Mastering Defensive Security

An immersive learning experience enhanced with technical, hands-on labs to understand the concepts, methods, tools, platforms, and systems required to master the art of cybersecurity

Key Features

• Get hold of the best defensive security strategies and tools
• Develop a defensive security strategy at an enterprise level
• Get hands-on with advanced cybersecurity threat detection, including XSS, SQL injections, brute forcing web applications, and more

Book Description

Every organization has its own data and digital assets that need to be protected against an ever-growing threat landscape that compromises the availability, integrity, and confidentiality of crucial data. Therefore, it is important to train professionals in the latest defensive security skills and tools to secure them. Mastering Defensive Security provides you with in-depth knowledge of the latest cybersecurity threats along with the best tools and techniques needed to keep your infrastructure secure.

The book begins by establishing a strong foundation of cybersecurity concepts and advances to explore the latest security technologies such as Wireshark, Damn Vulnerable Web App (DVWA), Burp Suite, OpenVAS, and Nmap, hardware threats such as a weaponized Raspberry Pi, and hardening techniques for Unix, Windows, web applications, and cloud infrastructures. As you make progress through the chapters, you'll get to grips with several advanced techniques such as malware analysis, security automation, computer forensics, and vulnerability assessment, which will help you to leverage pentesting for security.

By the end of this book, you'll have become familiar with creating your own defensive security tools using IoT devices and developed advanced defensive security skills.

What you will learn

• Become well versed with concepts related to defensive security
• Discover strategies and tools to secure the most vulnerable factor – the user
• Get hands-on experience using and configuring the best security tools
• Understand how to apply hardening techniques in Windows and Unix environments
• Leverage malware analysis and forensics to enhance your security strategy
• Secure Internet of Things (IoT) implementations
• Enhance the security of web applications and cloud deployments

Who this book is for

This book is for all IT professionals who want to take their first steps into the world of defensive security; from system admins and programmers to data analysts and data scientists with an interest in security. Experienced cybersecurity professionals working on broadening their knowledge and keeping up to date with the latest defensive developments will also find plenty of useful information in this book. You’ll need a basic understanding of networking, IT, servers, virtualization, and cloud platforms before you get started with this book.

Table of Contents

1. A Refresher to Defensive Security Concepts
2. Managing Threats, Vulnerabilities, and Risks
3. Comprehending Policies, Procedures, Compliance, and Audits
4. Patching Layer 8
5. Cybersecurity Technologies and Tools
6. Securing Windows Infrastructures
7. Hardening a Unix Server
8. Enhancing Your Network Defensive Skills
9. Deep Diving into Physical Security
10. Applying IoT Security
11. Secure Development and Deployment on the Cloud
12. Mastering Web App Security
13. Vulnerability Assessment Tools
14. Malware Analysis
15. Leveraging Pentesting for Defensive Security
16. Practicing Forensics
17. Achieving Automation of Security Tools
18. The Master's Compilation of Useful Resources

Cesar Bravo is a researcher and inventor who has more than 100 inventions related to cybersecurity that are being patented in the US, Germany, China, and Japan. Those inventions include cybersecurity hardware, secure IoT systems and devices, and even cybersecurity systems for autonomous cars.

He loves to share knowledge and he has been working with several universities to teach cybersecurity at all levels, from introductory courses for non-IT people up to a master's degree in cybersecurity (for which he has also served as a thesis director).

In recent years, Cesar has become a recognized speaker (including delivering a TEDx talk), giving international presentations about cybersecurity and innovation in the UK, Germany, Mexico, the US, and Spain.