Stealing the Network: How to Own a Continent [ILLUSTRATED] (Paperback)

by FX (Author), Paul Craig (Author), Joe Grand (Author), Tim Mullen (Author), Fyodor (Author), Ryan Russell (Author), Jay Beale (Author) "How much money would you need for the rest of your life?..." (more)
Key Phrases: rogue laptop, dna admin, controller laptop, The Don, Pacific Tech, South America (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Unfortunately, the prospect of evil forces unleashing an all out cyber-terrorism attack on the civilized world is no longer just a bad dream. There are now forces at work with the motive and the means to cripple the Internet, arguably, all they need now is the opportunity. This work of fiction is written by some of the leading security and counter-terrorism experts in the world today, and it outlines a plot to "own the box" on a truly global scale by compromising an entire continent's network infrastructure. The authors bring to life a scary cast of characters and set them on a course of imminent cyber-attack, shedding light on some of the most lethal hacks yet imagined. In-the-know readers will recognize the technologies, scenarios, and threatened intrusions. The first book in the "Stealing the Network" series was called a "blockbuster" by Wired magazine, a "refreshing change from more traditional computer books" by Slashdot.org, and "an entertaining and informative look at the weapons and tactics employed by those who attack and defend digital systems" by Amazon.com. This follow-on book once again combines a set of fictional stories with real technology to show readers the danger that lurks in the shadows of the information security industry... Could hackers take over a continent?

From the Publisher
The first Stealing book focused on the individual hacker. This book shows you what a group can do! ...what if you were part of a group, and didn't even know it? What if you made friends with someone on-line, and the two of you worked on a project together, not knowing the other person was using you to their aims? Now things get interesting!-From the foreword by Jeff Moss

He didn't notice the hooker asking him if he wanted a good time. He didn't notice the bum asking for 5 rand. He didn't notice the punk kid paying for one newspaper yet taking them all from the machine. His mind was ablaze with what he thought he would have to do, and probably wouldn't have noticed if he stepped on a rusty nail. Street. Cat. Door. Stairs. Up. He turned the key and opened the door to his apartment without losing his step. He didn't even realize that he closed the door without locking it. Backpack. Drop. Fridge. Beer. Spray in Eye. Shit. Screen. On. PGP. Mail. Scanning. There it was.

-----BEGIN PGP MESSAGE----- Version: PGP 8.0

Matthew copied the text, loaded PGP keys, and then grabbed the alternate keyring he needed. He ran PGPMail, and typed his passphrase. Even the e-mail hissed when he read it. "This is what must be done."

And featuring an inside look at the making of Stealing the Continent: this special appendix gives you access to the actual email threads of the STC authors, showing how the plot developed and how the authors and editors worked to build the book.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Syngress; 1st edition (May 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1931836051
• ISBN-13: 978-1931836050
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.9 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #99,498 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #32 in	Books > Computers & Internet > Business & Culture > Security
  #68 in	Books > Computers & Internet > Networking > Intranets & Extranets

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another outstanding effort..., May 26, 2004

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

I recently read and reviewed Stealing The Network - How to Own the Box (STN) by Syngress Publishing. Great read. When I saw there was a follow-up titled Stealing The Network - How to Own a Continent (STC), I had to read it too. Once again, a great read for computer and security people.

Much like STN, STC is a series of fictional episodes involving system attacks and exploits. The episodes aren't real, but the techniques and concepts outlined are definitely true to life. The main difference between the two is that STC is a cohesive series of attacks coordinated by a mysterious person in the background who wants to disrupt a continent and make a huge financial score. So while each story in STN was a stand-alone chapter, STC is more like a mystery techno-thriller that is light on plot but heavy on technical detail.

In addition to learning about attacks and how they can occur (which you can get in just about any security book), STC once again adds the color of the attacker's personality into the equation... Why they do it, what they stand to gain, and what level of effort they are willing to expend to gain their prize. I feel that most security departments fall flat in this area. They can configure and set up proper security "by the book", but they are unable to think like a cracker and anticipate the unexpected. That's probably where this book (actually, both books) adds the most value to the collection of security knowledge and wisdom that's available on the technical bookshelves today.

If you're looking for a techno-thriller novel that reads like Tom Clancy, this isn't your book. But if you're looking for solid security information told in a colorful and unusual manner that will cause you to question your own security awareness, you found what you're looking for...

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's About Time!, June 26, 2004

By	Jake Rolston (Balimore) - See all my reviews

I've read just about every "hacker" and security book worth reading over the past few years, and honestly, most of them really were not worth reading. But, this book is truly unique and is well worth your time to read. The security industry is incredibly complex; technically, socially, and ethically; and this book reflects that. There are many very talented (and WAY TOO MANY not so talented) people on the right, the wrong, and the in between of cyber security. The landscape of the internet changes almost every minute. This book manages to communicate the technical and social intracicies at the same time through a fairly compelling story that also encompasses very challenging, technical information. This really is a must read for anyone involved with the security community.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cool concept, exceptional delivery, May 27, 2004

By	roamer (Odenton, MD United States) - See all my reviews

I have read several books featuring Ryan Russell (Stealing the Network, Hackproofing Your Network, among others), Joe Grand (Stealing the Network, Hardware Hacking), and Russ Rogers (WarDriving: Drive Detect, Defend, Security Assessment: Case Studies for Implementing the NSA IAM) and have never been disappointed. This book was no exception. The story is presented in an easy to read style and the technical details are accurate and well presented.

I would recommend this book for anyone responsible for securing their networks, anyone interested in information security or vulnerability exploitation, and anyone who enjoys reading a good story. It's just a fun read.