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Defcon16 (2008)

So, I’m getting ready to head off to Defcon16.

Talk about acting paranoid, I’ve imaged my laptop, wiped out my usb key, changed my passwords, and decided to no turn on my phone while in Vegas.  Why?  Well, I just happen to be walking into what has been described as “The most hostile network in the world.” I mean, these are the people that create all of the 0Day exploits, they are the ones that find out that your new “iPhone” has 12 vulnerabilities that no one knows about, and this is their proving ground.  This is where they say “Look at what I found!”, then proceed to p0wn you.

I’m actually surprised I’m even considering letting my laptop touch the network.  This just might be the Defcon where someone decideds to show how to hide a root kit in the hardware (beyond the hard drive) so that it owns you even after you wipe your hard drive.

Oh well, can’t live life without chances.  Wish me luck, I hope to bring back lots more info.

Ubuntu Install

So the Ubuntu install went flawlessly, I grabbed (Ubuntu 8.04 LTS (Long-Term Support)), and went throught the default installs.

So far, everything except the fingerprint reader (and even that works in the bios) seems to be working, including the overhead LCD keyboard light.  (w00t)

I spent a bit of time, making sure the existing packages are upto date, configuring the environment for my linking (setting CAPSLOCK to CTRL, window settings, etc), mostly cosmetic stuff.   The only external program I’ve installed is (Gnome do) which is a great keyboard launcher.

I plan to install programs as I need them so you can can keep track of my progress via this blog.

Where to start

So the first problem is where to start. Do I dive into the community and start throwing questions left and right? Do I pickup some books and study at home? Take a class?  No, I think I first need a home, a foundation of which to build my knowledge. This will be my fortress, and my sword. I need a laptop.

The Hardware…

What laptop will be the best or most compatible with the tools I want to run? Should I rely on the built-in components, or look to adding bluetooth cards, wifi adapters, cellular broadband, etc?  Do I want something portable and easy to move around?  Do I want something adaptable or upgradeable?  Should it has special features like hardware encryption or finger print readers?

Luckily this is the easiest one to answer:  “Use what you have on hand.”

Yes, sometimes the hardware you have doesn’t play well with the OS, but you can supplement them with extra components (Wifi chipset is not packet injecting friendly?  Then grab an EDIMAX EW-7318USg, etc)

I happen to have gotten an IBM/Lenovo T41 through a friends “Employee Purchase Plan”, and as a bonus, the IBM/Lenovo series of hardware has always played well with the Linux side of things.  Most of the time the hardware is well supported.

The OS..

Windows, Linux, MAC? Those really are the major choices, you could argue a few other Unices like BSD, SUN, etc.  Over all the winner here is anything based off of a *nix kernel.  Why?  You don’t need to purchase the OS (in most cases), incredible flexibility and adaptability, server and desktop capability natively, better security, more availability of security software, larger community, faster updates, etc (the list really does go on and on).

I think I’m going to go with Ubuntu and then run any “Windows only” apps in a VMWare image.  I decided against a specialized security distro because most of them are designed as Live-CD’s.  This means that they are not really meant to run long term.  There rarely are any updating components for the OS (packages yes, OS no), so if a security flaw is found in one of the CD’s components, you have to manually remaster a CD with the patched packages.  This can be problematic.  If you are running off of a hard drive, you can manually identify the packages and upgrade/patch them, but this seems to be more work than I want to handle.  I chose Ubuntu because it plays well with most hardware, it has a good package management system (strong bonus), it is based off of Debian which tends to be stable and well patched, and I’ve noticed it being used by other security professionals.

Now as a side note, I hear that Back|Track 4 (WAY off on the horizon) is supposed to be moving away from the Live-CD and becoming more of a standalone distribution.  I look forward to that day .

I’ll let you know how the install goes.

And so it begins

What’s going on?

So I decided that it was time to start putting more time into my interest in system and network security. I’ve been involved with tech for over 20 years now and along the way I’ve picked up a few tools and tricks. I know nmap, I’ve cracked WEP keys, I’ve been to Defcon (twice), I even took the CEH class back in 2006 but the instructor was not as interactive as I wanted and so we really didn’t get that much hands on. I have yet to take the exam because I kept “planning” on putting aside time to study, but never got around to it.

Why this site?

One thing I’ve learned is that by teaching/showing/sharing you inadvertently learn more yourself. It forces you to digest what you know and then reformat it for others to understand. So I figure, if I want to build my security/hacking skillz, then I should put it online to share with others. I plan to explore what it is like to start from the beginning (become the grasshopper) and build up from there.

What’s the plan?

I’m starting as a n00b, figuring out how to get involved with the security community, what OS to use, what software & hardware works, what sites to follow, what events to visit (within my budget), what techniques work best, etc.

I hope you find something interesting or useful while you are here.