Don makes some good points here, and I'd just like to add a few things. I took
the CEH course at the InfoSec Institute in Chicago. The class was extremely
well done. The target servers, the network, and the attack machines
outstanding, and performed as I had hoped. The instructor, Jack Koziol, was
absolutely top-drawer. But here's my warning, this course is (for the most
part) for complete beginners. But beginners in the arena of pen testing, not
TCP/IP, nor Linux. What struck me about the class was the fact that most of
the participants had completely ignored the list of prerequisites. Most had
never even seen a Linux box, and had no idea how to even change directories.
Accepting this as a premise, you can imagine their complete lack of any TCP/IP
knowledge. So if you don't know what a SYN flag is, spend your money on TCP/IP
Illustrated Vol. I, and don't waste your time and money on a hacking class. No
one can teach you to be a hacker. You learn the protocols, and then you start
thinking like one. That notwithstanding, if URG-PSH-FIN means something to
you, and you don't need why/when/how to use NMAP explained to you, Don is spot
on...learn to use the basic tools yourself and look into the advanced class
when you're ready. I'd like to add the disclaimer that I have no affiliation
whatsoever with the InfoSec Institute other than my company paid for me to take
their class. Like Don said, there are good guys out there with valuable
training, and there are tons of bad guys who will take your money and teach you
nothing. Koziol is one of the good guys, and it was apparent to me that a
great deal of thought and effort went into the design and execution of his
class. That's my $.02.
Best regards and many thanks to all who contribute. We get so much from guys
like fyodor, rfp, Dragorn, shmoo group, Renaud Deraison, David Litchfield,
Solar Designer, Dug Song, and a hundred others I'm forgetting (sorry, but
everyone has their favorites), it's cool to see so many people giving back.
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Not to beat this topic to death again but my two cents worth are as follows;
You are far better off taking some time to learn how all of the tools work
in your own home lab. This gives you the luxury of time to play with them,
and will save you a bundle of money to boot. The security industry is
already rife with certfication bodies, and all are not created equal. To be
honest you would be best off going with an established cert such as the
CISSP, or one of the GIAC ones for that matter. Cert recognition by the HR
dept can be pivotal in your getting a job.
Also with most of these types of "learn how to hack" courses there is, or
should be a healthy list of prerequisite skills ie: knowledge of certain
tools, tcp/ip, programming concepts.... What some or most of these courses
teach is how to formalize your approach to a pen-test. That can also be
learned though a book vice paying a large sum of money to learn what I would
consider the obvious.
To sum up what I would advise people to do is simply learn on your own. That
is after all one of the greatest assets of the hacker is it not? Self
motivation and tenacity coupled with curiousity will go a long way in
helping you down the road to getting into the computer security field.
Cheers,
Don
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Don Parker, GCIA
Intrusion Detection Specialist
1.613.302.2910(c)
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