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Hacker extraordinaire Kevin Mitnick delivers the explosive encore to his bestselling The Art of Deception
Kevin Mitnick, the world's most celebrated hacker, now devotes his life to helping businesses and governments combat data thieves, cybervandals, and other malicious computer intruders. In his bestselling The Art of Deception, Mitnick presented fictionalized case studies that illustrated how savvy computer crackers use "social engineering" to compromise even the most technically secure computer systems. Now, in his new book, Mitnick goes one step further, offering hair-raising stories of real-life computer break-ins-and showing how the victims could have prevented them. Mitnick's reputation within the hacker community gave him unique credibility with the perpetrators of these crimes, who freely shared their stories with him-and whose exploits Mitnick now reveals in detail for the first time, including:
A group of friends who won nearly a million dollars in Las Vegas by reverse-engineering slot machines
Two teenagers who were persuaded by terrorists to hack into the Lockheed Martin computer systems
Two convicts who joined forces to become hackers inside a Texas prison
A "Robin Hood" hacker who penetrated the computer systems of many prominent companies-andthen told them how he gained access
With riveting "you are there" descriptions of real computer break-ins, indispensable tips on countermeasures security professionals need to implement now, and Mitnick's own acerbic commentary on the crimes he describes, this book is sure to reach a wide audience-and attract the attention of both law enforcement agencies and the media.
Review
"Uniformly readable, some quite exciting...will impart familiar lessons to security pros while introducing lay readers to an enthralling field of inquiry." ("Publishers Weekly, February 14, 2005)
..."engaging writing style combines intrigue, entertainment, and education." ("Library Journal, January 15, 2005)
" ... a compilation of real hacking stories told to Mitnick by fellow hackers... " ("VNUnet.com, March 2005)
It would be difficult to find an author with more credibility than Mitnick to write about the art of hacking. In 1995, he was arrested for illegal computer snooping, convicted and held without bail for two years before being released in 2002. He clearly inspires unusual fear in the authorities and unusual dedication in the legions of computer security dabblers, legal and otherwise. Renowned for his use of "social engineering," the art of tricking people into revealing secure information such as passwords, Mitnick ("The Art of Deception) introduces readers to a fascinating array of pseudonymous hackers. One group of friends bilks Las Vegas casinos out of more than a million dollars by mastering the patterns inherent in slot machines; another fellow, less fortunate, gets mixed up with a presumed al-Qaeda- style terrorist; and a prison convict leverages his computer skills to communicate with the outside world, unbeknownst to his keepers. Mitnick's handling of these engrossing tales is exemplary, for which credit presumably goes to his coauthor, writing pro Simon. Given the complexity (some would say obscurity) of the material, the authors avoid the pitfall of drowning readers in minutiae. Uniformly readable, the stories-- some are quite exciting-- will impart familiar lessons to security pros while introducing lay readers to an enthralling field of inquiry. "Agent, David Fugate. (Mar.) ("Publishers Weekly, February 14, 2005)
Infamous criminal hacker turned computer security consultant Mitnick offers an expert sequel to his best-sellingThe Art of Deception, this time supplying real-life rather than fictionalized stories of contemporary hackers sneaking into corporate servers worldwide. Each chapter begins with a computer crime story that reads like a suspense novel; it is a little unnerving to learn how one's bank account is vulnerable to digital thieves or how hackers with an interest in gambling can rake in thousands of dollars in just minutes at a compromised slot machine. The hack revealed, Mitnick then walks readers step by step through a prevention method. Much like Deception, this book illustrates that hacking techniques can penetrate corporate and government systems protected by state-of-the-art security.
Mitnick's engaging writing style combines intrigue, entertainment, and education. As with Deception, information technology professionals can learn how to detect and prevent security breaches, while informed readers can sit back and enjoy the stories of cybercrime. Recommended for most public and academic libraries. --Joe Accardi, William Rainey Harper Coll. Lib., Palatine, IL ("Library Journal, January 15, 2005)
From the Inside Flap
Four pals clean up in Vegas with a pocket-sized computer. A bored Canadian teen gains access to the wire transfers section of a major Southern bank. A couple of kids are recruited to hack into Lockheed Martin and the Defense Information System Network by a terrorist with ties to Osama bin Laden.
And these stories are true.
If you're the security officer in your organization, the tales in this book crawled out of that closet where your nightmares live. Fears about national security keeping you awake? Put the coffee on; it gets worse. And if you just enjoy a heck of a good cliff-hanger full of spies and real-life intrigue, strap yourself in for a wild read.
From the Back Cover
"Enter the hostile world of computer crime from the comfort of your own armchair. Mitnick presents ten compelling chapters, each the result of an interview with a real hacker about a real attack. A must-read for anyone with an interest in information security."
—Tom Parker, Computer Security Analyst and founder of Global InterSec LLC
"Each chapter begins with a computer crime story that reads like a suspense novel."
—Library Journal
"It would be difficult to find an author with more credibility than Mitnick to write about the art of hacking…. [The Art of Intrusion] introduces readers to a fascinating array of pseudonymous hackers. One group bilks Las Vegas casinos out of more than a million dollars by mastering the patterns inherent in slot machines; another fellow, less fortunate, gets mixed up with a presumed al-Qaeda-style terrorist…. Uniformly readable, the stories … will impart familiar lessons to security pros while introducing lay readers to an enthralling field of inquiry."
—Publishers Weekly
When you're a legend among hackers, they tell you their stories
If you're a computer security officer, these tales crawled out of that closet where your nightmares live. Fears about national security keeping you awake? Put the coffee on; it gets worse. And if you just enjoy a darn good real-life spy story, strap yourself in for a wild read.
About the Author
Kevin D. Mitnick, bestselling author of The Art of Deception, may be the most celebrated hacker ever to "go legit" and apply his considerable skills to helping organizations protect themselves from people like himself. Considered an authority on preventing security breaches, he has appeared on Good Morning America, 60 Minutes, and others.
William L. Simon is coauthor of The Art of Deception and the bestseller iCon: Steve Jobs, also published by Wiley.
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