Intrusion Prevention and Active Response (Syngress) -- This is the first book-length work that specifically concentrates on the concept, implementation, and implications of intrusion prevention and active response. The authors establish a common understanding of the terminology and then compare the many approaches to intrusion prevention. In short, this book serves as a reference for next-generation IDS technology that provides active response and intrusion prevention functions both at the network and host levels.

DHCP and DNS Security -- In this excerpt, Mike Danseglio explores the core network services of DHCP and DNS. These services are essential to most IP networks today in that they respectively provide automatic addressing and name resolution. However, their security considerations and safe operations are often neglected. Mike shows you how these services work, how they're vulnerable to attack, and how to protect them against attacks when possible. Mike is the author of Securing Windows Server 2003.

Fear and Loathing in Information Security -- "Society has always treated innovators and whistle blowers with ambivalence," writes author Michael D. Bauer in reference to hackers. In this article, Michael defines and analyzes hacking. He then discusses why information security professionals demonize hackers and why that tendency is both irrational and counterproductive. Michael is the author of Linux Server Security, 2nd Edition.

Remove Me! Do those unsubscribe links actually work, or are they just another spammer scam? In this Salon.com article, Brian McWilliams goes undercover in the world of fake Rolexes to find the answer. Brian is the author of Spam Kings.

Brian McWilliams on Future Tense -- In a recent broadcast of Public Radio's "Future Tense," Jon Gordon spoke with investigative reporter and book author Brian McWilliams. Spammers do their best to stay in the shadows, but Brian exposes many of them in his new book, Spam Kings.

Chongq and the Spam Vampires -- Clearly, many internet users aren't satisfied with striking a truce with spammers. New, retaliatory anti-spam tools are on the rise, demonstrating that desperation is the mother of spam-fighting invention. Brian McWilliams talks about the "Make Love, Not Spam" campaign, chongqed.org, and the spam vampires. Brian is the author of Spam Kings.

Sources of Network Vulnerability Information -- To maintain security, it's vital to be aware of the latest threats posed to your network and its components. You should regularly check the latest public information about vulnerabilities and exploit scripts. Here are some lists of web sites and mailing lists that security consultants and hackers use on a daily basis, from Appendix B of Network Security Assessment. If you like this chapter, read the whole book (and up to nine others) on Safari with a free trial subscription.

Review: Network Security Hacks -- In this book review, Jim Huddle writes, "There are plenty of things an administrator can do to minimize obvious risks to the company's network. With Network Security Hacks, the admin has a very good starting point with one hundred things she can do right away." Network Security Hacks.

Wireless Security and the Open1X Project -- Open1X is an open source project focusing on network security. The wireless adoption of this technology is referred to as 802.1X. Matthew Gast went to the University of Utah to talk about it with Chris Hessing and Terry Simmons, who are intent on bringing standards-based wireless security to Linux, Mac OS X, and Windows clients. Matthew is the author of 802.11 Wireless Networks: The Definitive Guide.

Spam Kings Author Shares Insights, Spam-Prevention Tips -- In this interview with TechSoup, Brian McWilliams talks about the most effective way to fight spam, anti-spam legislation, why spammers spam, the types of scam people most often fall for, and much more. Brian is the author of the recently released Spam Kings.

Open Source Security: Still a Myth -- Open source may have many benefits over closed systems, but don't count security among them--yet. This article by John Viega looks at why open source software may currently be less secure than its commercial counterparts. John is a coauthor of Secure Programming Cookbook for C and C++.

Russian Denies Authoring "SoBig" Worm -- The SoBig computer worm that ran rampant on the internet in 2003 is the subject of a new, anonymously authored report that definitively claims Ruslan Ibragimov, the owner of the Russian-based bulk email company Send-Safe, as its creator. Ibragimov flatly denies the report's claim in an online interview with Brian McWilliams, author of Spam Kings.

Stealing the Network: A Prequel -- Ryan Russell has written this tale of a '70s-era security hack, set at a tech company on the East Coast. What real-world company he used as a backdrop is up to you to guess. This short bit of fiction provides a real sense of the concept behind the book he's coauthored, Stealing the Network: How to Own a Continent (from Syngress).

Point-and-Click Phishing -- Brian McWilliams examines a recent phishing attack and talks to the hacker, an eighteen-year-old software whiz, who wrote the powerful spamware program that made it possible. Brian is the author of O'Reilly's upcoming Spam Kings.

Google Your Site for Security Vulnerabilities -- The fact that Google indexes pages you might never have known were public is both good and bad. It's good when you're searching for specialized or esoteric information. It's bad when Google indexes potential security vulnerabilities on your site. Nitesh Dhanjani demonstrates how to use the Google API to help identify your inadvertently shared secrets.