Customer Reviews

No Outward Sign

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

 

 

When I studied creative writing, I got furious with my teacher who praised my verisimilitude. What I had written was true, damn it! He explained that that didn't matter. All that mattered was whether the reader believed it.

From the reviews I read here, some readers didn't believe Bill's plot. To me, as a computer security architect, the only thing unbelievable was the array of defenses Bill hauled out. I hope our military has such defenses. We in the commercial world don't.

On the other hand, the attack scenarios were all believable, to me as someone in this field, and many of these attacks have been demonstrated already.

So, I recommend this book to friends in the computer security business as an attack scenario that we need to design against. Designing against attackers less capable than these is folly, IMHO.

A fast moving plot, interesting character development, woven around a contemporary high tech topic. Grabs your attention and holds it till the end. And perhaps more importantly, should leave those of us in the IT industry thinking about whether we're doing enough about securing our IT systems against attack, and the costs of not doing so.

This is very, very impressive for a self-pubbed book. Reminds me of James Patterson or Tom Clancy. If it were a "regularly" published book I'd probably only give it 4 stars. But grading on the iUniverse scale I give it a perfect 5. So much better than what you might expect and will FREAK YOU OUT!

It seems odd to say this about a book on cyber terrorism, but No Outward Sign is simply fun to read. The book's intriguing characters and surprising plot twists captivate you from page one. Bill expertly simplifies a complex topic to make the book interesting to anyone, not just techno-geeks. In addition to being fun to read, No Outward Sign is a great introduction to cyber security concepts and challenges. For cybersecurity professionals, the technical references sprinkled throughout the book provide an added element of interest.

What Bill Neugent was able to do, and what no other author is capable of doing, is bring the horror of information warfare to a readable and understandable literary presentation for the general public. Even more amazing is that he has brought white knuckle, edge of your seat excitement to a topic like cyber security, which is no small feat. The ability to transform a complex but timely subject matter into a full action drama is extremely rare. Once you pick it up, you won't be able to put it down.

This timely page turner will keep the reader on the edge of his seat!! Mr. Neugent weaves an intricate plot that is frightening, puzzling, and also informative. Curl up in your favorite spot and disappear into the world of computer crime.

If you think the world of computer security is dull or boring, then you are in for a surprise with this book. Whether you are in the business or not, you will enjoy the way the real world issues are presented in an entertaining style that is both fun and informative. Looking forward to Mr. Neugent's next book!

Bill does an excellent job of taking a complex little understood topic and explains it in a frightening understandable story. Hopefully, more will read it and those who can help prevent this type of disaster will be called to action. Highly recommended to those who connect their computers to the internet. Two things about me: (1) I am an experienced I/T consultant on enterprise database systems with an earlier background in electronic design automation. (2) Bill is my brother in-law (I do not believe that this influenced my review).

I learned about this book from an online mailing list for network administrators and I bought it hoping for a mix of Clifford Stoll and William Gibson. Instead it is closer to a combination of John Wayne and Austin Powers (minus his mojo and Michael Meyer's sense of humor). Very little technical detail and a plot that is thin, simplistic and filled with unbelievable events. I do agree with most of the other reviewers that it is an easy-reading page turner (good for a transatlantic flight) but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone seeking an intro to cybersecurity at anything but the most basic level. As for the romanticized vigilante politics, the less said the better.

A friend met the author at a book signing and wound up purchasing the book. After he read it he passed it on to me (God knows why).

This was terrible -- the kind of thing that gives self-publishing a baaaaad name. The plot is really unrealistic and the writing is amateurish at best. Lots of overused metaphors and adjective-heavy description. The author often slips into the passive voice and the editing was substandard. I slugged through this garbage (don't ask me why). Save your money.