Practical Malware Analysis: The Hands-On Guide to Dissecting Malicious Software

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1593272901 ISBN 13: 9781593272906

Publisher: No Starch Press, 2012

Malware analysis is big business, and attacks can cost a company dearly. When malware breaches your defenses, you need to act quickly to cure current infections and prevent future ones from occurring.

For those who want to stay ahead of the latest malware, Practical Malware Analysis will teach you the tools and techniques used by professional analysts. With this book as your guide, you'll be able to safely analyze, debug, and disassemble any malicious software that comes your way.

You'll learn how to:
–Set up a safe virtual environment to analyze malware
–Quickly extract network signatures and host-based indicators
–Use key analysis tools like IDA Pro, OllyDbg, and WinDbg
–Overcome malware tricks like obfuscation, anti-disassembly, anti-debugging, and anti-virtual machine techniques
–Use your newfound knowledge of Windows internals for malware analysis
–Develop a methodology for unpacking malware and get practical experience with five of the most popular packers
–Analyze special cases of malware with shellcode, C++, and 64-bit code

Hands-on labs throughout the book challenge you to practice and synthesize your skills as you dissect real malware samples, and pages of detailed dissections offer an over-the-shoulder look at how the pros do it. You'll learn how to crack open malware to see how it really works, determine what damage it has done, thoroughly clean your network, and ensure that the malware never comes back.

Malware analysis is a cat-and-mouse game with rules that are constantly changing, so make sure you have the fundamentals. Whether you're tasked with securing one network or a thousand networks, or you're making a living as a malware analyst, you'll find what you need to succeed in Practical Malware Analysis.

Review:

Praise for Practical Malware Analysis

“The book every malware analyst should keep handy.”
--Richard Bejtlich, CSO, Mandiant & Founder of TaoSecurity

“An excellent crash course in malware analysis.”
--Dino Dai Zovi, Independent Security Consultant

“. . . the most comprehensive guide to analysis of malware, offering detailed coverage of all the essential skills required to understand the specific challenges presented by modern malware.”
--Chris Eagle, Senior Lecturer of Computer Science at the Naval Postgraduate School

“A hands-on introduction to malware analysis. I'd recommend it to anyone who wants to dissect Windows malware.”
--Ilfak Guilfanov, Creator of IDA Pro

“. . . a great introduction to malware analysis. All chapters contain detailed technical explanations and hands-on lab exercises to get you immediate exposure to real malware.”
--Sebastian Porst, Google Software Engineer

“. . . brings reverse engineering to readers of all skill levels. Technically rich and accessible, the labs will lead you to a deeper understanding of the art and science of reverse engineering. I strongly recommend this book for beginners and experts alike.”
--Danny Quist, PhD, Founder of Offensive Computing

“If you only read one malware book or are looking to break into the world of malware analysis, this is the book to get.”
--Patrick Engbretson, IA Professor at Dakota State University and Author of The Basics of Hacking and Pen Testing

“. . . an excellent addition to the course materials for an advanced graduate level course on Software Security or Intrusion Detection Systems. The labs are especially useful to students in teaching the methods to reverse engineer, analyze and understand malicious software.”
--Sal Stolfo, Professor, Columbia University

About the Author:

Michael Sikorski is a malware analyst, researcher, and security consultant at Mandiant. His previous employers include the National Security Agency and MIT Lincoln Laboratory. Mike frequently teaches malware analysis to a variety of audiences including the FBI and Black Hat.
Andrew Honig is an Information Assurance Expert for the Department of Defense. He teaches courses on software analysis, reverse engineering, and Windows system programming. Andy is publicly credited with several zero-day exploits in VMware's virtualization products.