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17 Dec 2011WebInspect: How SQL injection testing *should* be done
SQL injection is arguably the grandest of all security vulnerabilities. It can be exploited anonymously over the Internet to gain full access to sensitive information - and no one will ever know it occurred. Yet time and again it's either: overlooked by people who don't test all of their critical systems from every possible angle overlooked by people who haven't learned how to properly use their Web vulnerability scanners overlooked ...
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16 Dec 2011
AlgoSec & what happens when you don’t look for flaws from every angle
I recently had the opportunity to see how well AlgoSec's Firewall Analyzer performs in a real-world security assessment. Long story short, Firewall Analyzer found a weak password on an Internet-facing firewall that would've gone undetected otherwise. A traditional vulnerability scanner didn't find it nor did two different Web vulnerability scanners. Nothing was uncovered via manual analysis either.Only AlgoSec's Firewall Analyzer found the weakness...no doubt a flaw that would've been exploited ...
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12 Dec 2011
Why uninterruptible power supplies have higher quality than Web apps
I recently purchased an APC uninterruptible power supply for my office and noticed something peculiar in the packaging. It was a small piece of paper that says "QUALITY ASSURANCE TEST". It has the time, date, operator ID and other identifying information for the specific piece of hardware.As you can see in the image, this QA test sheet has 33 unique tests that were performed on the unit presumably before it ...
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28 Mar 2011
A quick review of WebInspect 9 shows HP’s still got it
It's been a long time coming but it's finally here: HP's WebInspect version 9. I've been using WebInspect for nearly 10 years now and I believe this new version of WebInspect is one of the most significant upgrades they've put out. They've essentially taken what was already one of the best Web vulnerability scanners and have made it better, especially when it comes to workflow and streamlined usability.A few things ...
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17 Feb 2011
Not surprised by the Wells Fargo ATM outage based on what I see
Here's an interesting story about the widespread Wells Fargo ATM outage that occurred last week. There's speculation around the cause of the outage. Was it a hack? Was the system inadvertently taken down during system upgrades? Who knows...What I can say is that virtually every ATM I've come across in my work performing internal security assessments in/around the financial industry has been riddled with security holes. I've seen weak OS ...
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06 Feb 2011
Lessons on Web security threats and testing
Here are some recent webcasts/podcasts I recorded for SearchSoftwareQuality.com (@SoftwareTestTT) on Web application security:Security Lesson: Beating Web application security threatsSecurity Lesson: How to test for common security defectsI feel like I'm just scratching the surface on this topic but, thinking about what's going on out there, many people have yet to realize there's even a problem. Focus on these basics and you're going to eliminate the large majority of Web ...
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24 Jan 2011
Web application security testing: how much is enough?
How often should you test your Web sites and apps for #security flaws? Well, it depends of course! Here's a new bit I wrote where I delve into the different variables and things you need to be thinking about:How often should you test your web applications?Enjoy....
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11 Jan 2011
My “new” book on ethical hacking turns 1
Today marks the one year anniversary of the publication of my "new" book Hacking For Dummies, 3rd edition.Wow, how time has flown by! Thanks so much to those of you who have provided both kind words and constructive criticism via your emails, Amazon.com reviews, and in your own independent sites and blogs. No doubt it'll soon be time to start planning out the 4th edition. Until then......
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11 Jan 2011
Tidbits on MS security, MBSA vs. the competition & cloud backups
Here are a few new articles I wrote for TechTarget where I talk about IIS 7.5 security, encrypting Windows Server drives, MBSA vs. commercial vulnerability scanners and the dearly beloved cloud backup services. Enjoy!How vulnerable is Microsoft IIS 7.5 to attacks?Pros and cons of Windows Server drive encryptionWeighing MBSA against paid vulnerability scannersPreventing online backup security threats to your network...
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23 Dec 2010
Quick step-through of Metasploit Express
I've been raving about the penetration testing tool Metasploit for a while. With the release of Metasploit Express earlier this year I'm even more pleased with all the efforts HD Moore and his team have put forth. Metasploit Express is a commercial product you'll have to pay for but to me it's well worth the investment. It's easier to use, it has nice reporting and more. All the things we ...
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Resources
Client Testimonials
“A business associate referred our company to Principle Logic when we were seeking a resource to perform vulnerability /penetration testing for our external and internal networks. We found Kevin Beaver to be professional, well informed, and easy to work with. His testing did not disrupt our networks, and his progress updates were timely.
His final report was very thorough and included security recommendations for our network environment. The executive leadership was so impressed with Kevin’s security expertise, they have extended their agreement to continue to perform periodic testing. We highly recommend Kevin Beaver and Principle Logic as a resource for network security testing.”
(IT managed services firm)
Kevin has written/co-written 12 books on information security including one of the best-sellers of all time:
