Customer Reviews

Hacker Attack

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book is a disjointed collection of information freely available on a number of internet sites. It has little order, logic or useful (correct) information. After reading it, it became clear the author knows absolutely nothing about computer security, and the publisher did not employ a technical editor. The book is poorly organized, the information insufficient and after reading this a novice will be wide open to attack. Misinformation can be more dangerous than complete ignorance, the scary part is that novices reading this book don't know that they are being misinformed and may take the information as gospel. As for the author's statement "It is not my intention that this book offer hackers...specific recipes that show them precisely how, step-by-step, to steal information, break security, or otherwise do damage to others. Therefore, I describe various hacking techniques in general terms but usually do not provide the explicit details of the process itself." There are several books that provide explicit details of hacking techniques, this is necessary and teaches people how to defend themselves against specific attacks. So the idea that the author is trying to keep dangerous information out of criminal hands is ridiculous, the author is most likely trying to avoid explaining a subject that he obviously does not understand himself.
There are a number of books that do a better job of introducing the concepts of security to a beginner, avoid this one.

Tsk,tsk, Sybex! The graphics and title of this book misrepresent the contents inside.

The cover's funky neon design jumps at you shouting, "CAUTION, WARNING -- DANGER, WILL ROBINSON!!!". The subtitle promises to "Shield Your Computer From Internet Crime" -- Hey, they even provide little green men on the cover to stomp on those bad guys. But does it deliver?

On page 24, the author gives you a CLUE as to how much you are going to learn, "It is not my intention that this book offer hackers...specific recipes that show them precisely how, step-by-step, to steal information, break security, or otherwise do damage to others. Therefore, I describe various hacking techniques in general terms but usually do not provide the explicit details of the process itself."

What you end up with is basically a glorified dictionary on computer hacking: Want to know what a hacker is?, a cracker? Here's a bunch of ways you could get attacked. Here's some terminology... a Glorified Dictionary--get the idea!

This book wouldn't have been half bad with a title such as an introduction to...a beginner's guide.... a dummy's/idiot's guide, etc. And as the "Dummy" publishers know, there is a market for this type of book. But don't get my heart racing thinking I'm going on a date with Raquel only to find out it's gonna be Bertha! (apologies to Berthas everywhere).

So let's assume this is like one of the Moron books, how then does it deliver. Well, on the down side I found no logic in the order the topics were presented (at least in a dictionary you have alphabetical order). On the plus side the author's style of writing was casual and entertaining as well as being clear and easily understandable. And there were a few BASIC things shown to help ward off an attack.

All in all, if someone wants to begin to understand what all this hacking stuff is all about, this is a good place to start. You can either read it all in an evening or spend a few days reading it during the commercials of a hockey game and come away with learning some of the BASIC things Hackers do.

Borrow this book from the Library first, then decide if it offers you enough info about hacking to warrant purchasing it!

Tsk,tsk, Sybex! The graphics and title of this book misrepresent the contents inside.

The cover's funky neon design jumps at you shouting, "CAUTION, WARNING -- DANGER, WILL ROBINSON!!!". The subtitle promises to "Shield Your Computer From Internet Crime" -- Hey, they even provide little green men on the cover to stomp on those bad guys. But does it deliver?

On page 24, the author gives you a CLUE as to how much you are going to learn, "It is not my intention that this book offer hackers...specific recipes that show them precisely how, step-by-step, to steal information, break security, or otherwise do damage to others. Therefore, I describe various hacking techniques in general terms but usually do not provide the explicit details of the process itself."

What you end up with is basically a glorified dictionary on computer hacking: Want to know what a hacker is?, a cracker? Here's a bunch of ways you could get attacked. Here's some terminology... a Glorified Dictionary--get the idea!

This book wouldn't have been half bad with a title such as an introduction to...a beginner's guide.... a dummy's/idiot's guide, etc. And as the "Dummy" publishers know, there is a market for this type of book. But don't get my heart racing thinking I'm going on a date with Raquel only to find out it's gonna be Bertha! (apologies to Berthas everywhere).

So let's assume this is like one of the Moron books, how then does it deliver. Well, on the down side I found no logic in the order the topics were presented (at least in a dictionary you have alphabetical order). On the plus side the author's style of writing was casual and entertaining as well as being clear and easily understandable. And there were a few BASIC things shown to help ward off an attack.

All in all, if someone wants to begin to understand what all this hacking stuff is all about, this is a good place to start. You can either read it all in an evening or spend a few days reading it during the commercials of a hockey game and come away with learning some of the BASIC things Hackers do.

...

This book is a disjointed collection of information freely available on a number of internet sites. It has little order, logic or useful (correct) information. After reading it, it became clear the author knows absolutely nothing about computer security, and the publisher did not employ a technical editor. The book is poorly organized, the information insufficient and after reading this a novice will be wide open to attack. Misinformation can be more dangerous than complete ignorance, the scary part is that novices reading this book don't know that they are being misinformed and may take the information as gospel. As for the author's statement "It is not my intention that this book offer hackers...specific recipes that show them precisely how, step-by-step, to steal information, break security, or otherwise do damage to others. Therefore, I describe various hacking techniques in general terms but usually do not provide the explicit details of the process itself." There are several books that provide explicit details of hacking techniques, this is necessary and teaches people how to defend themselves against specific attacks. So the idea that the author is trying to keep dangerous information out of criminal hands is ridiculous, the author is most likely trying to avoid explaining a subject that he obviously does not understand himself.
There are a number of books that do a better job of introducing the concepts of security to a beginner, avoid this one.

Sure the cover is cute, but the information inside is essential for the novice reader. I found this book extremely easy to read, a real plus in a world filled with jargon. The topics are clearly explained and presents a wealth of useful techniques and tips. Nothing is presented as difficult or hard to do--Richard does a great job of instilling self confidence while ensuring the reader knows all of the tasks that need to be performed to ensure a safe environment.

This book isn't for the network administrator--it's for the home or small business user who all too often gets ignored by the media. So, no, you aren't going to find advanced techniques here or a wealth of philosophical discussions about the mundane issues of security for Corporate America. What you will get is good security information presented in a manner that anyone can understand.

Some of the information presented might be common sense for an experience user, but these facts might not be obvious to the audience of this book. In addition, the book contains a wealth of not so obvious aids like figuring out just how vulnerable your system is using easy to understand techniques. That's why this book is so important for the novice--it covers both the obvious and the non-obvious aspects of securing your machine in a hostile Internet environment.

This book also contains many useful URLs, some of which I didn't know know about. Even if you don't agree with everything Richard has to say and you know some of the common sense information he provides, this book still pays for itself with the basic security information it provides. Overall, this book provides an inexpensive way to find and fix security holes on your system, making it a must have purchase.

Tsk,tsk, Sybex! The graphics and title of this book misrepresent the contents inside.

The cover's funky neon design jumps at you shouting, "CAUTION, WARNING -- DANGER, WILL ROBINSON!!!". The subtitle promises to "Shield Your Computer From Internet Crime" -- Hey, they even provide little green men on the cover to stomp on those bad guys. But does it deliver?

On page 24, the author gives you a CLUE as to how much you are going to learn, "It is not my intention that this book offer hackers...specific recipes that show them precisely how, step-by-step, to steal information, break security, or otherwise do damage to others. Therefore, I describe various hacking techniques in general terms but usually do not provide the explicit details of the process itself."

What you end up with is basically a glorified dictionary on computer hacking: Want to know what a hacker is?, a cracker? Here's a bunch of ways you could get attacked. Here's some terminology... a Glorified Dictionary--get the idea!

This book wouldn't have been half bad with a title such as an introduction to...a beginner's guide.... a dummy's/idiot's guide, etc. And as the "Dummy" publishers know, there is a market for this type of book. But don't get my heart racing thinking I'm going on a date with Raquel only to find out it's gonna be Bertha! (apologies to Berthas everywhere).

So let's assume this is like one of the [above] books, how then does it deliver. Well, on the down side I found no logic in the order the topics were presented (at least in a dictionary you have alphabetical order). On the plus side the author's style of writing was casual and entertaining as well as being clear and easily understandable. And there were a few BASIC things shown to help ward off an attack.

All in all, if someone wants to begin to understand what all this hacking stuff is all about, this is a good place to start. You can either read it all in an evening or spend a few days reading it during the commercials of a hockey game and come away with learning some of the BASIC things Hackers do.

Borrow this book from the Library first, then decide if it offers you enough info about hacking to warrant purchasing it!

This book is more about a philosophy of security, than techniques to do it, even though it does contain elements of both. Reading this book will help you understand how a cracker thinks, which helps you avoid cracker attacks. I feel better prepared to handle cracker attacks because of this book. I know that I'll be able to spot them easier and may even experience fewer break-ins because I'm using better security.

The part I like most about this book is that it helps you learn how to block crackers in the first place, detect when and if they do break in, and do something once you detect them. It also takes some of the scare tactics you read about in the press and throws them out the window. I felt more secure after reading the book because it dispelled some of the common myths floating around.

Unlike the other security books I tried to read, this one is easy to understand. It doesn't get mired in details that I don't care about. The information is practical and easy to follow. The author takes his time explaining security essentials. If you have a home network or just want to make you workstation more secure, this book is essential reading.

This book is a good tool for anyone looking into computer security at a home level use. Not intented for experts in the field, this book provides an excellent introduction to computer security, encryption, firewall, privacy and virus protection. This is a must read for anyone who doesn't have a good understanding of the internet.

ALL THE SECURITY ISSUES THAT AFFECT YOU-CLEARLY EXPLAINED.- No way LEARN HOW ENCRYPTION CAN KEP YOUR DATA SAFE.- No way PROTECT YOURSELF FROM TODAY's VIRUSES.- No way, better spend the money in a good antivirus SET UP A FIREWALL TO ENSURE YOUR INTERNET-CONNECTED COMPUTER.- Not even near KEEP ALL YOUR ONLINE ACTIVIT PRIVATE.- No way If you wanna spend 20 buck, buy this book, the price just worth the good cover and the CD, but the content of the book, you can find it on the internet, without burning your brain. Better buy HACKING EXPOSED, this really worth the price. Two stars just for the cover.