WSM Reference Guide - WatchGuard Technologies

White Hat Web Sitesbeginners. Cons: Advisories are posted in dense jargon difficult for beginners to comprehend.Poorly organized site can make finding a specific item tricky. Net: Authoritative,comprehensive, definitely a useful arrow in any sys admin's quiver.NewsNowNewsNow's UK-based spiders and bots automatically search over 15,000 news sources andreturn live links with the results, updated every five minutes. They offer dozens of newsfeeds(but do we really need to hear the latest on Michael Jackson every five minutes?). The feed youwant is called "Security" (listed under "Internet" in the left column. Don't choose "Hacking;"you'll get countless articles about various hackers in legal trouble.) Pro: Comprehensive, up-tothe-minutesurvey of worldwide Internet security. Con: The same information repeats countlesstimes as various online sources report it. Net: A great glimpse of security issues worldwide.The RegisterThis is not the first place you'll learn of emerging threats, but when you hear of one, depend onThe Reg for the most honest, no-hype summary of the issue. Pro: Plain-English writing style isgreat for IT beginners. Check out their "BOFH" series for hilariously bleak parodies of a networkadministrator's life. Con: Their scathing anti-Microsoft bias can get heavy-handed. Net: If youhave to explain a new vulnerability to non-technical superiors, you'll appreciate The Register'sstyle.White Hat Web SitesAmerican cinema of the 1930s, 40s, and early 50s, with their endless stream of big-city gangsters andsinging cowboys, popularized the metaphorical idea that "good guys" wear white hats and "bad guys"reliably identify themselves by wearing black hats. Extending the tradition today, "white hat" computersecurity researchers find security holes in commercial software, but instead of telling everyone, they firstinform the manufacturer of the flaw. Then they cooperate with the manufacturer in getting the flawfixed before announcing their discovery to the public. We appreciate the efforts of these good guys.NTBugTraqDon't let the "NT" fool you: Russ Cooper's site tracks security vulnerabilities in every kind ofMicrosoft software that businesses typically use, from server software to Office. Russ'sextraordinarily objective assessments neither bash Microsoft, nor cover their sometimesegregious security lapses. He has developed good relationships with key Microsoft personnel,and can often provide a straighter scoop on MS flaws than you can get through official MSchannels.HackerIntel.comWe like this site as a source of information about hacking and network security-related events.Administrators from educational institutions should consider bookmarking this site, because itsmulti-faceted coverage includes news accounts hard to find elsewhere about universitynetworks being hacked.Crypto-GramBruce Schneier has two gifts you rarely see in one person: he is a bona fide cryptographicexpert, and he can write in clear, everyday English. This free e-newsletter is not an alert service;rather, Schneier's insights on security issues will, over time, teach you how to think aboutsecurity in general -- for example, how to assess whether a "cure" costs more than the risk itaddresses, and how to resist falling for a great-sounding plan that doesn't actually provideadded security.Reference Guide 79