Security eBooks

Computer security is a technical and social problem. It is just as much about social relationships as it is about computers as tools. Internet security professionals are as concerned with how people use information as they are with how machines manipulate and process that information. This book is a case study of how the knowledge systems articulated by computer antivirus industry professionals affect technological security.

Antivirus products nowadays almost always come bundled with some forms of proactive detection based on application behaviours. Many antivirus products in the market claim that they can detect and stop new and unknown threats with minimum use of traditional byte matching signatures. However, behavioural based detection is not the ultimate solution and can be circumvented. A few companies carry out independent tests to rate the capabilities of the antivirus to stop new and unknown threats.

Local company pays ransom of $150,000 to stop hackers from exploiting their clients and deleting all files." This is the headline we'll never see yet it happens all the time. Why do we not hear about it?  Because the last thing a business wants the public to know is they were hacked and for customers to lose confidence in their company. Ransomware for consumers are those pop-up messages that say you've been hacked and to pay $29 for a 'pc cleaner' and all will be well.

Traditional signature-based malware detectors identify malware by scanning untrusted binaries for distinguishing byte sequences or features. Features unique to malware are maintained in a signature database, which must be continually updated as new malware is discovered and analyzed. Signature-based malware detection generally enforces a static approximation of some desired dynamic (i.e., behavioral) security policy.

Currently there are thousands ofnew computer viruses or other types of malware discovered each month.  Many of these threats are designed to resistdetection, and removal, and may disable the execution of your antivirus software, and your computer’s ability to connect to online scanning that can provide remediation.  Still other threats reinstall themselves almost as quickly as they are removed.  Asthreats to our personal information and computer systems grow, so doour tools to attempt to fight them.  Unfortunately it is not always possible to be prepared for every threat.

Your neighbor stops you at your curb.  He knows you‟re a computer security guru and wants to know the secret to protecting his computer from hackers. You need to get back to mowing the lawn and don‟t really have time to explain log monitoring, patch management, vulnerability assessments, penetration testing, least required access, the CIA triad, and the finer points of risk management. Besides, you know you’re the only guy on the block with syslog servers, hardware firewalls, IDS and HIPS watching the one computer in your house that you only use for online banking.

Malware analysis is big business, and attacks can cost a company dearly. When malware breaches your defenses, you need to act quickly to cure current infections and prevent future ones from occurring. For those who want to stay ahead of the latest malware, Practical Malware Analysis will teach you the tools and techniques used by professional analysts. With this book as your guide, you'll be able to safely analyze, debug, and disassemble any malicious software that comes your way.

The Antivirus Hacker's Handbook guides you through the process of reverse engineering antivirus software. You explore how to detect and exploit vulnerabilities that can be leveraged to improve future software design, protect your network, and anticipate attacks that may sneak through your antivirus' line of defense. You'll begin building your knowledge by diving into the reverse engineering process, which details how to start from a finished antivirus software program and work your way back through its development using the functions and other key elements of the software.