Chapter Summary

This chapter examined the ways an attacker selects his targets, as those of opportunity or those of choice. Ultimately, you learned that everyone is a target, and the true differentiator comes when attackers either stumble across an unprotected target or when there is perhaps a deeper and more malicious intent in the attacker’s selection.

After attackers determine that you are a target, they employ six common steps, which form the components of the attack whose goal is the ultimate compromise of a system.

This chapter also discussed online places to learn more about network security. These places were the “good guys,” and it is important to point them out because most locations on the Internet are the bad guys; be careful visiting these websites! Instead, read the last part of this chapter, where a few of the attacks and possible exploits were discussed. The following chapter discusses the next step in understanding network security—security policies, which are the first step in protection.