Secrets of Computer Espionage: Tactics and Countermeasures [Paperback]

Joel McNamara (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0764537105 | ISBN-13: 978-0764537103 | Publication Date: June 2, 2003 | Edition: 1

* Covers electronic and wireless eavesdropping, computer surveillance, intelligence gathering, password cracking, keylogging, data duplication, black bag computer spy jobs, reconnaissance, risk assessment, legal issues, and advanced spying techniques used by the government
* Author shares easily-implemented countermeasures against spying to detect and defeat eavesdroppers and other hostile individuals
* Addresses legal issues, including the U.S. Patriot Act, legal spying in the workplace, and computer fraud crimes
* Companion Web site contains links to security tools and useful security information resources

Editorial Reviews

Review

&an informative book which should help keep those defences up and those intruders out& -- PC Utilities, No.39, 2003

&informative&entertaining&next time you go to your local bookseller, locate a copy. I bet you'll be hooked& -- Linux Journal, 22 August 2003

“…provides insightful details backed up by a wealth of real-life examples….clearly a valuable addition to your bookshelf…” (www.net-security.org, May 2004)

“…surprisingly clear given the degree of difficulty of his topic,…we suggest this practical book top managers…” (www.getabstract.com, May 2004)

"…an informative book which should help keep those defences up and those intruders out…" (PC Utilities, No.39, 2003)

“…will definitely open your eyes…quirky case studies and good coverage of latest technology…” (Internetworks, November 2003)

“…informative…entertaining…next time you go to your local bookseller, locate a copy. I bet you’ll be hooked…” (Linux Journal, 22 August 2003)

&an informative book which should help keep those defences up and those intruders out& -- PC Utilities, No.39, 2003

&informative&entertaining&next time you go to your local bookseller, locate a copy. I bet you'll be hooked& -- Linux Journal, 22 August 2003

&will definitely open your eyes&quirky case studies and good coverage of latest technology& -- Internetworks, November 2003

From the Back Cover

Is someone spying on you?

You might be surprised

It could be your boss, your competition, or a private investigator, but it could just as easily be a foreign intelligence agent–or the whiz kid down the street. More and more people today want to know what’s on your computer, your PDA, your cell phone, or your wireless network. And as soon as one vulnerable chink in your security is identified and plugged, a new spy tool or method will arise to circumvent the countermeasure.

Joel McNamara takes you inside the mind of the computer espionage artist–amateur or professional–and shows you appropriate defenses for a wide array of potential vulnerabilities.

This is not just another book on network security. This is the book that teaches you to think like a spy, because that’s the only way to outwit one.

• Analyze your risk of becoming a target of espionage
• Recognize and lock down the vulnerabilities of instant messaging, Web browsers, e-mail inboxes, and address books
• Understand where electronic eavesdropping becomes criminal–and where it’s perfectly legal
• Discover how spies circumvent security measures and learn how to protect yourself
• Find out how law enforcement recovers evidence from a suspect computer
• See how a determined spy can compromise the average fax machine, paper shredder, cell phone, voice-mail, pager, PDA, and digital camera
• Learn how the government uses computer espionage techniques to combat drug lords, organized crime, foreign terrorists, and industrial espionage
• Explore some of the top-secret national spying projects like TEMPEST, ECHELON, Carnivore/DCS-1000, intelligence-gathering worms and viruses, and what impact they may have on you

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 408 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (June 2, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764537105
• ISBN-13: 978-0764537103
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #159,279 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #98 in Books > Computers & Technology > Business & Culture > Hacking

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Informative and practical, plus a fun read, August 18, 2003

By 

Dean Smith (Redmond, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Secrets of Computer Espionage: Tactics and Countermeasures (Paperback)

As co-owner of a small business I read "Secrets of Computer Espionage" with interest, particularly since I thought that running a firewall and virus protection made my system fairly safe from intrusion. Hardly.

Consider the book required reading if you run any flavor of Microsoft Windows and need to keep private information private, and especially if your computers support external data connections (read: internet or external access).

McNamara covers a wide range of possible computer attacks from the mundane to the geeky-obscure. And he discusses the reasonable likelihood of each different type of attack along with how to identify and defend against them.

He also keeps the book common-sense, such as don't invest tens of thousands of dollars in attack-hardened hardware and software if you leave your building unlocked. He talks about physical access restrictions, company security policies, and other considerations regarding the ultimate goal of keeping the contents of your computer system safe - points that some computer security books overlook.

Finally, I love that McNamara injects humor, a conversational tone and many case studies into his book. It turns a potentially dry topic into an enjoyable read.

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A side of computer security seldom seen, June 26, 2003

By 

Alan Olsen (Portland, OR USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Secrets of Computer Espionage: Tactics and Countermeasures (Paperback)

Warning: This book will make you paranoid.

It shows you just what kind of problems you face in securing your computers and life in the current legal climate. it shows just what can be done to you legally without papers being served on you. The current laws concerning wiretaping and gathering of evidence. How black bag operations are planned and committed. How your systems can be monitored in many many ways.

The book is current as of 2003 and includes information on the oxymoronically named "Patriot Act", as well as CALEA and other laws that remove your privacy from people with guns and an excuse.

And then there are the illegal ways.

The book does into a level of depth that the current law enforcement community would not want you to know. And you do want to know, even if you don't have anything to hide. (And everyone does have things to protect. Your reputation, your credit information, where you keep your money, not to mention those things that may be unpopular with someone somewhere.)

Well worth getting if you have any interest in security, computers or otherwise.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly Recommended!, April 21, 2004

By 

Rolf Dobelli "getAbstract" (Switzerland) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Secrets of Computer Espionage: Tactics and Countermeasures (Paperback)

You and your computer face a dizzying array of security threats, writes tech consultant Joel McNamara. Competitors, cops, crooks and even disgruntled kin would love a peek at your hard drive. But don't hyperventilate just yet. If you calmly analyze the desirability and vulnerability of your secrets, you can figure out how to protect yourself. McNamara's prose is surprisingly clear given the degree of difficulty of his topic, and he offers a number of useful sidebars, charts and examples from inside the tech business to juice up his instructional tome. We suggest this practical book to managers charged with protecting corporate data, and to people who are unsure just how safe their computers are.