Where do I get started? What do I need to know?

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mike208

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Jul 23, 2004
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Newb with decent computer knowledge and some networking knowledge, wants to learn PC/network security, where do i start?


Okay here goes. I am a newb trying to find something to mess around with, and maybe eventually do for a living. I would like to try out something like PC/Network security, and see if I like it. But I have no idea where to start. I soon plan to get my own network setup, but it will likely only consist of 2 maybe 3 computers.

I have seen a lot of posts everywhere saying "teach me how to hack", thats not what I am looking for really. Obviously your not likely to teach me to hack, since its illegal, and I don't really want to do it, since I coudl go to jail and that would suck. I'm sure I will give it a try on my own systems, once I get a network setup, but first I need to learn the basics. I'm not a total turd, I am A+ certified(not that that makes me special or smart or anything)and I know a bit about networking, since I had been studying for Net+ a while back, but decided against paying for another cert that would likely not benefit me without more knowledge. So now I am tryign to figure out how to gain that knowledge.

So what is a good way to tackle this, where should I start first, learning about network stuff some more, or more about the internet, or software or OS's??????? Is reading any of the many books on the subject worth while, or a waste of time and money? If its good, which one is good? I am also starting to learn linux, not sure if this helps at all, but this is just something I wanted to do. What i don't want to do, is be like all the other turds out there that study for and pass thier MCSE or whatever, but yet have no real knowledge of what they are doing. That was the way I started out, but realized it was not the right idea, but I have no idea what the right way to go is. SO any help or guidance you can provide is great. I will post back later tonight, so if you want any more info from me, just ask.
 
Learning how to hack is not illegal, as long as you only hack your own computers. It's when you gain unauthorized access to someone else's system that it becomes illegal.

The first thing you should do is set up some kind of UNIX distribution - Linux or BSD, your choice. I prefer OpenBSD, but that's just me. Everyone has their own favorite, from FreeBSD or NetBSD to any one of a dozen Linux varients.

Once you've got a UNIX distribution set up, start exploring the basics. Download nmap (www.insecure.org/nmap) and take a look at your Windows computers - see what ports they've got open, and try to figure out why they're open, etc. Learn all you can about TCP/IP. It's a very advanced subject and will take some time to get a lot of knowledge about it, but it'll be worth it if you're really into network security.

Work on setting up configurable firewalls, see how to prevent services from being accessed from the internet. Learn about routing, switching, encryption.

I don't think there's any good "ABCs to Network Security" or "Network Security in 24 Hours", because security isn't a static process - you cannot set up a system, go "Okay, it's secure", and ignore it. It requires constant work.
 
If this is something that you're interested in for the sake of knowing it, and something you can motivate yourself to learn; Then I'd suggest going out to a bookstore and taking a look at the books relating to network security and TCP/IP. The best thing I can think of for you to do is to find a book about what you're interested in, something that's right in line with your level of knowledge. Then of course as you're going along in the book, it'd be great if you had a setup at home that you could toy around with, as learning hands on is much better than just reading and trying to memorize facts.

Edit: If you're looking for a more specific response, you can try taking a look at the Security+ book by Mike Meyers. I've always found his books to be engaging and easy to follow. And if you've already got an A+ with Net+ experience, the Sec+ book is the next logical step. Obviously you wouldnt have to take the exam, but it's still a great way to learn.
 
Thanks for the info guys, thats about what I was expecting. Looks like I will have to continue on gaining funds for another system, hopefully it won't take too long, as I already have all the main components(motherboard, CPU, RAM, hard drive). But I am also trying to move soon, so money is tight.

I also have been working on getting soem linux installed, but it isn't going so well, been having trouble with gentoo. But it looks like it was a stupid mistake on my part. I downloaded the i386 version, and I am using an Opteron, and was getting an ebuild masked type of error after whiel trying to emerge grub-static. Looks like I will have to wait till I can get the right ISO, or try the slackware I have, will have to look into it.
 
Also, I think adding a little programming would be a nic elittle addition that should come in handy. I don't want to be a programmer, but having that as a skill would be nice. Since I don't think I mentioned it yet, I am considering going to my local community college, and get an associates in Microcomputing technology, in the networking technician track. Since as I figured and as you have said, learning the networking aspect will help a lot.

But I don't like a couple of the classes they offer with it, and have been told I coudl substitute those for others in the same area(in this case technical)so I think i could take 2-3 programming classes, so what language would be the best for me to learn?
 
You're probably going to want to learn C (lots of basic networking stuff, as well as most operating systems are written in C and C++), also Perl (very handy scripting language).
 
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