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Spam Nation: The Inside Story of Organized Cybercrime―from Global Epidemic to Your Front Door Paperback – Picture Book, May 1, 2015

by Brian Krebs (Author)

4.3 942 ratings

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A New York Times bestseller and winner of a 2015 Prose Award!

There is a threat lurking online. A secret war with the power to destroy your finances, steal your personal data, and endanger your life.

In Spam Nation, investigative journalist and cybersecurity expert Brian Krebs unmasks the criminal masterminds driving some of the biggest spam and hacker operations targeting Americans and their bank accounts. Tracing the rise, fall, and alarming resurrection of the digital mafia behind the two largest spam pharmacies―and countless viruses, phishing, and spyware attacks―he delivers the first definitive narrative of the global spam problem and its threat to consumers everywhere.

Blending cutting-edge research, investigative reporting, and firsthand interviews, this terrifying true story reveals how we unwittingly invite these digital thieves into our lives every day. From unassuming computer programmers right next door to digital mobsters like "Cosma"―who unleashed a massive malware attack that has stolen thousands of Americans' logins and passwords―Krebs uncovers the shocking lengths to which these people will go to profit from our data and our wallets.

Not only are hundreds of thousands of Americans exposing themselves to fraud and dangerously toxic products from rogue online pharmacies, but even those who never open junk messages are at risk. As Krebs notes, spammers can―and do―hack into accounts through these emails, harvest personal information like usernames and passwords, and sell them on the digital black market. The fallout from this global epidemic doesn't just cost consumers and companies billions, it costs lives too.

Fast-paced and utterly gripping, Spam Nation ultimately proposes concrete solutions for protecting ourselves online and stemming this tidal wave of cybercrime―before it's too late.

"Krebs's talent for exposing the weaknesses in online security has earned him respect in the IT business and loathing among cybercriminals… His track record of scoops...has helped him become the rare blogger who supports himself on the strength of his reputation for hard-nosed reporting." ―Bloomberg Businessweek

Print length

320 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Sourcebooks
Publication date

May 1, 2015
Dimensions

5.5 x 0.8 x 8.25 inches
ISBN-10

1492603236
ISBN-13

978-1492603238
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Krebs' guided tour of the cybercriminal underworld is a cautionary tale about menacing cultures of hackers, spammers and duplicitous digital network 'cybercrooks...' an eye-opening, immensely distressing expose on the current state of organized cyberspammers. " - Kirkus"

"Armed with reams of information sent to him by feuding hackers and cybercrooks, Krebs explores just how and why these spammers get away with so much...By exposing our digital weaknesses and following the money, he presents a fascinating and entertaining cautionary tale. Krebs's work is timely, informative, and sadly relevant in our cyber-dependent age." - Publishers Weekly

About the Author

Brian Krebs is an award-winning journalist, founder of the highly acclaimed cybersecurity blog KrebsonSecurity.com, and author of the New York Times bestseller, Spam Nation. For 14 years, Krebs was a reporter for The Washington Post, where he authored the acclaimed Security Fix blog. He has appeared on 60 Minutes, CBS This Morning, CNN, NPR, Fox, ABC News, and in the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, USA Today, and more, and has been profiled in the New York Times and Bloomberg’s BusinessWeek.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Sourcebooks; Reprint edition (May 1, 2015)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1492603236
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1492603238
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.8 x 8.25 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #977,561 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #623 in Computer Hacking
- #1,097 in National & International Security (Books)
- #1,440 in Internet & Telecommunications

Customer Reviews:
4.3 942 ratings

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Brian Krebs

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Brian Krebs is the editor of KrebsonSecurity.com, a daily blog dedicated to in-depth cyber security news and investigation. For the third year running, KrebsonSecurity.com was voted the Blog That Best Represents the Security Industry by judges at the 2013 RSA Conference, the world’s largest computer security gathering. KrebsOnSecurity also won the “Most Educational Security Blog” award, and last year Krebs was presented with the “Security Bloggers Hall of Fame Award,” alongside noted security expert Bruce Schneier. From 1995 to 2009, Krebs was a reporter for The Washington Post, where he covered internet security, technology policy, cybercrime and privacy issues for the newspaper and the website. His stories and investigations have also have appeared in Popular Mechanics, Wired.com and dozens of other publications. Krebs is a 1994 graduate of George Mason University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations.

Customer reviews

942 global ratings

How customer reviews and ratings work

Customers say

Customers find the book well-written and easy to keep reading. They say it provides excellent insight into the shady world of Russian spammers. Readers say the book is worth buying and worth their time. They also appreciate the detailed look behind the scenes. Opinions are mixed on the narrative quality, with some finding it interesting and personal, while others say it's confusing and not believable.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Select to learn more

Readability Insight Value for money Visual quality Narrative quality Audience

76 customers mention "Readability"71 positive5 negative

Customers find the book well-written, engaging, and easy to keep reading. They appreciate the author's great job of explaining the answers to questions in an easy-to-understand language. Overall, readers say the book gives a good impression and is a fast read for business and tech executives.

"...A fast read and a must-read for business and tech executives everywhere...." Read more

"...When it's on point, though, it tends to be a decent read...." Read more

"...Brian did a great job of explaining the answers to these questions, as well the who's who of originating fathers of spam, where they were from, the..." Read more

"...As a security professional, I found Spam Nation to be very entertaining, even though the book is written, intentionally, in a nontechnical style...." Read more

66 customers mention "Insight"58 positive8 negative

Customers find the book provides excellent insight into the shady world of Russian spammers. They say it's well-researched, eye-opening, and educational. Readers also appreciate the surprising level of detail into the minds and personalities of some of the spammers.

"...i liked this book, and found it a well-researched and interesting narrative. But I understand why some people will find it tedious...." Read more

"...It provides insight into motives, modus-operandi and the environment, sponsored by corrupt bureaucrats who enable Cybercrime to flourish in Eastern..." Read more

"Spam Nation is a solid, interesting book if you're new to the idea of spammers and cybercrime, and maybe have only read an article or two on Krebs'..." Read more

"A well-researched, in-depth analysis of a problem that's been plaguing the internet for twenty years or so...." Read more

14 customers mention "Value for money"14 positive0 negative

Customers find the book worth buying and well worth their time. They also mention it's a decent book at a fair price.

"...Not only is this book a good read, but his blog (google search: Krebs on Security) is guaranteed to keep you up to date with the various scams and..." Read more

"...This book is a worthy read as it details the feud that developed between key Cybercrime characters and the supporting cast of corrupt banks, less..." Read more

"...For the right audience, this is a great book...." Read more

"...about how you protect yourself from cybercrime which is worth the price of admission for those that are neophytes in this area." Read more

13 customers mention "Visual quality"13 positive0 negative

Customers find the book's visual quality interesting, fascinating, and informative. They say it provides a detailed view of the underworld of spam with colorful and compelling drama.

"This is an insightful and informative look at the (largely) Russian cybercrime and gray to black hat ecom practices from 2007-2014, Krebs is an..." Read more

"...His in-depth articles feed right into this book, and give you a detailed view, where you can follow the ebb and flow of the topics and see how they..." Read more

"...pharmacies, spam, and malware clear, and he does it with a colorful and compelling drama. I found this text to be very enjoyable to read...." Read more

"...like "The Cuckoo's Egg", but it still provides a fascinating look behind the scenes on the early days of spam, and provides context to the..." Read more

17 customers mention "Narrative quality"11 positive6 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the narrative quality of the book. Some mention it's interesting, personal, and eye-opening. However, others say it's confusing, not believable, and repetitive.

"...i liked this book, and found it a well-researched and interesting narrative. But I understand why some people will find it tedious...." Read more

"...I was very impressed with how well written and immersive the story is...." Read more

"...The structure of the book doesn't suit the topic...." Read more

"Spam Nation was a pretty eye-opening account, filled with some entertaining anecdotes, about the cyber crime industry...." Read more

7 customers mention "Audience"3 positive4 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the audience. Some mention it's good for a specialty audience, while others say the commentary is misplaced and the technical terms are insufficiently defined.

"...This commentary is misplaced. There's a good deal wrong with newspapers but that's off topic and seems overly personal...." Read more

"...He has the wonderful ability to convey complex information in a clearly understandable manner...." Read more

"...trouble referring to published literature...." Read more

"Enjoyed this book immensely. Written for a wider audience who have an interest in how we got into spam hell rather than just being written for the..." Read more

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Reader

Great behind the scenes look at the (under)world of spam

Reviewed in the United States on November 30, 2014

Verified Purchase

The Washington Post chickened out and wouldn't permit their reporter Brian Krebs to follow the story he had uncovered. He turned down the security of the tech beat job they offered and instead he continued his in-depth investigative research and the result is this book. A fast read and a must-read for business and tech executives everywhere.

While he does discuss the "denial of service" attacks on his website, Brian has left out some of the other drama that has accompanied his cyber-crime reporting including the SWATting incident at his home and the various items sent to his house as veiled threats, including: "a gram of heroin, a giant bag of feces, an enormous cross-shaped funeral arrangement." Apparently not all of these were directly tied to the Spam research, but they are examples of how threatened the miscreants feel when Brian is on their tale (pun intended).

Not only is this book a good read, but his blog (google search: Krebs on Security) is guaranteed to keep you up to date with the various scams and criminal activities that run rampant on the internet. I highly recommend both the blog and his book.

6 people found this helpful

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Gaston

Good, but wanted more ...

Reviewed in the United States on December 30, 2014

Verified Purchase

I've noticed other reviewers refer to this book as "tedious". i liked this book, and found it a well-researched and interesting narrative. But I understand why some people will find it tedious. The book could have been organized better, particularly for the reader with a casual interest of the topic.

The key questions that most people want answers to are outlined in Chapter 1. For example: "Who is buying the stuff advertised in junk email?" But in subsequent chapters, the questions are not answered in the sequence they were asked, and it's not clear where in the book you will find the answer to each question. So you have to read a lot of detail, chapter by chapter, to ferret out the answers. If feels like you are jumping around a lot. One suggestion would have been to organize the chapters by each of the key questions, then provide a clear answer to the question at the end of each chapter. Casual readers probably would find that much more helpful.

The last chapter provides some advice on how you can protect yourself from cybercrime. After you read all the prior chapters, you want to know how to better protect yourself! But the last chapter is a bit slim on suggestions. The suggestions are good, but generic (e.g., use strong passwords, keep your software up to date). I was expecting more, and more specific, suggestions.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Mark Gibson

SPAM Nation - Book Review: Ignore this book at your Peril

Reviewed in the United States on November 9, 2015

Verified Purchase

Spam Nation: The Inside Story of Organized Cybercrime-from Global Epidemic to Your Front DoorBrian Krebs is an investigative journalist and former Washington Post staff reporter, where he covered Internet security, technology policy, cybercrime and privacy issues for the newspaper and website.

Brian left the Washington Post after editorial management at WP decided that Cybercrime was an area that was a little too risky for its appetite.

Brian went on to found his own Website www.krebsonsecurity.com a daily blog dedicated to in-depth cyber-security news and investigation. Brian has become one of the most informed and prolific writers on the subject of Cybercrime.

His first book SPAM Nation chronicles the activities of two leading Russian figures of the Pharmaceutical SPAM racket, Igor Gusev and Victor Vrublevsky, who leaked detailed information about the other in an effort to destroy the other.

This book is a worthy read as it details the feud that developed between key Cybercrime characters and the supporting cast of corrupt banks, less than diligent ISP’s, crooked beauracrats and victims of toxic counterfeit drugs bought over the Internet from “Canadian Pharmacies”. These two individuals (Vrublevsy and Gusev), are responsible for a large percentage of SPAM that has plagued your and everyone else’s inboxes for the past 10 years.

It provides insight into motives, modus-operandi and the environment, sponsored by corrupt bureaucrats who enable Cybercrime to flourish in Eastern Europe, Russia and parts of Asia.

Why is it worth reading? Because YOU and YOUR IDENTITY are under constant threat from billions of SPAM emails and social engineering scams generated by a sophisticated, determined, patient and growing cadre of Cyber criminals.

If you have not received a letter from your bank or institution where you hold a credit account offering free credit protection services, advising that you that your credentials may have been stolen and that your account may be compromised in the past 12 months, it is almost certain you will receive one in the next 12 months.

Pharma Spam provided the trainer-wheels for the first generation of hackers. They made $millions selling counterfeit pharmaceuticals, manufactured in India, sold via online “Canadian” Pharmacies to Americans who could not afford or could not acquire drugs for any number of serious illnesses and addictive needs.

The Botnets that infected and continue to compromise millions of PC’s, causing them to generate billions of Spam emails daily still exist. They provide a platform to develop and launch more sophisticated phishing and spear-phishing attacks.

Hackers have perfected their craft in what history will record as the “wild-west” days of the Internet.

Ten years ago, these miscreants were making $millions.
Now they are making $Billions.
An increasing variety of clever scams, including impersonation of senior executives using look-alike URL’s to launch phishing and spear phishing attacks (social engineering), to gain access to the corporate network and commit fraud; extortion, identity theft, credit card theft, website ransom and Intellectual Property theft.

The epilogue, A Spam-free World: How you can protect yourself from Cyber-crime, is worth the price of the book ten times over.

If you don’t want to read the book, then please observe Brian’s three simple rules to protect your identity… and never click on a suspicious link or a link unless you can expose and validate that the underlying hyperlink is genuine.

Rule 1: If you didn’t go looking for it, do not install it.
Rule 2: If you installed it, update it.
Rule 3: If you no longer need it, remove it.

If you are interested in any subject related to Cybercrime, follow @Briankrebs on Twitter, make #Cybercrime a Twitter hashtag that you track and read daily and visit Brian’s website, it’s a must.

Finally, if you have never heard of and don’t know what “social engineering” is, then you had better do some research in a hurry, before you become the next victim of identity theft and fraud.

14 people found this helpful

Helpful

Green

If you've heard of this book, it's probably not for you.

Reviewed in the United States on May 25, 2015

Verified Purchase

Spam Nation is a solid, interesting book if you're new to the idea of spammers and cybercrime, and maybe have only read an article or two on Krebs' blog. However, if you're already somewhat comprehending of the idea, and especially if you've read Krebs' blog and articles before, there'll be little new content to come for. Oddly enough, Krebs has written a book for the people who've never heard of him before.

Outside of that, it's largely solid, it feels like it could've used another editing pass or two, Krebs repeats himself a good few times, as if he's forgotten that he's already used a particularly clever turn of phrase, and the book tends to meander. A lot of the time it feels like it doesn't really have a story to tell, or a point to make, but just a lot of amusing anecdotes to share.

When it's on point, though, it tends to be a decent read. The section on illegal medicinal drugs, both the traders and the users, was legitimately interesting.

All in all, not unhappy that I bought the book, but it wasn't what I expected.

Helpful

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David

Interessante Einblicke in Spam-Mail und die Personen die dahinter stecken

Reviewed in Germany on March 7, 2017

Verified Purchase

Brian Krebs ist bekannt für seinen Cybersecurity-Blog und hier zeigt er nicht nur wie tiefgreifend seine Recherche ist, sondern auch das er interessant schreiben kann.

Ein wirklich tolles Buch, das mir persönlich neue Einblicke in die Welt der Cyberkriminalität gewährt hat. Etwas verwirrend sind die russischen Namen die zum Teil auch noch sehr ähnlich sind. Ansonsten ist das eBook wirklich gut gemacht und es freut mich immer wieder, wenn man Fußnoten einfach durch einen Klick direkt im Text anzeigen kann.

Translate review to English

T

Une enquête saisissante

Reviewed in France on January 24, 2017

Verified Purchase

L'auteur aborde de façon claire (même pour un néophyte) ce qui se passe sur la toile avec tous ses enjeux cachés. Une traduction française serait la bienvenue pour rendre ce livre accessible à plus de monde.

Translate review to English

Harish Jonnalagadda

If you care about InfoSec, you should read this book

Reviewed in India on January 26, 2017

Verified Purchase

A truly masterful take on the web underbelly and the folks behind it.

MarkT

Great read and insightful

Reviewed in Australia on March 7, 2017

Verified Purchase

A good reference for anyone interested in knowing the background and context for the spam industry. Based on this I will be reading Krebs future publications too!

Mr K Barker

This a great read for anyone that is interested in all aspects ...

Reviewed in Canada on October 8, 2015

Verified Purchase

This a great read for anyone that is interested in all aspects of the underbelly of the criminal spamming economy.

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