Reverse Code Engineering - Hot Threat

It's one of the primary methods that malicious hackers use to find new application and operating system vulnerabilities. And it's also a powerful tool that professionals use to analyze the security strength of their applications. We're talking about reverse code engineering.
If you've never considered rolling up your sleeves and sinking your hands into learning how certain system drivers and newly-found malware applications work, now is the time. Reverse engineering can be a powerful way for security professionals to ensure and to keep systems safe.

Reverse code engineering is the process of examining exactly how a software application, or component, actually works. While malcontents reverse engineer software to find weaknesses in systems and design spyware, illegal adware, and trojans, the same techniques can be used by security practitioners. In this way, they can perform a forensic analysis on a virus or a spyware-infected system to learn just how much of a threat the malware really is. Was it simply semi-harmless adware? Or was the program capable of capturing every keystroke typed on the system? Proficient reverse engineers also can use this tactic to create on-the-fly signatures to be deployed in their intrusion detection/prevention systems, as well as insightful application penetration assessments.

Other uses for reverse engineering include the discovery of undocumented APIs or porting drivers, and for software patch analysis.

By familiarizing yourself with a few tools listed below, and studying (or taking a programming course in assembly language), you'll add a significant new capability to your security skill set. As a caveat, before you begin reverse-engineering any software application, make certain you have the necessary legal clearances. Many commercial applications have agreements that forbid it, and reversing may be illegal under certain laws.