Network Security Assessment: Know Your Network

by Chris McNab

Chris McNab's Network Security Assessment is a practical guide to evaluating the security of networks using the same techniques that real attackers use. The third edition covers modern network infrastructure including cloud services, IPv6, and software-defined networking alongside traditional LAN/WAN assessment techniques. The book walks through the complete assessment methodology: network scanning and enumeration, service identification, vulnerability assessment, and exploitation of common network services (DNS, SMTP, HTTP, FTP, SSH, SNMP, and more). Each chapter covers a specific protocol or service family, documenting known vulnerabilities, testing techniques, and the tools used by professional assessors. McNab provides the technical depth needed to understand why vulnerabilities exist, not just how to find them.