About the Author
Kevin Beaver is an independent information security consultant, expert witness, professional speaker, and writer with Atlanta-based Principle Logic, LLC. He has nearly three decades of experience in IT and over 20 years in security. Kevin specializes in performing independent information security assessments for corporations, security product vendors, software developers/cloud service providers, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations. Before starting his information security consulting practice in 2001, Kevin served in various information technology and security roles for several healthcare, e-commerce, financial, and educational institutions.
Kevin has appeared on CNN television as an information security expert and has been quoted in The Wall Street Journal, Entrepreneur, Fortune Small Business, Women's Health, and on Inc. magazine’s technology site, IncTechnology.com. Kevin’s work has also been referenced by the PCI Council in their Data Security Standard Wireless Guidelines. Kevin has been a top-rated speaker, giving hundreds of presentations and panel discussions for IT and security seminars, conferences, and webcasts over the past decade and a half.
Kevin has authored or co-authored 12 information security books, including Hacking Wireless Networks For Dummies, Implementation Strategies for Fulfilling and Maintaining IT Compliance (Realtimepublishers.com), and The Practical Guide to HIPAA Privacy and Security Compliance (Auerbach). Kevin has written more than three dozen whitepapers and over 900 articles and guest blog posts for sites such as TechTarget’s SearchSecurity.com, Ziff Davis’ Toolbox.com, and IBM’s SecurityIntelligence.com. Kevin is the creator and producer of the Security On Wheels audiobooks, which provide security learning for IT professionals on the go (securityonwheels.com), and the Security On Wheels blog (securityonwheels.com/blog). He also covers information security and related matters on Twitter (@kevinbeaver) and YouTube (PrincipleLogic). Kevin earned his bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering Technology from Southern College of Technology and his master’s degree in Management of Technology from Georgia Tech. He has obtained his CISSP certification in 2001 and also holds MCSE, Master CNE, and IT Project+ certifications.
Kevin can be reached through his website, www.principlelogic.com, and you can connect to him via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/kevinbeaver.
Dedication
Dad, this one’s for you. I wouldn’t be here today without your guidance and support. You’ve taught me so much about common sense — its absence in much of the world and how important it is for being successful no matter what the endeavor. I love you very much.
Author’s Acknowledgments
I want to thank Amy, Garrett, and Mary Lin for your loving ways, funny jokes, and willingness to deal with my nonsense day in and day out, especially since I’ve been working on the updates to this edition! I still love each of you 100 percent!
I’d also like to thank Amy Fandrei, my acquisitions editor, for continuing this project and presenting me the opportunity to shape this book into something I’m very proud of. I’d like to thank my project editor, Katharine Dvorak. You’ve been very patient and great to work with! I’m looking forward to working with you again in the future. Also, many thanks to my technical editor, business colleague, friend, and co-author of Hacking Wireless Networks For Dummies, Peter T. Davis. I’m honored (as always) to be working with you and very much appreciate your feedback on this edition! I also want to extend a sincere thanks to Richard Stiennon — I’m flattered that such a strong leader in my field was willing to write the Foreword to this book.
Much gratitude to Robert Abela with Netsparker; Nate Crampton, Ryan Poppa, Alan Lipton, HD Moore, Justin Warren, and Dan Kuykendall with Rapid7; Vladimir Katalov and Olga Koksharova with ElcomSoft; Cristian Florian with GFI Software; Maty Siman and Asaph Schulman with Checkmarx; Dmity Sumin with Passware; Kirk Thomas with Northwest Performance Software; David Vest with Mythicsoft; Michael Berg with TamoSoft; Terry Ingoldsby with Amenaza Technologies; and Oleg Fedorov with Oxygen Software Company for responding to all of my requests. Continued thanks to Dave Coe for your help in keeping me current on the latest security tools and hacks! Much gratitude to all the others I forgot to mention as well.
Mega thanks to Rush and Dream Theater for your inspirational words and driving sounds to get me through the not-feeling-creative times working on this edition!
Finally, I want to express my sincere appreciation to my clients for continuing to hire me, the “no-name-brand” consultant who works for himself, and keeping me around for the long term. I wouldn’t be here without your willingness to break out of the “must hire big company” mindset and your continued support. Thank you very much!
Publisher’s Acknowledgments
Acquisitions Editor: Amy Fandrei
Project Editor: Katharine Dvorak
Technical Editor: Peter T. Davis
Sr. Editorial Assistant: Cherie Case
Production Editor: Kinson Raja
Cover Image: Denis Vrublevski/Shutterstock