Google Hacking for Penetration Testers

by Bill Gardner

This book helps people find sensitive information on the Web.

Google is one of the 5 most popular sites on the internet with more than 380 million unique users per month (Nielsen/NetRatings 8/05). But, Google’s search capabilities are so powerful, they sometimes discover content that no one ever intended to be publicly available on the Web social security numbers, credit card numbers, trade secrets, and federally classified documents. Google Hacking for Penetration Testers Volume 2 shows the art of manipulating Google used by security professionals and system administrators to find this sensitive information and “self-police” their own organizations.

Readers will learn how Google Maps and Google Earth provide pinpoint military accuracy, see how bad guys can manipulate Google to create super worms, and see how they can "mash up" Google with MySpace, LinkedIn, and more for passive reconaissance.

• Learn Google Searching Basics
Explore Google’s Web-based Interface, build Google queries, and work with Google URLs.
• Use Advanced Operators to Perform Advanced Queries
Combine advanced operators and learn about colliding operators and bad search-fu.
• Learn the Ways of the Google Hacker
See how to use caches for anonymity and review directory listings and traversal techniques.
• Review Document Grinding and Database Digging
See the ways to use Google to locate documents and then search within the documents to locate information.
• Understand Google’s Part in an Information Collection Framework
Learn the principles of automating searches and the applications of data mining.
• Locate Exploits and Finding Targets
Locate exploit code and then vulnerable targets.
• See Ten Simple Security Searches
Learn a few searches that give good results just about every time and are good for a security assessment.
• Track Down Web Servers
Locate and profile web servers, login portals, network hardware and utilities.
• See How Bad Guys Troll for Data
Find ways to search for usernames, passwords, credit card numbers, social security numbers, and other juicy information.
• Hack Google Services
Learn more about the AJAX Search API, Calendar, Blogger, Blog Search, and more.

Genres: Hackers, Nonfiction, Technology

560 pages, Paperback

First published December 17, 2004

About the author

Bill Gardner is an American business owner, graphic designer, speaker and author who founded Gardner Design and LogoLounge.

Reviews

[Rohit Gupta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book to know basic search functions. What is explained in later chapters is not useful for day to day users.

I picked this book to search google effectively and it taught me that in few chapters. This book is not useful now though i believe to know hos to search google effectively as google is now giving its own tutorial for free. Learn it from the makers of Web itself. :)

[Jean-François · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good, albeit a bit dated, introduction to information gathering using Google. This book will explain you how to find specific items when doing a penetration test, how to map a website without even connecting to it, how to gather credentials, and how to defend against all of that.

If you are a pen-tester, this is a must read.

[عَبدُالكَرِيمْ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Get ready to use Google in a way a typical user wont.
Google is always one of the first starting point to gather information about your target in this book you will learn how to use the advanced terms of google search to get the most sensitive data you could ever imagine.

[Kevin Connery · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid.

[Jeff Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

I coauthored this book.