Table Of ContentALL IN ONE
GSEC GIAC® Security Essentials Certification
EXAM GUIDE
Ric Messier
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This book is dedicated to Kathleen, without whom I would not be on this path.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ric Messier, GSEC, CEH, CISSP, is an IT security professional who first experienced worldwide
networking on the BITNET in the early 1980s. Since that time, he has been heavily involved with
networking and security. Through a career of programming, testing, systems administration, network
management, penetration testing, project management, and architecture and design, security has been
a core and guiding principle behind it all. Ric has worked with the largest service providers, leading
teams that developed security products, and providing security leadership to other development
teams, including teams working on Voice over IP service offerings. He has also managed small
business networks and consulted for a number of small business owners. He operates a small
consulting business, working with customers such as Fortune 500 businesses, with a range of security
and networking needs. Ric has been a contributor to Hakin9 and PenTest magazines and has spoken at
Interop, New York. Ric currently teaches networking and security courses to graduate students at
Brandeis University and undergraduates at Champlain College. He has also developed video training
titles on ethical hacking, computer forensics, and networking with TCP/IP.
About the Technical Editor
Brice “Kelly” Sparks, CEH, CISSP, is the Information Assurance Manager (IAM) for the United
States Missile Defense Agency Test Directorate and has more than 30 years’ experience in the
Information Assurance and Network Security field. Kelly’s experience includes 20 years in the U.S.
Air Force specializing in Electronic Systems Security Assessment, Information Operations,
Electronic Warfare training, and Operations Security. Prior to joining the Missile Defense Agency, he
served as the Senior Principle Cyber Security Analyst with Dynetics Inc. for nine years, specializing
in Certification and Accreditation, Network Vulnerability Assessment, and Penetration Testing,
providing service to multiple Department of Defense and commercial technology clients. He has
more than eight years of teaching experience as an adjunct faculty member at University of Alabama
in Huntsville, has been technical trainer for the U.S. Air Force Information Operations School, and
been technical trainer for the U.S. Navy Network Security and Vulnerability technician course. Kelly
holds an Associate’s Degree in Intelligence Analysis from the Community College of the Air Force, a
bachelor ’s degree in computer science from Park University, and a master ’s degree in network
security from Capitol College.
CONTENTS AT A GLANCE
Chapter 1 Information Security and the GIAC Security Essentials Certification
Chapter 2 Networking Fundamentals
Chapter 3 Network Design
Chapter 4 Authentication and Access Control
Chapter 5 Network Security
Chapter 6 Linux
Chapter 7 Windows
Chapter 8 Encryption
Chapter 9 Risk Management
Chapter 10 Virtual Machines
Chapter 11 Vulnerability Control
Chapter 12 Malware
Chapter 13 Physical Security
Chapter 14 Wireless Technologies
Chapter 15 VoIP
Appendix A About the Download
Appendix B Practice Exam
Permissions
Index
CONTENTS
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Chapter 1 Information Security and the GIAC Security Essentials Certification
The Evolution and Importance of Security
Types of Security Threats
Malware
Identity Theft
Mobile Devices
Denial of Service
Insider Threats
About SANS
About the GSEC Certification
Who the Exam Is For
About the Exam
The Purpose of This Book
Chapter 2 Networking Fundamentals
History of TCP/IP
Networking Stacks
The OSI Model
TCP/IP Architecture
Protocols
Internet Protocol
IP Version 4 Headers
Addressing
Fragmentation
Internet Protocol Version 6
Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP)
Transmission Control Protocol (TCP)
Reliable Delivery
The Mitnick–Shimomura Attack
User Datagram Protocol (UDP)
Domain Name System (DNS)
Chapter Review
Questions
Answers
Exercise Answers
Chapter 3 Network Design
Cable Types
Coaxial Cable
Twisted Pair
Fiber Optics
Topologies
Bus Topology
Star Topology
Mesh Topology
Full Mesh Topology
Ring Topology
Switching
Ethernet
Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM)
Hubs, Bridges, and Switches
Routing
Distance Vector Routing
Link-State Routing
Security Mechanisms
Routers
Firewalls
Intrusion Detection Systems
Chapter Review
Questions
Answers
Exercise 3-1 Answer
Chapter 4 Authentication and Access Control
Authentication
Credentials
Token-Based Authentication
Biometrics
RADIUS
TACACS/TACACS+
Web-Based Authentication
Basic Authentication
Multifactor Authentication
Authorization
Principle of Least Privilege
Accounting
Access Control
Discretionary Access Control
Mandatory Access Control
Role-Based Access Control
Attribute-Based Access Control
Single Sign-On
Chapter Review
Questions
Answers
Exercise 4-1 Answer
Chapter 5 Network Security
Common Attacks
Protocol Attacks
Malware
Network Attacks
Web-Based Attacks
Phishing and Drive-by Downloading
Defense in Depth
Security Through Obscurity
Firewalls
Network-Based Firewalls
Host-Based Firewalls
Intrusion Defense
Intrusion Detection
Intrusion Prevention
Anti-Virus Software
Vulnerability Management
Honeypots
Chapter Review
Questions
Answers
Exercise 5-2 Answer
Chapter 6 Linux
UNIX History
GNU
The Kernel
Filesystem Layout
Using Linux
General Utilities
File Management
Process Management
Networking
Software Management
Debian
RedHat/CentOS
Slackware
Boot Process
Process Management
Processes and Threads
Process Tools
Signals
System Management
Backups
Patch Management
Job Scheduling
User Management
Configuration
Logging and Log Management
Security Tools
SELinux
TripWire
iptables
AppArmor
Chapter Review
Questions
Answers
Exercise Answers
Chapter 7 Windows
Windows History
Windows 3.x and Windows NT 3.x
Windows 9x, NT 4.0, and Windows 2000
Windows XP and Beyond
Windows Networking
Basic Configuration
Networking Utilities
Securing Windows Networking
Resource Management
Windows Workgroups vs. Windows Domains
Active Directory
Users and Groups
Resource Sharing
Policies and Policy Management
Windows Management
Automation
Configuration
Auditing
User Rights
Permissions
Registry
Windows Security
EFS and BitLocker
Updates and Hotfixes
Service Packs
Backups
Security Templates
Securing Windows Services
Securing Windows Services
IIS
SQL Server
Terminal Services
Chapter Review
Questions
Answers
Answers to Exercises
Chapter 8 Encryption
Important Dates in Cryptography History
Foundations
Diffie-Hellman
RSA
Digest Algorithms
Cryptographic Attacks
X.509 Certificates
Public Key Infrastructure (PKI)
S/MIME
Pretty Good Privacy (PGP)
Symmetric Encryption
DES and Triple DES
AES
Asymmetric Encryption
SSL and TLS
Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)
IPSec
Steganography
Kerberos
Chapter Review
Questions
Answers
Exercise Answers
Chapter 9 Risk Management
Regulatory
Risk Management
Cost-Benefit Analysis
Quantitative Risk Assessment
Qualitative Risk Assessment
Risk Management Strategies
Security Policies
Data at Rest
Contingency Plans
Disaster Recovery
Incident Handling
The Legal Impact of Incidents
Information Warfare
OPSEC
Chapter Review
Questions
Answers
Exercise 9-1 Answer
Chapter 10 Virtual Machines
Virtual Machine History
Emulation and the PC Era
Application Virtualization
Virtual Memory
Paging Algorithms
Security Implications
Reasons for Virtualizing
Hypervisors
Virtual Resources
