest. Not having a certification is definitely a distinguishing factor, but it may not be what you want.
When choosing your certifications, keep your specialization goals in mind. It is useless (and may even work against you) to pursue vendor-specific certifications if you want to do something with a broader scope. The opposite is also true-- striving to pursue a general certification when you want to be a niche specialist is also pointless.
Branding
Make yourself visible: become a member of security organizations and go to chapter meetings. Attend as many events as you can, even if they are not in your focus area. At worst, you will spend an afternoon thinking about why the topic is not relevant to you (also valuable), and at best you meet your next employer.
If there are no chapters, start one. If you can afford it, begin visiting security conventions and conferences, reading (and comment on) blogs, maybe even start your own blog, join dedicated chat rooms and online forums, jump on twitter, linkedin, etc. Set up your own web site; don't be afraid to oversell yourself, but never lie. As an information security professional, your personal reputation and credibility is everything. The information security field is young, highly dynamic and the good people in the field form a close community. Associate with the right people.
Plan
Finally, come up with a career plan. That plan will be perfect nor complete when you make it first, but continue to update it as your expectations of the future take on more concrete form. Write down that plan on paper (not just as a file on a computer-- paper is more convincing!)
No employer expects that you spend your entire working life with them, but job-hopping every few months will come back to bite you. It creates the impression that you are not reliable, because you are not going to be around long enough to invest in. Plan to stay in a position for at least a year.
I regularly get questions of students who expect to graduate soon asking what they need to do to get started in the information security field. Unfortunately, I cannot give a straight unambiguous answer to that. What I can do is start a thought process for that student. In the end, they will have to do the work.
Become experienced
Get a job that sounds like it is relevant to security. It does not actually have to be dead-on, but when a potential employer reads your resume, she must feel some sort of connect. Unfortunately, most security jobs ask for experience, so that is exactly what you need to get.
Most likely, the easiest way to do so is to find a job for a large consultancy organization and make it clear to them that you are willing to work hard, travel when necessary, and add value to their organization. At the same time, don't let your employer ever doubt that you are going to become an information security specialist.
Focus
Information security professionals are service providers and you need to figure out if you want to become a consultant that comes in to do a job, or if you want to work for the organization that uses your services. Make up your mind if you want to become a product specialist. Early in your career, consulting is not a bad way to go, since that will expose you to different industries, different problems and different working cultures.
Deciding if you want to work in a specific industry, or in a particular geographic area is also part of making the focus decisions. I know people who decided very early on that they wanted to work for a specific organization and they had their career plan centered around that goal. The same is true for geographical areas. If you decide that you want to work in the New York City, you will probably end up in the financial services industry or in fashion. If you are on Long Island, start learning about medical services. Other areas have similar industry focuses.
Specialize
Think hard about the area in which you want to specialize and work towards that. Depending on the direction in which you want to move, you will need to spend just about every waking hour doing "stuff" with security.
If you chose your direction to be penetration testing, find a pentesting job. When you come home, start doing stuff in your own lab. If you want to become an incident responder, look in that area and start dabbling with forensics-type stuff on your own time. If you want to become an information security manager, try to get some leadership experience. If you want to become an application security specialist, start coding.
Certify
There is much discussion surrounding the actual value of a security certification, but the basic fact is that employers will look for something that can distinguish you from the rest. Not having a certification is definitely a distinguishing factor, but it may not be what you want.
When choosing your certifications, keep your specialization goals in mind. It is useless (and may even work against you) to pursue vendor-specific certifications if you want to do something with a broader scope. The opposite is also true-- striving to pursue a general certification when you want to be a niche specialist is also pointless.
Branding
Make yourself visible: become a member of security organizations and go to chapter meetings. Attend as many events as you can, even if they are not in your focus area. At worst, you will spend an afternoon thinking about why the topic is not relevant to you (also valuable), and at best you meet your next employer.
If there are no chapters, start one. If you can afford it, begin visiting security conventions and conferences, reading (and comment on) blogs, maybe even start your own blog, join dedicated chat rooms and online forums, jump on twitter, linkedin, etc. Set up your own web site; don't be afraid to oversell yourself, but never lie. As an information security professional, your personal reputation and credibility is everything. The information security field is young, highly dynamic and the good people in the field form a close community. Associate with the right people.
Plan
Finally, come up with a career plan. That plan will be perfect nor complete when you make it first, but continue to update it as your expectations of the future take on more concrete form. Write down that plan on paper (not just as a file on a computer-- paper is more convincing!)
No employer expects that you spend your entire working life with them, but job-hopping every few months will come back to bite you. It creates the impression that you are not reliable, because you are not going to be around long enough to invest in. Plan to stay in a position for at least a year.
Friday, 15 July 2011
Ideal Skill Set For the Penetration Testing
SOURCE: http://resources.infosecinstitute.com/ideal-skill-set-for-the-penetration-testing/
Based on questions I’ve gotten over the years and specifically in class, I’ve decided that we need to address some basic skills that every penetration tester should have. While we can’t realistically expect everyone to have the exact same skill set, there are some commonalities.
1. Mastery of an operating system. I can’t stress how important it is. So many people want to become hackers or systems security experts, without actually knowing the systems they’re supposed to be hacking or securing. It’s common knowledge that once you’re on a target/victim, you need to somewhat put on the hat of a sysadmin. After all, having root means nothing if you don’t know what to do with root. How can you cover your tracks if you don’t even know where you’ve left tracks? If you don’t know the OS in detail, how can you possibly know everywhere things are logged?
2. Good knowledge of networking and network protocols. Being able to list the OSI model DOES NOT qualify as knowing networking and network protocols. You must know TCP in and out. Not just that it stands for Transmission Control Protocol, but actually know that structure of the packet, know what’s in it, know how it works in detail. A good place to start is TCP/IP Illustrated by W. Richard Stevens (either edition works). Know the difference between TCP and UDP. Understand routing, be able to in detail describe how a packet gets from one place to another. Know how DNS works, and know it in detail. Understand ARP, how it’s used, why it’s used. Understand DHCP. What’s the process for getting an automatic IP address? What happens when you plug in? What type of traffic does your NIC generate when it’s plugged in and tries to get an automatically assigned address? Is it layer 2 traffic? Layer 3 traffic?
3. If you don’t understand the things in item 2, then you can’t possibly understand how an ARP Spoof or a MiTM attack actually works. In short how can you violate or manipulate a process, if you don’t even know how the process works, or worse, you don’t even know the process exists! Which brings me to the next point. In general you should be curious as to how things work. I’ve evaluated some awesome products in the last 10 years, and honestly, after I see it work, the first thing that comes to my mind is “how does it work”.
4. Learn some basic scripting. Start with something simple like vbs or Bash. As a matter of fact, I’ll be posting a “Using Bash Scripts to Automate Recon” video tonight. So if you don’t have anywhere else to start, you can start there! Eventually you’ll want to graduate from scripting and start learning to actually code/program or in short write basic software (hello world DOES NOT count).
5. Get yourself a basic firewall, and learn how to configure it to block/allow only what you want. Then practice defeating it. You can find cheap used routers and firewalls on ebay, or maybe ask your company for old ones. Start with simple ACL’s on a router. Learn how to scan past them using basic IP spoofing and other simple techniques. There’s not better way to understand these concepts than to apply them. Once you’re mastered this, you can move to a PIX, or ASA and start the process over again. Start experimenting with trying to push Unicode through it, and other attacks. Spend time on this site and other places to find info on doing these things. Really the point is to learn to do them.
6. Know some forensics! This will only make you better at covering your tracks. The implications should be obvious.
7. Eventually learn a programming language, then learn a few more. Don’t go and by a “How to program in C” book or anything like that. Figure out something you want to automate, or think of something simple you’d like to create. For example, a small port scanner. Grab a few other port scanners (like nmap), look at the source code, see if you can figure any of it out. Then ask questions on forums and other places. Trust me, it’ll start off REALLY shaky, but just keep chugging away!
8. Have a desire and drive to learn new stuff. This is a must; It’s probably more important than everything else listed here. You need to be willing to put in some of your own time (time you’re not getting paid for), to really get a handle on things and stay up to date.
9. Learn a little about databases, and how they work. Go download mysql, read some of the tutorials on how to create simple sample databases. I’m not saying you need to be a DB expert, but knowing the basic constructs help.
10. Always be willing to interact and share your knowledge with like minded professionals and other smart people. Some of the most amazing hackers I know have jobs like pizza delivery, janitorial, one is a marketing exec, another is actually an MD. They do this strictly because they love to. And one thing I see in them all is their excitement and willingness to share what they’ve learned with people who actually care to listen and are interested in the same.
These things should get you started. Let me know if you have questions or comments.
Keatron.
Based on questions I’ve gotten over the years and specifically in class, I’ve decided that we need to address some basic skills that every penetration tester should have. While we can’t realistically expect everyone to have the exact same skill set, there are some commonalities.
1. Mastery of an operating system. I can’t stress how important it is. So many people want to become hackers or systems security experts, without actually knowing the systems they’re supposed to be hacking or securing. It’s common knowledge that once you’re on a target/victim, you need to somewhat put on the hat of a sysadmin. After all, having root means nothing if you don’t know what to do with root. How can you cover your tracks if you don’t even know where you’ve left tracks? If you don’t know the OS in detail, how can you possibly know everywhere things are logged?
2. Good knowledge of networking and network protocols. Being able to list the OSI model DOES NOT qualify as knowing networking and network protocols. You must know TCP in and out. Not just that it stands for Transmission Control Protocol, but actually know that structure of the packet, know what’s in it, know how it works in detail. A good place to start is TCP/IP Illustrated by W. Richard Stevens (either edition works). Know the difference between TCP and UDP. Understand routing, be able to in detail describe how a packet gets from one place to another. Know how DNS works, and know it in detail. Understand ARP, how it’s used, why it’s used. Understand DHCP. What’s the process for getting an automatic IP address? What happens when you plug in? What type of traffic does your NIC generate when it’s plugged in and tries to get an automatically assigned address? Is it layer 2 traffic? Layer 3 traffic?
3. If you don’t understand the things in item 2, then you can’t possibly understand how an ARP Spoof or a MiTM attack actually works. In short how can you violate or manipulate a process, if you don’t even know how the process works, or worse, you don’t even know the process exists! Which brings me to the next point. In general you should be curious as to how things work. I’ve evaluated some awesome products in the last 10 years, and honestly, after I see it work, the first thing that comes to my mind is “how does it work”.
4. Learn some basic scripting. Start with something simple like vbs or Bash. As a matter of fact, I’ll be posting a “Using Bash Scripts to Automate Recon” video tonight. So if you don’t have anywhere else to start, you can start there! Eventually you’ll want to graduate from scripting and start learning to actually code/program or in short write basic software (hello world DOES NOT count).
5. Get yourself a basic firewall, and learn how to configure it to block/allow only what you want. Then practice defeating it. You can find cheap used routers and firewalls on ebay, or maybe ask your company for old ones. Start with simple ACL’s on a router. Learn how to scan past them using basic IP spoofing and other simple techniques. There’s not better way to understand these concepts than to apply them. Once you’re mastered this, you can move to a PIX, or ASA and start the process over again. Start experimenting with trying to push Unicode through it, and other attacks. Spend time on this site and other places to find info on doing these things. Really the point is to learn to do them.
6. Know some forensics! This will only make you better at covering your tracks. The implications should be obvious.
7. Eventually learn a programming language, then learn a few more. Don’t go and by a “How to program in C” book or anything like that. Figure out something you want to automate, or think of something simple you’d like to create. For example, a small port scanner. Grab a few other port scanners (like nmap), look at the source code, see if you can figure any of it out. Then ask questions on forums and other places. Trust me, it’ll start off REALLY shaky, but just keep chugging away!
8. Have a desire and drive to learn new stuff. This is a must; It’s probably more important than everything else listed here. You need to be willing to put in some of your own time (time you’re not getting paid for), to really get a handle on things and stay up to date.
9. Learn a little about databases, and how they work. Go download mysql, read some of the tutorials on how to create simple sample databases. I’m not saying you need to be a DB expert, but knowing the basic constructs help.
10. Always be willing to interact and share your knowledge with like minded professionals and other smart people. Some of the most amazing hackers I know have jobs like pizza delivery, janitorial, one is a marketing exec, another is actually an MD. They do this strictly because they love to. And one thing I see in them all is their excitement and willingness to share what they’ve learned with people who actually care to listen and are interested in the same.
These things should get you started. Let me know if you have questions or comments.
Keatron.
Saturday, 9 July 2011
Pentest sites
http://pentestmag.com/
http://www.pentest-labs.org
http://www.thehackeracademy.com
http://www.ivizsecurity.com/blog/security-books/
http://www.pentest-labs.org
http://www.thehackeracademy.com
http://www.ivizsecurity.com/blog/security-books/
Tuesday, 28 June 2011
Solve Restricted User Issue in SQL Server 2005
SOURCE: http://aliparvaresh.com/archive/2009/07/18/solve-restricted-user-issue-in-sql-server-2005.aspx
Simply run the following the commands against the database which is showing as 'Restricted User':
ALTER DATABASE database SET SINGLE_USER WITH ROLLBACK IMMEDIATE
GO
ALTER DATABASE database SET MULTI_USER
GO
Simply run the following the commands against the database which is showing as 'Restricted User':
ALTER DATABASE database SET SINGLE_USER WITH ROLLBACK IMMEDIATE
GO
ALTER DATABASE database SET MULTI_USER
GO
Sunday, 19 June 2011
Favorite ebook sites
freebookspot.cc
www.ebooktienganh.com
booktraining.us
tutolearning.com
www.flazx.us
bookfi.org
www.ebooktienganh.com
booktraining.us
tutolearning.com
www.flazx.us
bookfi.org
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)