This book is surprisingly easy to read and very informative - if you have an IT background. It is not, however, a book for beginners.
At the very least, you must have a working understanding of Assembly language and the x86 architecture. With little exception, almost all advanced analysis occurs at the assembly level. The book does not spend time teaching assembly. It jumps right into the assembly code and takes off running. If you do not understand assembly code, don't even bother picking up this book (or attempting to be a malware analyst).
Secondly, you will need to have a solid understanding of the C programming language. Much of the assembly code you will be analyzing originated from a disassembled program originally written in C.
Your main home computer is not ideal for analyzing malware. In many cases, you have to actually run the malware to see what it does.Therefore, a virtualization environment is preferred. Unless you already have access to a virtualized lab, familiarity with VMware (or equivalent) is very helpful for setting up your own lab.
Experience with the Windows API, registry, DLLs, and basic file structure is also helpful. All of the sample malware is tailored for Windows computers. There is an entire chapter on the Windows API to get you up to speed if you only have a basic knowledge.
Basic knowledge of Linux is also helpful. There are a handful of analysis tools that are Linux based. You will need to have at least one Linux (virtual machine preferred) to perform some of the labs.
A basic understanding of TCP/IP networks is also good to have. Many of the malware files have a networking component.
Lacking any of these skill sets will make reading this book very difficult.
The best parts of this book are the labs at the end of the chapters. You will work on actual malware (slightly modified to be less dangerous) using tools and techniques learned in the corresponding chapter. The labs guide you through important parts of the malware, and there is a detailed explanation at the end of the book describing, in detail, how the malware does its thing and how you, as the analyst, can discover its secrets.
Most of the tools used in this book are widely available and free to use. A whole chapter is dedicated to the main tools so you get extra exposure to the important software you will be using as a professional analyst.
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Mihail Gaberov
Haven’t finished yet, but from I have read so far it’s definitely worth! I totally recommend it!
Reviewed in Spain on December 15, 2022
Mihail Gaberov
Reviewed in Spain on December 15, 2022
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