Book Review: "Network Attacks and Exploitation"

"Network Attacks and Exploitation: A Framework" by Matthew Monte, is a hidden treasure in terms of computer security books. This is an awesome book regarding the theory of cyber conflict and the strategy around running real computer espionage campaigns. I purchased and read the book via Amazon, for ~$25 at ~200 pages, which was worthwhile as this is theory I haven't seen distilled elsewhere. I really enjoyed this book and found it to be both unique and important in the lessons it holds. Overall, I give this book 7 out of 10 stars for providing theory that is so critically missing elsewhere, but I also wish it was more technical. I recommend this book to fellow red teamers, defenders, and anyone interested in information security. If you like red team theory then do yourself a favor and pick this book up. This is the kind of book that not only provides answers, but also asks a lot of questions, which really gets you thinking as you read it. I like how the book covers these topics from a military or espionage perspective, referring to the world of computer exploitation as Computer Network Operations (CNO), and including other acronyms such as CNE, CNA, and CND. Below I cover some of my favorite principles that Matt outlines in this book, elements that when analyzed can help ensure a successful operation. I've also included the chapters of the book in my typical fashion, including some extra section details although not the full table of contents for brevity.

Chapter 1: Computer Network Exploitation
  Operations
  Operational Objectives
  CNE Revisited
  A Framework for Computer Network Exploitation
  Summary
Chapter 2: The Attacker
  Principles of Humanity
  Life Cycle of an Operation
  Principle of Access
  Principle of Economy
  Economy Summary
  Attacker Structure
  Summary
Chapter 3: The Defender
  Principle of Humanity
  Principle of Access
  The Defensive Life Cycle
  Principle of Economy
Chapter 4: Asymmetries
  False Asymmetries
  Advantage Attacker
  Advantage Defender
  Advantage Indeterminate
  Summary
Chapter 5: Attacker Frictions
  Mistakes
  Complexity
  Flawed Attack Tools
  Upgrades and Updates
  Other Attackers
  The Security Community
  Bad Luck
  Summary
Chapter 6: Defender Frictions
  Mistakes
  Flawed Software
  Inertia
  The Security Community
  Complexity
  Users
  Bad Luck
  Summary
Chapter 7: Offensive Strategy
  Principle 1: Knowledge
  Principle 2: Awareness
  Principle 3: Innovation
  Principle 4: Precaution
  Principle 5: Operational Security
  Principle 6: Program Security
  Crafting an Offensive Strategy
  Modular Frameworks
  A Note on Tactical Decisions
  Summary
Chapter 8: Defensive Strategy
  Failed Tactics
  Crafting A Defensive Strategy
  Cloud-Based Security
  Summary
Chapter 9: Offensive Case Studies
  Stuxnet
  Flame
  Gauss
  Dragonfly
  Red October
  APT1
  Axiom
  Summary
Epilogue
Appendix: Attack Tools

I really appreciated how Monte highlighted various "asymmetries" in computer security, that give the participants natural advantages. One of my favorite asymmetries is the often clear goal for success for red teams, such as achieving a certain level of access or stealing a certain set of data, vs the ambiguous goals of success for a blue team, such as defending multiple assets or proving one isn't compromised. I also appreciated the natural asymmetries of technology that lend themselves to the attacker, such as patching cycles and exploiting the human aspects of computer systems. I also liked how Monte shows an attacker kill chain that is different from the classic Lockheed Martin Kill Chain, namely his attacker's kill chain is Targeting, Initial Access, Persistence, Expansion, Exfiltration, and Detection. Matt goes into each of these phases in depth in the book, exploring well thought-out strategies and scenarios for red teamers, for various stages in their operations. I appreciate how Matt outlines several principles for a successful red team operation, giving strategists core components to consider and evaluate when planning operations. One of the core principles of exploitation that Matthew consistently revisits is the principle of humanity. That is to say, that computer systems often have some intended use via some human operator, and that path of access can likely be exploited by an attacker who allocates the proper strategy and resources. Some of my favorite parts were the economies for both offensive teams and defensive teams, as I found these parts to be the most realistic in terms of constraints these teams regularly face. I also really enjoyed the case studies, where Monte pealed apart various famous campaigns from the perspective of the operators and how they strategically prepared their tools and operations for success. Finally, I've included a diagram  from the book below, which shows the principles of exploitation and how they relate to each other.