Customer Reviews

Netspionage: The Global Threat to Information

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This is the first book that I have read that originates from a Power Point presentation. You can tell because the original Power Point slides are reproduced (poorly) and intersperced throughout the book.

I would guess that these slides were used to great effect several years ago to stunned senior managers of companies still figuring out what the Internet meant. But in 2001, most people are beyond needing this explained to them. To give an idea of the target audience, one of the slides is titled something like "Historical Development of Information Technology" and includes "Invention of Abacus - 3,000 B.C." Is that big picture and patronizing enough for you? How about page after page explaining what the Internet is and revelations like "Other companies can use the Internet to do bad things. Like gather information about YOUR company." "Other companies may try to STEAL your information". Etc. etc. etc., mostly filler (probably the filler they used to fill out the time giving the presentation) A saving grace would have been if the authors had annecdotes of real instances of "Netspionage", or other "inside" experiences to impart, but most of the concrete examples they give appear to be from published cases. So, if you already know what the Internet is and that IT security is imporant, don't bother. If you don't know either of these things, buy a book about the Internet and remember, IT security is imporant.

This book reads like the authors' notes for giving presentations - which I'm sure it is. There is a ton of repetition, and it obviously wasn't edited at all. Plus, the grammar and punctuation are what you might get if you asked a third grader to write with the dense verboseness and gobbledygook of a military tech-writer. This is the first book on the subject that I have read, and there was some good, basic information, as well as some unintentional laughs. But surely there are better books out there, at a better price. The hard information in this could have easily been condensed down to a pamphlet.

This book serves as a primer for network espionage identification, control and a future studies. MBA and MIS students should see this on their required reading lists. This is not a technical book with over 2000 pages of source code, or a hacker novel. Yet through case studies and a demonstration of traditional intelligence gathering techniques (ethical and not) Boni and Kovacich prepare us to look into the future, and the present to protect our information assets.

"Netspionage" or network enabled espionage as the authors defined this term is considering the competitive intelligence gathering and the various forms of espionage. "Netspionage" is a comprehensive coverage of a very important topic that worried many people of all sorts for years. It describes how technology has changed the rules of the game radically, and how both parties (information gathers and law enforcement authorities) use technology in this field. It also describes how criminals are adapting their techniques to the technical world while chasing the information , either on behalf of governments or international enterprises. Unlike most security books, this one is written for managers and executives in a very easy and clear language, since they are the ones who must take a leadership role in safeguarding the information assets of the networked enterprise. This book is giving a threat "awareness briefing" for managers and executives. It provides an easy to read and understand look at the competitive global business and information driven environment in which corporations must operate; as well as who is doing what to whom and why. Any one who is doing business in the global marketplace will need this book if he wants to gain or maintain a competitive edge. I read more than one book for the authors of this book (especially Dr. Kovacich), and I admire the way these books are organised and the language used. I recommend it with no conservation.

In Netspionage: The Global Threat To Information, William Boni and Gerald Kovacich draw upon there many years of professional experience in corporate security and intelligence to describe and address Internet-based threats to information security. Very highly recommended, essential reading for anyone charged with corporate, government, or personal information security in this age of cyberspace hackers, terrorists, and espionage, Netspionage is a very practical and experience-based guide to the evolution of information collection and how to best protect and secure information from unwarranted and criminal attempts to access and corrupt corporate records, databases, projects, and trade secrets.

Its impossible to mitigate threat if you can't first identify and articulate it to corporate leadership. This book by Bill Boni and Jerry Kovacich serves that function well and should earn a place on the bookshelves of all those involved in driving e-commerce as well as those responsible for computer network defense. Read it, use it to understand adversary threat (whether it be economic, industrial or military), understand its message, and learn from the real-world case studies.

The threat is real.

Make sure your boss and CIO read this book, tonight!!