Black Hat: Misfits, Criminals, and Scammers in the Internet Age (Paperback)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: viral code, legitimate code, early hackers, Black Hat, Internet Age, Deep Cover (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Best of all, John Biggs' suggestions for protecting my computer…have made my cyber activities more comfortable and secure." -- Slashdot, http://books.slashdot.org, July 20, 2004

A good primer for those who don't know about the dangers that lurk on the Internet. Be careful out there. -- Blog: Scobleizer; July 2, 2004

Product Description

For leery technophobes like me, it's nice to know the experts struggle with many of the same computer bugaboos that plague me.</a></p> </blockquote> <p id="quoteAuthor">&#8212; 'CWitz', Slashdot contributor </p></div>

<p> Homes are becoming increasingly wired and, thanks to Wi-Fi, unwired. Hackers can strike quickly and create disastrous results! These stories and follow-ups are a fascinating insight into the modern threats we all face in the techno jungle. Written by internationally recognized author, John Biggs, this book is an ideal read for anyone who owns a computer&emdash;and has ever pondered the threats of modern technology. </p>

<p><i>Black Hat</i> takes a fair and thorough look at the hacking cases that have made the news in recent years. These stories include all the juicy details, like the people behind the hacking, as well as legislative attempts to curtail hacking, cracking, and spam.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Apress (June 10, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1590593790
• ISBN-13: 978-1590593790
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,842,170 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Required reading for anyone with an Internet connection, June 28, 2004

By	Harold McFarland (Florida) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This is easily one of the best books available today to teach the average person what goes on in the darkest corners of the Internet. Author John Biggs takes the reader on a mind-expanding journey into these areas where questionable characters are more the rule than the exception. Along the way you will learn about port scanning, viruses, spam, spyware, worms, scams, pirates, and hacking. This is one of the very few books that teach the reader what can happen and how to be prepared without becoming a book that teaches malcontents how to become a hacker. This makes it one of the very few books that I could recommend to high schools, youth groups, and adult groups who want to understand the dangers of the Internet.

"Black Hat" is a book that is long overdue for publication. Most books on this subject are too technical for the average reader; this one is the exception. Everyone who surfs the net, for whatever reason, should read a book like this just so they know what can happen. If you are a non-technical user then "Black Hat: Misfits, Criminals, and Scammers in the Internet Age" is the best book available today for this purpose. This book should be considered as a gift for friends and family you love that surf the net and need to be safe.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Definitely a necessary read for the typical web surfer..., June 26, 2004

By	Thomas Duff "Duffbert" (Portland, OR United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

I recently received a copy of Black Hat: Misfits, Criminals, and Scammers in the Internet Age by John Biggs from Apress. While the information technology professional might not learn anything new from this book, it will serve as a readable resource to help typical computer users to understand the threat to their well-being when they surf the internet.

The chapter selection is as follows: Black Hats: Things That Go Ping In The Night; Y.O.U MAYHAVE ALREDY 1!: SPAM; Deep Cover: Spyware; Shockwave: Worms and Viruses; Dear Friend: Scams; Upload Or Perish: Pirates; Break In: Hacking; Don't Get Burned: White Hats; Glossary; Selected Reading; Index

Biggs has written a relatively short (158 pages) book that deals with most of the major security risks an average user will face on a regular basis on the internet. For example, the chapter on spam starts off with a real-life scenario involving Alan Ralsky, a well-known spammer. You're then taken back to the early days of the 'net when the first generally recognized piece of spam made its appearance in UseNet. The growth of unsolicted mail is tracked to current day levels, as well as the reasons why spammers do what they do. He even takes a typical piece of spam mail and dissects the headers to show the reader how all is not as it seems in terms of where it came from and how it got to you. The current solutions, along with the pros and cons of each are discussed, in addition to where spam seems to be headed in the future. All this is done in a narrative fashion that stays at a level that is understandable to the average "Joe Computer User".

The chapter on scams is also very valuable for helping people avoid getting fleeced. A lot of space is given to the Nigerian 419 scam, where you are asked to help someone transfer money out of their country into your bank account for a cut of the millions. I keep thinking no one would fall for this, but it still keeps sucking people in. Biggs also explains phishing scams, where users end up at web sites which are clever imitations of real sites. The person enters financial or personal information, and then finds themselves the victim of credit or identity fraud. This is definitely a scam on the upswing, and can catch people at all levels of internet expertise.

I personally enjoyed reading it, knowing that there were a number of people I would recommend it to. Like my kids or my parents. :-) If you're not an IT professional but you are an internet user, this book will help you to understand and avoid some very real dangers out there.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must for any computer user., June 20, 2004

By A Customer

This is security for the rest of us. How do worms work? What can we do to keep our information safe? How can we keep hackers, spam, and spyware off the family computer? This book as answers.
It's fun: there are little stories for each chapter and a lot of helpful info.