Scene of the Cybercrime: Computer Forensics Handbook [ILLUSTRATED] (Paperback)

by Syngress (Author) "Today we live and work in a world of global connectivity..." (more)
Key Phrases: preserving digital evidence, cybercrime investigator, cybercrime case, United States, Frequently Asked Questions, Internet Explorer (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
This book is a bridge between two distinct cultures; that of IT professionals responsible for building systems that prevent cybercrime, and law enforcement officials responsible for investigating and prosecuting those crimes. It introduces IT professionals to the highly structured world of law enforcement, where rules of evidence must be followed closely and crime scenes must not be contaminated. It provides law enforcement officers with an understanding of the technical aspects of cybercrime and of how technology can be used to help solve crimes that have been committed.

About the Author
Debra Littlejohn Shinder is a former Police Sergeant and Police Academy Instructor, turned IT professional. She and her husband, Dr. Thomas W. Shinder, have provided network consulting services to businesses and municipalities, conducted training at colleges and technical training centers, and spoken at seminars around the country. Deb specializes in networking and security, and she and Tom have written numerous books, including the best selling Configuring ISA Server 2000 (Syngress Publishing, ISBN: 1-928994-29-6), and Deb is the sole author of Computer Networking Essentials. Deb also is the author of over 100 articles for print publications and electronic magazines such as TechProGuild, CNET, 8Wire, and Cramsession.com. Deb is a member of the editorial board of the Journal of Police Crisis Negotiations and the advisory board of the Eastfield College Criminal Justice Training Center. Ed Tittel (Technical Editor) is a 20-year veteran of the computing industry who's worked as a programmer, systems engineer, technical manager, writer, consultant, and trainer. A contributor to over 100 computer books, Ed created the Exam Cram series of certification guides. Ed also writes for numerous Web sites and magazines on certification topics including InformIT.

Product Details

• Paperback: 512 pages
• Publisher: Syngress; 1 edition (August 10, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1931836655
• ISBN-13: 978-1931836654
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #711,099 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars So very good on so many levels..., May 9, 2004

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

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...

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Neither Fish Nor Fowl, October 19, 2004

By	A. Student (Marietta) - See all my reviews

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.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars <Yawn> Tell Me Something I Don't Already Know, February 7, 2005

By	Darkness (SoCal) - See all my reviews

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.