Customer Reviews

Scene of the Cybercrime: Computer Forensics Handbook

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Littlejohn Shinder writes a fairly topical analyses of various facets of cybercrime -including several- what can only be described as Computers 101 sections but if you're a typical n00b then it will all seem like a glorious epiphany. In Ch 4 she gets a little on the didactic side where she attempts to debunk the various stereotypes and cliched mindsets associated with the hacking community but she falls far short of any real insight.

Don't bother reading this book if you have even a modicum of tech savvy - the writer won't be telling you anything that you don't already know or figured out for yourself hands on. BTW, most of the URLS provided as reference in this book are 404, which is only to be expected given its 2002 publication date, however I include the comment here in this review because if you're like me, then you like to check out the resources the writer used.

Lastly, by no stretch of the imagination should this title be considered a computer forensics book. The only audience that will consider said title as such are executive officers and marketing types who don't have a clue.

This is a tough book to review as it tries to speak to two very different audiences -- corporate information security and law enforcement professionals.
The corporate information security professionals will find the technical details misleading and over simplified but will definitely benefit from the detailed discussions of proper process and procedure.
The author leverages her experience as a police officer and academy instructor to good effect in educating us on the viewpoint of the law enforcement community and the requirements we must meet in collecting and preserving admissible evidence.
My advice would be to VERY lightly skim the "technical" material on vulnerabilities, exploits and defenses while reserving detailed reading for the material dealing with process and procedures as well as the logistics for involving and interacting with law enforcement.

I'm currently in the middle of the book Scene Of The Cybercrime by Debra Littlejohn Shinder, but I decided to do a review right now. This is a really good book on a number of levels...

Most books on computer and network security are written for the techie trying to secure their assets from outside attack. Obviously, there's a huge need for that information. But it seems that there is virtually nothing written from the law enforcement perspective on computer security. That's a major problem in two ways... For one, there are too few law enforcement personnel that understand exactly what cybercrime is and how it can be detected, fought, and prosecuted. That's probably the audience that would benefit most from this book. Second, most technical personnel don't know what to do in order to successfully build a case and prosecute an attacker once an intrusion has occurred. That's the other audience that will gain the most from reading Shinder's work.

The book includes the following chapters: Facing the Cybercrime Problem Head On; Reviewing the History of Cybercrime; Understanding the People on the Scene; Understanding Computer Basics; Understanding Network Basics; Understanding Network Intrusions and Attacks; Understanding Cybercrime Prevention; Implementing System Security; Implementing Cybercrime Detection Techniques; Collecting and Preserving Digital Evidence; Building the Cybercrime Case

The hardcore network security administrator will probably already know most of the information in the "Understanding..." chapters. But unless they are adept or experienced in forensic analysis, the last three chapters will be crucial information for them. Without the knowledge of how to preserve evidence, there's a good chance that you'll never have the satisfaction of seeing your attacker prosecuted. Higher level managers of a corporate security department will find all of this information useful, as they may not be as hands-on as the administrators and may not understand what threats and risks are present in today's environment.

From the law enforcement perspective, it's all good. Fighting cybercrime is so different than regular law enforcement. This is the perfect volume to give the budding cybercop all the information they need to get up to speed with how crime is conducted electronically. I would recommend that this book be required reading for law enforcement and prosecution personnel.

The book is well written with plenty of real-life examples of criminal activities and legal scenarios. It's one of the most engrossing technical reads I've had in awhile. A definite recommended read...

Just got done reading "Scene of the Cybercrime" and as a manager of a large computer and networking security unit, I have to say this is problably the best book I've ever read about computer law and forensics. One of the big problems I have with our team is that we have a number of technicians who want to know what button to push in their copy of Encase, but have no idea what they're doing and why. We work in a technical and legal environment, and its almost impossible to find good references that address both the forensic and the legal implications of our work. This book did a fantastic job covering the technical details of how computer security works, and then took things to a level I've not seen in any other book I've reviewed for our team: a first-hand real life perspective of how law enforcement and the legal system works and how that affects our effectiveness as keepers of computer and network security. Other books I've read just said "we did this and that and he did or didn't go to jail". That doesn't help us create a case! The information in this book also would have have been nice to have, given that we actually were held accountable for errors we never would have made had I read this book before making them. I'd give this book 10 stars if I could, just for the money is would have saved our company had this book been available a year ago.

This book is an ideal introduction for non-computer professionals to the burgeoning world of cybercrime. Computers are being used in crimes of all types, from child pornography to stalking to financial fraud, and law enforcement officers and agencies often need assistance in understanding the technical aspects of such crimes. This book will also be invaluable for other law enforcement professionals, such as prosecutors, who must assist juries in learning enough of the "technical" aspects of a crime to render a just verdict.

I usually don't write reviews on computer books because I fall asleep before getting halfway through them. They always seem to be written by people who have no idea what they're talking about, or they're written by computer geniuses who speak some sort of extraterrestrial language. This book is different. I actually stayed awake for all of this book! This book is a great overview of computer network security, and corrects so many of the errors I've read in the more "in depth" computer security and cybercrime books. I've found this book invaluable in my prosecution of computer crimes cases.

Ms. Shinder has put together a well-written book that is both very exacting yet not so high-brow that the average person will be overwhelmed. This is an excellent "starter manual" to get acquainted with the field and a great reference manual for those already there or who need a refresher course in the material. Good addition to any law enforcement agency's shelf or for anyone in the corporate world looking to beef up their computer systems.

i believe that this book is the most helpful of its kind for introducing the literate reader to computer crime. it is not so technical as to lose one in a swamp of argot. it provides a broad range of information, is current, offers concrete examples, and well repays the time spent reading it.

my college has adopted it for our course "introduction to computer crime." [i did not participate in that review process]

Ms. Shinder has written a clear, concise, easy to read book on the various aspects of cyber-crime. As a technical writer turned novelist, I find the scope not only useful in my technical work, but also in my fictional writing. This book came highly recommended by another writer as an excellent source of information for anyone wanting information on this subject. While it does not give you step-by-step details on specific programs, it does give you what you need to understand this timely subject. The text is technical, but the style is such that even non-technical people can read and understand it. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in the subject - whether personal, on the job, or as a writer.

I'm a former law enforcement officer who is just getting into computers and technology. I found this book to be a great resource. It explains a lot of concepts that police offiers hear a lot about, but don't really understand. It's written in language "regular people" can understand, not just nerds. I learned about things I didn't know existed, like the places on hard drives where data can be recovered even after it's formatted.

The book is not a "how to" for any particular forensics software, but it's pretty obvious that wasn't the intent. The author provides information about what can be done and the products used to do it, and lots and lots of pointers to web sites and resources for finding specific information.

I recommend it to police officers and to regular people like my wife who thought it was fascinating, especially the part about the people involved in cybercrime.