CEH_ Official Certified Ethical Hacker Review Guide_ Exam 312-50 - Kimberly Graves [12]
Stolen equipment A stolen-equipment hack simulates theft of a critical information resource such as a laptop owned by an employee. Information such as usernames, passwords, security settings, and encryption types can be gained by stealing a laptop.
Social engineering A social-engineering attack checks the integrity of the organization's employees by using the telephone or face-to-face communication to gather information for use in an attack. Social engineering attacks can be used to acquire usernames, passwords, or other organizational security measures.
Physical entry A physical-entry attack attempts to compromise the organization's physical premises. An ethical hacker who gains physical access can plant viruses, Trojans, rootkits, or hardware key loggers (physical device used to record keystrokes) directly on systems in the target network.
Testing Types
When performing a security test or penetration test, an ethical hacker utilizes one or more types of testing on the system. Each type simulates an attacker with different levels of knowledge about the target organization. These types are as follows:
Black box Black-box testing involves performing a security evaluation and testing with no prior knowledge of the network infrastructure or system to be tested. Testing simulates an attack by a malicious hacker outside the organization's security perimeter.
White box White-box testing involves performing a security evaluation and testing with complete knowledge of the network infrastructure such as a network administrator would have.
Grey box Grey-box testing involves performing a security evaluation and testing internally. Testing examines the extent of access by insiders within the network.
Ethical Hacking Report
The result of a network penetration test or security audit is an ethical hacking report. This report details the results of the hacking activity, the types of tests performed, and the hacking methods used. These results are compared against the work scheduled prior to the Conduct Security Evaluation phase. Any vulnerabilities identified are detailed, and countermeasures are suggested. This document is usually delivered to the organization in hard-copy format, for security reasons.
The details of the ethical hacking report must be kept confidential, because they highlight the organization's security risks and vulnerabilities. If this document falls into the wrong hands, the results could be disastrous for the organization.
Understanding the Legal Implications
of Hacking
An ethical hacker should know the penalties of unauthorized hacking into a system. No ethical hacking activities associated with a network-penetration test or security audit should begin until a signed legal document giving the ethical hacker express permission to perform the hacking activities is received from the target organization. Ethical hackers need to be judicious with their hacking skills and recognize the consequences of misusing those skills.
Computer crimes can be broadly categorized into two categories: crimes facilitated by a computer and crimes where the computer is the target.
The two most important U.S. laws regarding computer crimes are described in the following section. Although the CEH exam is international in scope, make sure you familiarize yourself with these two U.S. statutes and the punishment for hacking. Remember, intent doesn't make a hacker above the law; even an ethical hacker can be prosecuted for breaking these laws.
The Cyber Security Enhancement Act of 2002 mandates life sentences for hackers who "recklessly" endanger the lives of others. Malicious hackers who create a life-threatening situation by attacking computer networks for transportation systems, power companies, or other public services or utilities can be prosecuted under this law.
Understanding 18 U.S.C. § 1029 and
1030 U.S. Federal Law
The U.S. Code categorizes and defines the