1337 h4x0r h4ndb00k [Paperback]

tapeworm (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0672327279 | ISBN-13: 978-0672327278 | Publication Date: August 20, 2005

This is your ticket into the elusive underworld of the Internet, home to millions of elite computer hackers. 1337 h4x0r h4ndb00k will show you how to walk-the-walk and talk-the-talk of this exclusive community. Soon, you too will be able to go into a chat room and carry on conversations speaking the cryptic 1337 language. 1337 h4x0r h4ndb00k will also review the nature of computer viruses, different practical jokes to play on your desktop and tips on how to live the hacker lifestyle. Join the elite society of computer hackers with 1337 h4x0r h4ndb00k as your guide.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

h4x0r h4ndb00kabout the author

hello, my name is tapeworm, and i am a freelance contract hacker amongst other things. the first thing i ever learned about computers (when i was first introduced by a friend) was the wide variety of hacking programs floating around on the internet, it wasn't long after that my mom brought home our first computer and i took immediate control. i just wanted to research information, build web pages and play in chat rooms; whereas my mother just wanted to sit and play solitaire for hours (obsessive gaming: a geek at heart). i needed a plan, and fast.

i started coming up with ways to make it appear as though things were wrong with the computer, then she would leave and tell me to fix it. every time she would have me fix something when there was nothing actually wrong, i'd get at least a couple extra hours of playtime. i got better over time, and before i knew it i no longer had a social life.

my evil plans were eventually foiled when she was re-married to an electrician, but luckily by that time i had my own computer anyway. currently i contribute my free time to the open-source community, and i can be reached by my leet e-mail address at: [e-mail]

be sure to visit my site: http://www.icodeviruses.com

© Copyright Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

1337 h4x0r h4ndb00k

preface

who is this book for?

• do you want to be a hacker, or learn more about them?
• do you like to play annoying pranks?
• are you knew to computers and feel overwhelmed by the technology?
• are you at a loss as to what to do with your computer?
• are you tired of parental controls?

if you answered yes to any of the above questions, then this book is for you. this book is an introduction to windows xp which will not only get you thinking like a hacker by guiding you through the underworld of technology, but set you on the right path to becoming a power-user as well (in only 21 days! lolz). very little computer experience is required to absorb this information. by utilizing the unique teaching method "reverse-troubleshooting" aka trouble-making invented by the author (me); you will learn how to take control of your home computer and about the wide variety of possibilities & professions available, along with resources to further educate yourself on whichever topic intrigues you the most.

most if not all technical books can be frustrating as they assume or require a certain amount of previous education, and they only focus on one specific technology. being completely self-taught; i understand the frustrations of what other sources lack. people tend to skip the fundamentals that are typically only learned from experience; this book fills in that gap.

believe it or not, the biggest reason that viruses are so successful at spreading in the world today is not because of hackers or buggy/outdated software, it is because of a simple acronym known as pebkac. problem exists between keyboard and chair. even experienced computer users sometimes have no idea what they're doing; it's not hard to assume that someone is an expert when they know a little about something of which you know nothing. when it comes to computers it is almost funny just how ignorant some people can be; just ask anyone who works in tech support.

if you're anything like me, then the thought has probably crossed your mind that nobody can write an effective hacking book because anything potentially damaging or sneaky would be rendered useless shortly after its release. many hackers themselves believe that no such book could exist because every hacker takes a different path to becoming a hacker, so how could a solitary book possibly teach you? let me assure you from experience, part of hacking is adapting to change, and by the time this book is rendered useless then another book by another hacker or a revision will be right around the corner. the minds of hackers are similar no matter what path they came from, and i will share these similarities with you. a solitary book can teach you how to hack, and this book is proof of that.

the material contained within this book should be required reading for anyone prior to even touching a computer; think of it as your personal survival guide. or maybe you're just interested in understanding viruses or spying on your significant other (shame on you). ignorance is not bliss. by reading this book, you will become a very dangerous person with a computer; it is critical that you understand the danger in order to protect yourself from it.

© Copyright Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Sams (August 20, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0672327279
• ISBN-13: 978-0672327278
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,012,128 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not really sure *who* would benefit from this book..., August 26, 2005

By 

Thomas Duff "Duffbert" (Portland, OR United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: 1337 h4x0r h4ndb00k (Paperback)

No, this isn't a malfunctioning keyboard, nor have I decided to join the ranks of kiddie hackers by starting to use "elite" language. It's the title of a new book by Sams... l337 h4xor handbook by tapeworm. For those of you not into "l337", that translates to "Elite Hacker Handbook". Having gotten *that* piece of information out of the way, I can get on to the review. And my review is that I really don't know what group this author is trying to target, and I think it fails regardless...

Content: fitting in; shortcuts; customize; browsing/e-mail; fundamentals; get the f@*! out of my chat room!; advanced automation; paranoia; networks; beyond windows; conclusion

I wanted to like this book based on the title. Sort of a gritty view of the hacker underworld, revealing "secrets" not commonly written of. What we get instead is a book that can't decide what it wants to be. People who are new to computers or confused by jargon (one of the targets from the back cover) won't see much useable info here. If you're new to computers, the whole "elite" form of typing and word creation will be lost on you, and you'll wonder what the (#@# this person is trying to tell you. If you already know enough to understand the type of style the author is trying to use, then you'll find most of the information far too basic. Desktop overviews? Running defragger? This isn't news, folks...

Parts of the book try to go into basic HTML coding and scripting languages. Again, if you don't know this stuff, this book isn't going to appeal to you in the first place. If the book appeals to you, you already know this stuff. "Advanced Automation" gets into more scripting, but again, not at a level which is going to advance the knowledge base of someone who already understands it. It seemed that with every chapter, the content was at odds with the style and tone of the book, thereby missing the target regardless of what side he chose...

The whole "l337" format really started to annoy me big time after the first chapter. I admit to not having much tolerance for that anyway. There were some cute phrases and humorous lines in places, but not enough to make me want to recommend it to anyone. I can't even recommend it as a parody of hacker culture, because I think the author is really trying to convey useful info. I just don't think the audience that would find it useful would read the book, and those who would read the book won't find it useful.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars People, this book is SATIRE., September 11, 2007

By 

Security Nerd - See all my reviews

This review is from: 1337 h4x0r h4ndb00k (Paperback)

To people trying to critique this book on technical merits: The book is 100% satire!

The author is poking fun at both the whole script-kiddie culture and at YOU, the reader who actually thought the book was serious.

So take the book for what it's worth - a silly bit of technical satire that is about getting a chuckle more than actually imparting any real wisdom.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Elementary at best, March 22, 2006

By 

Pinball Wizard - See all my reviews

This review is from: 1337 h4x0r h4ndb00k (Paperback)

If you know absolutely nothing about hacking then you might find something interesting here. Elementary level, elementary writing, elementary information. Time and again when I thought I was about to learn something the author made an abrupt redirection and took off in another direction.

5 stars for the covers; 1 star for what is between them.