The Practice of Network Security Monitoring

The Practice of Network Security Monitoring: Understanding Incident Detection and Response

Network security is not simply about building impenetrable walls — determined attackers will eventually overcome traditional defenses. The most effective computer security strategies integrate network security monitoring (NSM): the collection and analysis of data to help you detect and respond to intrusions.

In The Practice of Network Security Monitoring, Mandiant CSO Richard Bejtlich shows you how to use NSM to add a robust layer of protection around your networks — no prior experience required. To help you avoid costly and inflexible solutions, he teaches you how to deploy, build, and run an NSM operation using open source software and vendor-neutral tools.

You’ll learn how to:

• Determine where to deploy NSM platforms, and size them for the monitored networks
• Deploy stand-alone or distributed NSM installations
• Use command line and graphical packet analysis tools, and NSM consoles
• Interpret network evidence from server-side and client-side intrusions
• Integrate threat intelligence into NSM software to identify sophisticated adversaries

There’s no foolproof way to keep attackers out of your network. But when they get in, you’ll be prepared. The Practice of Network Security Monitoring will show you how to build a security net to detect, contain, and control them. Attacks are inevitable, but losing sensitive data shouldn’t be.

Table of Contents

Part I. Getting Started
Chapter 1. Network Security Monitoring Rationale
Chapter 2. Collecting Network Traffic: Access, Storage, and Management

Part II. Security Onion Deployment
Chapter 3. Stand-alone NSM Deployment and Installation
Chapter 4. Distributed Deployment
Chapter 5. SO Platform Housekeeping

Part III. Tools
Chapter 6. Command Line Packet Analysis Tools
Chapter 7. Graphical Packet Analysis Tools
Chapter 8. NSM Consoles

Part IV. NSM in Action
Chapter 9. NSM Operations
Chapter 10. Server-side Compromise
Chapter 11. Client-side Compromise
Chapter 12. Extending SO
Chapter 13. Proxies and Checksums