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INFORMATION SECURITY

BASICS:

FUNDAMENTAL READING FOR INFOSEC

INCLUDING THE CISSP, CISM, CCNA-

SECURITY CERTIFICATION EXAMS

RON MCFARLAND, PH.D.

http://www.wrinkledbrain.net

Copyright 2014-2017 by Ron McFarland Ph.D.

http://www.wrinkledbrain.net/

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WHY I WROTE THIS BOOK

I wrote this book because many of my readers and

students have requested preliminary information about

information security as it pertains to the CISSP

(Certified Information Systems Security Professional),

the CISM (Certified Information Security Manager), the

CCNA-Security (Cisco Certified Networking Associate

Security), or other information security exams. Other

readers and learners who were either new or not as

familiar with the information security world have asked

for a fairly easy read that covers many of the

information security aspects that an information

technologist or an information systems.

This book is written in a broad-brush manner. That is, it

is my intention to introduce many of the topics covered

in either the CISSP, CISM or CCNA-Security realms. For

some readers, you might be planning on taking one of

these certification exams. And again, for others, you

wanted to find a quick read on many security topics so

that you are more familiar with the overall field. If this

describes you, this eBook is for you.

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As a further note, while this eBook does cover many

(not all) of the CISSP, CISM and CCNA-Security aspects

and also discusses many Information Security (InfoSec)

topics in general, more detailed books on this subject

are available (with an appropriate heavier cost).

However, in the next several months, I plan on

publishing additional InfoSec, Networking, and Ethical

Hacking eBooks that can supplement your studies.

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WHY YOU SHOULD READ THIS BOOK

This book will help you understand many of the

preliminary topics involved in the very rich and ever-

changing world of Information Security (InfoSec). I

wrote this eBook to assist you, the reader, in

understanding Information Security from the ground

up. The topics in this eBook cover many of the topics

found in as it pertains to the CISSP (Certified

Information Systems Security Professional), the CISM

(Certified Information Security Manager), the CCNA-

Security (Cisco Certified Networking Associate

Security), and other information security exams.

If you are new to the information security world or wish

to brush up on many of the topics in the InfoSec world,

this easy-to-read eBook is for you. It was my intention

to make this an easy read and enjoyable read as we

discuss many information security topics as you,

perhaps, prepare for an interview or prepare to take on

more extensive studying required of many of the

security-related certifications.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS Why I Wrote This Book ............................................................................ 2

Why You Should Read This Book ......................................................... 4

Table of Contents ........................................................................................ 6

Introduction .................................................................................................. 7

Chapter 1. Introduction to Encryption .............................................. 9

Chapter 2. Introduction to Symmetric Key Algorithms .......... 40

Chapter 3. Malware ................................................................................. 53

Chapter 4. Firewalls ................................................................................ 73

Chapter 5. Denial of Service Attacks................................................ 86

Chapter 6. Cryptographic Tools...................................................... 103

Chapter 7. Wireless Security ............................................................ 116

Chapter 8. Operating System Security ......................................... 151

Chapter 9. Database Security ........................................................... 166

Chapter 10. Computer Auditing ..................................................... 183

Summary .................................................................................................. 199

References ............................................................................................... 201

About The Author ................................................................................. 211

Other Books By Ron McFarland ..................................................... 213

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INTRODUCTION

Information Security is a hot topic and, for the

professional information technologist, is an important

set of skills to be proficient in. Further and more

importantly, since we are in this ever-expanding and

ever growing field of information technology and

information systems, having a certification or two in the

information security area can be a boost to our career.

On a very recent Internet search from a reputable

source (Global Knowledge:

http://www.globalknowledge.com/training/generic.as

p?pageid=3430 ), the CISSP (Certified Information

Systems Security Professional) offered by ISC2 was as

the second top-paying industry certification (followed

by the Project Management Professional PMP), which

further emphasizes the importance of the information

security field in the technology industry. Likewise, other

security-related certifications are as important in other

aspects of the information technology and information

security fields.

http://www.globalknowledge.com/training/generic.asp?pageid=3430http://www.globalknowledge.com/training/generic.asp?pageid=3430

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This eBook starts out with a discussion of encryption

and a discussion on various malware, as one focus of

our discussion on securing systems. Also, well discuss

various types of system attacks as well as several

methods to prevent these. Further, well discuss a few

relevant hardware and software-related items like

firewalls, Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS), Intrusion

Protection Systems (IPS), honeypots, and methods of

control for our systems. Further, well discuss database

and programming related security topics like SQL-

injection and good programming practice. Also, well

discuss the relevance of auditing and secure

configuration as it pertains to information systems in

general with a security focus in mind.

And, as a reminder, if any or all of these topics are not

familiar, or if you feel a bit rusty with several (or all) of

these concepts, again, this eBook is for you. Well take a

measured approach to these topics (and a few more) as

we go through our discussion on information security.

Hang on for an interesting ride!

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CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION TO

ENCRYPTION

I know that talking about encryption isnt a sexy topic.

Try talking about encryption at your next social event

and count the number of people who roll their eyes or

who immediately change the topic! However, if youre

reading this eBook, Im going to assume that youre one

of three types of people youre a geek (like me), youre

a wanna-be-geek (as I once was), or a student/learner

interested in information security (I suppose I fit this

category earlier on as well). Well start our discussion

about encryption since it is the basis of much of the

work done in information security.

In general, encryption (of a few flavors) of digitally

stored (also known as static data) and transmitted data

(also known as data in motion) has been important

since computers and networks were first used. Recently

the subject of information security and encryption has

become a topic of high public interest following the

release of documents by Edward Snowden which

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detailed the various eaves-dropping programs by the

NSA (National Security Agency) and other intelligence

agencies that have been collecting organizational and

personal data for a number of years (NSA can be found

at: http://www.nsa.gov/).

First, lets generally discuss what encryption is and why

we do encryption. Many already know, either very

generally or more specifically, what encryption is, but

lets go through the specifics so as not to leave any stone

unturned. Next, lets talk about what a message is, in

terms of information systems or information

technology. This leads into a discussion about what a

key is, especially when we want to encrypt a message.

As a result of encryption, well derive a cipher, which is

essentially a scrambled message. After we get some of

these basic concepts handled, lets talk about both

symmetric key encryption and later about asymmetric

encryption so that we can get these important terms

understood. Well discuss the application of both

symmetric and asymmetric encryption throughout this

book, so lets get started with the details.

http://www.nsa.gov/

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