Book Description

Customer Reviews (20)

Buy it used and save yourself $20
The book's good, a bit outdated, not really ment for people who don't know too much about computers, but gives you a really good simple cover on (Insert title here).

Worse book on the subject
This is quite possibly the worse book I ever read on the subject. The author has a tendency to make unqualified statements with no supportive evidence. He thinks Hong Kong is an ".... emerging country around the Far East, having problems with software piracy. (Where have you been for the last 50 yrs ? Australia has a software piracy rates on par to Hong Kong. The highest is in Thailand and Vietnam.) He thinks when you start a web browser, and a small program running in the background, it is written in a "new" computer language called JAVA. Not knowing that JavaScirpt and JAVA has nothing in common, but share a name. He is not sure whether to called hacker as "immature bastards" with no real skills, or to take the high road and suggest that talented individuals like them should be nutured, and jail sentences should be reserved for murderers - so he did both.
The author has the hallmark of a typical sales/marketing/management type, knowing all the buzz words: risk management, business contingency plan, ..etc. CEO loves it, but can he tell the different between PPTP and IPSec ? and why should you use one and not the other ? I started questioning his credential after reading three chapters. If you want a better introduction to the subject, try Personal Firewalls by Lisa Yeo, Firewalls and Internet Security by Cheswick and Bellovin or Hacker's Challenge by Schiffman. Luckily, I only paid $4 for this paper weight.

Interesting Stuff
This book is a good explanation of hackers of all varieties, their techniques, and what ordinary people and businesses can do to protect against them. In a usually-even-tempered voice, Mr. Schwartau tackles common misconceptions and explains what hackers really are and what threats we should really be worrying about. He has had a reputation of being a Chicken Little with regard to hacking, but at least a respected Chicken Little. None of this is real knock-your-socks-off stuff. But it's good in an enjoyable sort of a way.

A Hacker's Thoughts on cyberSecurity
Speaking as someone who once spent three months behind bars for computer hacking, I can vouch for the authenticity of this book. It should scare you right out of your socks.

And it's not the technical details that should scare you, though there's enough of that. It's the simple "social engineering" that can cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars. A good hacker doesn't need to touch a computer - he just picks his target, gains a bit of information and uses others to do the dirty work, all unsuspecting. By the time you work out you are under attack, someone has taken out a second mortgage on your home, cashed in your life insurance, raided your credit cards and had a hell of a good time at your expense.

Here are case studies to demonstrate it. people driven to bankruptcy, despair and suicide.

Get a firewall on your computer right NOW. And do all the other things this book advises.

Otherwise you are a mug.

Don't figure it won't happen to you - if you are at all active in cyberspace, then you are leaving footprints behind that can be picked up and exploited by a hacker looking for his next target.

Buy this book - it will be the best handful of dollars you ever spent.

One-stop course to common sense on the net
This book is a must read for "just the facts" about the seedier side of the internet. As a "netcop" for a large ISP, I have recommended it to several people. It give the nuts and bolts of how things like viruses, denial of sercvice attacks, cyberstalking, and email fraud work with a friendly, no-jargon style. From everything on how to protect your privacy while online, to why spam is a bad thing, this book covers all the bases. Unlike many books on the same topic, this one does not go into the details of how to do these deeds- just how to keep them from happening to you.

I especially recommend the section on how to keep your kids safe on the net... this book is a one-stop course to common sense on the internet. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Still a Best in Class Endeavor
I continue to believe this is one of the best in class original references.Winn, Peter Black (RIP) and I were among the first to warn of electronic Pearl Harbors, with Winn being the most knowledeable and the only one invited to brief Congress, where it went in one ear and out the others.

Winn Schwartau was one of the first, along with Peter Black (RIP), to warn Congress and the business world that digital systems would be extremely vulnerable. No one listened.

This book is still in my library. It is the non-fiction "first book" in this area.

For the fictional version that will stun with its surprise ending:
Terminal Compromise

For the best movie showing how easy it is to bring a society down:
Live Free or Die Hard (Full Screen Edition)

Other Hacker Books:
The Second Self: Computers and the Human Spirit , Twentieth Anniversary Edition
Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution
The Hacker Crackdown: Law And Disorder On The Electronic Frontier
The Art of Deception: Controlling the Human Element of Security

Other Hacker DVD:
Hackers
Hackers - Wizards of the Electronic Age

Very important book
The importance of the contents of this book cannot be overstated. It is a collection of articles written by various experts in the field, which works well as it gives the reader a balanced view. Space prohibits a thorough review, so a list of some important highlights in the book is in order: 1. The discussion on applications of biotronics: bacteria that can detect single molecules of chemical and biological agents. 2. High-power radio frequency (HERF) weapons and their effects on biological systems. 3. The use of superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDS) to measure the magnetic neural activity of the brain. 4. The discussion on "assassination politics". 5. Cognitive maps used to visualize belief systems about information warfare. 6. The afterward of the book, which is the best part actually, for the reason that the author embraces an optimistic view of the future of the information age. He lists the "Ten Commandments" of computer ethics which should be followed by all individuals.

An excellent resource
Very informative, a great insight as to what is possible. This should make many people more aware of the need for some sort of security on their systems.

NEED TO READ
ALOT OF WHAT SCHWARTU IS TALKING ABOUT IN THIS BOOK IS POSSIBLE.SOME OF THE COMPANIES SECURITY IN THE UNITED STATES IS SOMEWHAT WEAK, BUT IMPROVING.SOME OF THE COMPANIES I HAVE WORKED FOR WOULD FLUNK IN THEIRSECURITY MEASURES.THE AUTHOR IS CORRECT ON HOW EASY IT IS TO GETINFORMATION FROM THE USA, FOR EXAMPLE THE SITUATION WITH CHINA ON THENUCLEAR TECH. SECRETS THAT THEY NOW POSES IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF WHAT WINNSCHWARTAU IS TALKING ABOUT.AND THE S.S.AGENTS WHOS NAMES WERE POSTED ONTHE WEB IS ANOTHER EXAMPLE

Great book for those not into computer security.
This book gives people a great view on what might be possible, and what might be done against it, with computers. Sometimes it is, in my humble oppinion, a bit to deep. But over all a great bookEspecially for thosewho are no computer security person. ... Read more

Book Description
It used to take an entire nation to wage a war. Today it takes only one man. Taki Homosoto survived the hell of Hiroshima. Now, more than 50 years later, the time has come for the Americans to feel the flames of his revenge, using his personal army of terrorists and intelligence agents. The US Government and a network of somewhat reluctant allies - invisible and anonymous hackers join forces to battle this powerful enemy. The devastating climax of this one man's plan...this powerful, bitter survivor of ayamachi, The Great Mistake, is certain to bring global chaos and economic meltdown. A terrifying, thought provoking tale. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Oh no another non-technical computer "cyberthriller"
I borrowed my friends copy of this book, and I'm glad I did because it's not worth the 9 bucks.There is a reason that none of the pages are available for preview... if they were you wouldn't buy this book.If you look at the past reviews they are all by "normal people" and not "computer geeks".This is simply because these books are non-technical cyberbabble with no basis on reality.If you want a book that resonates with the quality of the movie "The Net" or "Fear dot com" then spend the nine bucks and jump on the bandwagon for some cyberposing.You're better off waiting until it comes out as a movie on lifetime... but hopefully that wont be in OUR lifetime.

PsyOps Instructor
This book is, in every way, a winner. It is not only a gripping read and great fun, but it is a truly well-written scenario for an information warfare attack against the U.S. Economy.

Several years ago, in his bestselling novel Debt of Honor, Tom Clancy scratched the surface of economic information warfare.In Pearl Harbor.com, Winn Schwartau takes the reader through a weeks-long attack against the national information infrastructure.

However, the book is not only a thirller.It is throught-provoking in a number of ways, exploring the true psyche of the hacker community; the dependance that Western Civilization now has on Computers; and the spectre of "what if we had to live without it."

This book is must-reading for anyone who has anything to do with information security, homeland defense, or economic security.

Schwartau's latest book is not only a thriller, but is a wake-up call that clearly shows the dangers of ignoring our critical information systems.

Big on concept, small on execution
As a work of literature, this book is unsatisfying.Itrides entirely on its plot, which is dramatic but uncomplicated.The characters are either forgettable or feel generated from stock materials.The language is often awkward.Schwartau attempts to encompass some broad elements, such as the interactions between government, individual politics, and public policy.Ultimately these topics are only as interesting as the individuals motivating them, and Schwartau's characters were not believable enough to make me buy into (or care about) the political maneuvering being described.

The period of denouement was exciting and fun, but I found the ultimate resolution almost entirely unbelievable.The remedy just plain wouldn't work, and at some level that's the point of the book.I think he shied away from the apocalyptic ending he had planned, and the result -- at least for me -- meant that the plot ended with a wimper, and that was most of what this book had going for it.

The real protagonist of this story is the internet, and the author definitely knows his computer vulnerabilities.This could work as a teaching story; but that just isn't interesting enough for 500+ pages of fiction.I think this work would have benefited from some aggressive editing.If you are a layman technologist, want some lightweight introduction to computer security, you might enjoy this book.In particular, for anyone unaware of the risks that accompany the benefits of our online, interconnected civilization, this book could be a very interesting read.

As for me, I found it thin and overlong.

Miles to go before we sleep
Wow, I started reading this book with no emotions other than that I have known this author for a long time.In the beginning I kept looking for signs about the author and what I would recognize.The amazing thing about this book is that as you are reading, you are involved in the story and can not stop.Yes, it is a great story but you soon begin to realize that this could be reality and it is very scary.Scary to the degree that the adrenaline starts pumping and you realize that this is so real life you can only be scared that God forbid half of what Mr. Schwartau is saying could really happen.Yes, this is fiction but the kind of fiction that has you sitting on the edge of your seat (at home or a plane)begging for more yet fearing that this could really be the headlines of today.The most amazing fact is that this book was conceived many years before 9/11 and is by far scarier than anything you might be reading in today's headlines.This is a great read for a great thrill but if you pay attention the intention of this book will linger on for a very long time.

Pearl Harbor Dot Com
Winn Schwartau's latest novel, PEARL HARBOR DOT COM, gives the rest of us non-computer geeks important insight into the fragility of our techno-economy and its vunerability to cyberwar or "information warfare".Winn clearly shows where and how we Americans are vunerable in our comfortable society and just where we need to wakeup to very real terrorist threats, all through telling a story that is fun reading as well... this timely volume illustrates the seriousness of our situation in a format that doesn't require computer literacy.Its important message tells us to wake up to our vunerabilities to protect ourselves and our beloved Constitution... Thanks Winn for writing a book the rest of us can read and enjoy and learn what infowar is all about.This book may be fiction, but the facts it presents are important for every American to know... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

As a book, not so great; as a concept, exceptional
Time Based Security (TBS) was largely written 10 years ago.The author gave me a copy about 3 years ago at a security conference.What's remarkable about the concept of TBS is that it was as relevant 10 years ago as it is today.The "risk avoidance" idea and "fortress mentality" described in TBS are as prevalent in this decade as they were in the 1990s, and they continue to fail us.TBS, as an alternative approach, is a powerful way to estimate the security posture of an asset.However, TBS the book is not the best way to make this argument (hence the three star rating).I would like to see TBS (published in 1999, but including older material) rewritten as a tenth anniversary edition and released in digital format, perhaps as a digital Short Cut.

To start, the foreword by Bob Ayers is almost as helpful as the rest of the book.I understand now why he claimed to manage "the performance of over 20,000 infrastructure and application penetration tests" in Chris McNab's Network Security Assessment; in TBS he says his Vulnerability Analysis and Assistant Program had "attacked well over 18,000 DoD computers."His findings from those tests revealed overwhelming success in penetrating systems, undetected, and barely reported when detected.Bob advocated transitioning from a risk avoidance strategy in DoD to one of protection-detection-response (PDR), because "it was impossible, either technically or fiscally, to build and operate a large DoD-wide 'secure' computing environment and that no security safeguards could resist a dedicated penetration attempt by an adversary who had an unlimited amount of time to attack...[T]he only true metric of the security of a system was the 'time' it took a dedicated attacker to break the security mechanisms" (p vi).

Turning to Winn's text, I found it filled with accurate judgments concerning security -- especially interesting since they were made 10 years ago."Unfortunately, management sees information security as an unmeasurable bottom-line drain on profits, or an 'insurance policy' against which actuarials are slim and hard numbers are more folklore than statistically defensible.Or, management sees security as an unnecessary evil or burden that interferes with getting the job done.Too many security professionals and security product vendors view security as a technical problem, thereby demanding a technical solution" (p 9).Winn continues on p 26: "As a species, we humans are not smart enough to build a computer security system that is impenetrable... [I]f we were smart enough to build an impenetrable security system, it wouldn't be very useful or functional.If we were smart enough to build a computer security system that met these goals, we couldn't afford it."

Winn presents TBS as his way to measure security: "The amount of time offered by the Protection device or system (P) must be greater than the amount of time it takes to detect the attack (D) plus the amount of time it takes to react to the detection (R)... If the amount of protection time you provide is greater than the sum of D and R, then your system can be considered secure" (p 34).This really resonated with me: "[T]he choice of a good protection system is not the first thing you need to think about when designing a security network environment.It's the efficacy of the detection and reaction processes that really matters" (p 36).Where "there are no detection or reaction mechanisms... P must be absurdly high... to have any effectiveness" (p 43)."Conventional protective information security is very difficult.And so, we assume for many TBS applications that P=0" (p 44).

To support his TBS concept, Winn recommends developing Reaction Matrices to list attacks, detection and response mechanisms, and estimated times for P, D, and R.Winn suggests using gaming (i.e., exercises) to show management and operators how TBS works and to assess if their estimates are realistic.Winn promotes network auditing (essentially data collection) as a means to improve detection and response, since making fast yet accurate decisions requires high-fidelity data.

These are all excellent and powerful ideas, but their lackluster presentation in TBS is probably enough to turn many people away from them.Previous reviews describe some of the problems with TBS as a book.I subtracted one star for overall presentation and delivery, and a second star for ineffective communication.Some conceptual problems need to be addressed, such as this: since P usually fails, we need to reduce D and R.However, if D and R can be reduced to the point where they are incredibly fast, why can't D and R be converted into P?After all, protection requires identifying an attack and stopping it -- i.e., detection and reaction.The answer probably involves recognizing that detecting and reacting to the attack itself is often very difficult, but identifying the attack consequences is more likely.

Still, I think it's time for TBS to make a comeback in a lean, focused format for 2009.Too many people still live in a fortress where P is the most important aspect of security.P is nowhere close to being 100% effective, yet D and R continue to be neglected.

Very Sloppy Work
This is perhaps the worst-written IT book I've seen.

First, there are the basic mechanics of writing a book. The book was self-published by the author's own company, and it shows. There are typos, wording mistakes, crudely done tables, inconsistent use of certain mathematical symbols, and graphics that look like they were done by someone who likes to dabble with Microsoft Office. In at least one case, a variable changes names within the same equation. He insists on referring to chapters/sections as "chaplets" instead (real meaning of the word: a wreath worn on the head).

Then there's the question of organization. There's no index. Information is hard to find. Four key concepts in the book are Protection, Detection, Response, and Exposure, yet there are no headings, bold face or other mechanisms for helping you find where each is first introduced and explained. The chapter titles often go for a charming or humorous effect, without being informative about what the chapter covers. In most chapters, there are no subheadings or other organizational aids to help you find things.

Let's talk about his writing style. The author seems as fascinated by himself as he is by his subject. The book is peppered with reminders that (as his presumably self-written bio says) he's "a popular and entertaining keynote speaker and interactive seminar leader." The stories are mostly not illuminating, just self-aggrandizing. He consistently misses one of the most important elements of informative writing: getting to the point. His chapters often natter on about unrelated matters that are more distracting fluff than cogent illustrations. You have to skim back and forth over the text to find the informative bits.

As to the security topic itself, there are some good ideas buried in there. The author's entire focus, however, is on one narrow element of the security situation: stopping an attack. There's much more to risk management and incident response than that, yet the author seems to think he's revolutionized network security by looking for ways to measure this one facet of the problem.

I give it two stars instead of one only because there are some good items buried in all the fluff.

Some good ideas but a lot of gaps
The premise of Time Based Security is simple: a system is never truly secure. Someone will break in. So what do we do? The idea is that preventing people from breaking in is only one part of securing a system. The other parts are detection and reaction. If we can known someone broke in, we can hopefully limit the damages. This is an idea that is used in practice: if a firewall company detects (detection) a new virus (protection breach), it will react by updating the signature file (reaction). This idea is powerful. Many books on security and many developers focus on protection: do a threat analysis, identify vulnerabilities and fix them. There is often little thought given to detection and reaction. I hope this book can change that perception.

There are however at least two important aspects of time based security that are not dealt with properly in the book. The first one is the consequence of a breach, how short it may be. Is time really a good measure of the effects of a breach? Maybe the attacker was there for only a few seconds, but if he installed a Trojan horse the only safe thing to do is to flatten the machine. It is unclear to me that time is an appropriate measure. In that case much of the time-based theory is suspect. The second issue is feedback. The reason why time-based security works in the firewall case above is because the reaction directly impacts protection: the protection becomes more and more efficient as more and more viruses are discovered. If reaction does not impact protection, then it is useless: as soon as it stops the attacker can break in again! This aspect is ignored in the book. The feedback loop is a crucial aspect of time-based security. It is surprising it is not mentioned.

The book is OK. It is a quick read and contains some useful information. Many of the best ideas are also covered in other security books, such as Secrets and Lies. I would not bother with this book if you have already read about time-based security in these other books.

One of the few classics in its field
OK, I admit it! This is another book that should be read alongside Donn Parker and Commander Smith! Excellent and thought provoking. I loved it!

The only bad things you could say about it, is Winn's use of storytelling (even if I found it enjoyable and effective), and the shoddy printmanship of the book (unclear pictures and bad illustrations, but that may be Winn's doing again).

Regardless of all complaints you may have against it, it needs to be read and understood, as well as being integrated into the curriculum of CISSP and equivalent certifications.

A must have for anyone interested in information security!
It has been said that "form follows function" and in the computer sciences we have had the freedom of sloppy engineering for way to long.It is joked that if builders built buildings the way programmerswrote programs the first woodpecker to come along would destroycivilization.I know that it is for this reason that we have so manyproblems "securing" anything in the info-sec fields, form is notfollowing function...

This book is the only book on my shelf I recommend*everyone* (interested in security) read.It is ground breaking because itstarts from scratch and looks at the function and follows with what theform should be.I think this book is a decade ahead of it's time and thatuntil every programmer, consultant, system architect, and info-sec employeeread this book and the information becomes ingrained as common sense willsecurity be truly possible in any meaningful way.

Most importantly itgives useful information on how to apply this information right now, adecade before we have good competition in the security product market placethat will solve this kind of problem.If you plan on doing any kind ofintrusion detection,the information in this book must be at your fingertips... It is the only way to measure how well solutions deliver, and tocreate meaningful metrics for measuring information security solutions.

The book has a certain prose about it that keeps on building on theprevious idea, and hence seems to be repeating itself, however it is ashort book that everyone from CEO to "in the trench guy" canread.Keep reading and thinking about what is being presented to youhowever and I think you will find as I did that the book is way ahead ofit's time and you will soon be building a secure infrastructure for yourbusiness that you can measure, and justify. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The ORIGINAL Information Warfare Book of Books
I am so very glad this book has been reprinted and is now available again from Amazon.I have known the author ever since I ran into him in the 1990's lecturing on America's vulnerability to an electronic Pearl Harbor.This book started as non-fiction and scared the lawyers so badly that they insisted he write it as a non-fiction novel.

This is one of the most compelling plots, and is the perfect starter book for anyone who wants to begin understanding cyberwar, cyber espionage, and homeland vulnerability.Then read everything else Winn has published.

He is the ORIGINAL, the "real deal," and one of the talents I most admire in the Information Operations arena.

See also:
Information Warfare: Second Edition
Cybershock: Surviving Hackers, Phreakers, Identity Thieves, Internet Terrorists and Weapons of Mass Disruption
Internet & Computer Ethics for Kids: (and Parents & Teachers Who Haven't Got a Clue.)
Spies Among Us: How to Stop Spies, Terrorists, Hackers, and Criminals You Don't Even Know You Encounter Every Day
Zen and the Art of Information SecurityCorporate Espionage: What It Is, Why It's Happening in Your Company, What You Must Do About It
Information Operations: All Information, All Languages, All the Time ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Collector's Item--Nailed the Future Back in the Day
Winn Schwartau was one of the first, along with Peter Black (RIP), to warn Congress and the business world that digital systems would be extremely vulnerable.No one listened.

This book is still in my library.It is the non-fiction "first book" in this area.

For the fictional version that will stun with its surprise ending:
Terminal Compromise ... Read more

Book Description
This digital document is an article from Security Management, published by American Society for Industrial Security on June 1, 1994. The length of the article is 1852 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

From the supplier: There are several low-cost ways of assuring data security in an organization. One is by the use of 16- to 32-character-long passphrases. In addition, there are procedures which may be programmed into a computer to tighten up user identification and access control. In any case, it is important for other entry points to be closed all the time. These include local workstations, local area networks, the Internet, private branch exchanges and mainframes.

Citation Details
Title: Low cost computer security.
Author: Winn Schwartau
Publication: Security Management (Refereed)
Date: June 1, 1994
Publisher: American Society for Industrial Security
Volume: v38Issue: n6Page: p59(2)

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

Book Description
... Read more

Amazon.com
Jean Guisnel, a journalist specializing in defense issues, takes a hard look at the controversies surrounding Internet security, striking a balance between the prophets of disaster and those who insist that everything is just fine. What's wonderful about this book is that it's extremely readable, a series of stories told by a journalist rather than a collection of dusty technical treatises. With refreshing clarity in both his outlook and his explanations, Guisnel paints a realistic picture that is neither simplistically good nor automatically bad. The threats, he shows, are real enough: security agencies willing to invade anyone's privacy, law enforcement agencies willing to blink at their legal limitation, corporations that have used cybertechnology to take industrial espionage to new heights, and new breeds of viruses that can be transmitted in once-harmless word-processor documents. But there is good news as well as bad. Battles for constitutional rights in cyberspace are being won and cryptographic improvements are making reasonable security easily accessible. And while attacks may be growing more clever, so are defenses. There may well be cause for concern, but the greatest danger, this book demonstrates, lies in remaining ignorant of the issues.Book Description
A revealing account of how the Internet has become a powerful new tool for spying by governments and private industry

To some a brand-new forum for the freedom of speech, the Internet is also the most up-to-date way to gather intelligence. Brilliant hackers like Kevin Mitnik-modern-day "pirates"-pose real security threats to government and industry. Cyberwars explores a dangerous new world where international terrorists plot their attacks and are tracked by secret service organizations on-line, drug traffickers do business and launder money, and electronic economic espionage is the order of the day. Examining efforts to police on-line communication and content, Guisnel assesses the implications of pervasive surveillance for the inherently democratic medium of the Internet. As these issues are the focus of ongoing debates in government and the private sector, Cyberwars couldn't be more timely. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

D&M book review of CYBERWARS-ESPIONAGE ON The Internet
Cyberwars: Espionage on the Internet. By Jean Guisnel; published by Plenum Publishing, 800/221-9369 (phone), 212/647-1898 (fax); 296 pages; $26.95.

In the recent flood of cyberspace publications, this book at best adds a mere trickle to the literature. While the author presents some interesting perspectives on United States­French competition in industrial espionage (in fact, the book is translated into English from French), the faulty technical details present throughout ultimately sink this effort.

The author's disconnect with technology stands out in his discussion of the Clipper chip, which is now installed in most standalone voice encryptors sold in the United States--but in few other applications. The author contends that the National Security Agency proposes to add the chip to every telephone manufactured in the United States. This statement is both illogical and wrong. Analog phones, which can't take chips, continue to be widely manufactured because they are far more affordable than digital phones. Moreover, digital phones are generally hooked to analog lines and don't use encryption. Thus, installing Clipper in all phones makes no sense.

The author even confuses commonly known security details. In a discussion of phone phreaking, for example, he claims that the publication titled 2600 was named after the frequency generated by a quarter as it plunks into the slot in a pay phone. In fact, the publication's title derives from the frequency in hertz of a supervisory tone used to bypass toll equipment.

And in places the book lapses from a balanced discussion into political commentary. For example, after criticizing filtering programs that block access to pornographic and other objectionable Web sites, the author states that "The fun for those who devote themselves to censorship is the daily discovery of new sites that they can condemn and prohibit."

Instead of providing new material, this book is essentially a collection of accounts of computer intrusions previously published in newspapers. Security managers seeking a digest of hacking articles might find some value in this book, but it is not recommended for serious practitioners.

Reviewer: Gordon Mitchell, Ph.D., manages Future Focus, a Seattle-area company that gathers clues from hard disks for commercial clients. He is a member of ASIS. D&M company for scientific research

European Perspective on Cyberwar
Jean, a nationally-respected journalist in France who has coveredespionage matters for decades, is the author of one of those rare Frenchbooks that make it into the U.S. marketplace.Translated into Englishafter great reviews in Europe, it charts the migration of European andAnglo-Saxon intelligence professionals into cyber-space.

A pseudo-tech book written by someone who hasn't a clue.
This book is a lightweight in the recent flood of cyberscare publications.It presents some interesting perspectives on US-French competition in the world of industrial espionage but overall it is not very informative.Itsprincipal failing is that it is a book about technology that butcherstechnical details.

The author's disconnect with technology isdemonstrated in his discussion of the Clipper chip.Clipper is nowinstalled in most stand-alone voice encryptors that are sold in the US.Atthe beginning of each phone call a new session key is shared between thetwo callers.It is not practical to find this session key by guessing buta separately encrypted version is sent along with the conversation.Thesession key can be discovered by government agencies through appropriateprocedures.The author's discussion of this states that a NSA proposal"...would add a device called the clipper chip to every telephone orcomputer manufactured in the United States."For most phones that useanalog transmission of voice this would clearly make no sense.Apparentlythe author missed the issue entirely.

In places the book becomes more ofa political platform than a balanced discussion.After condemningfiltering programs that block access to porn sites he states that "Thefun for those who devote themselves to censorship is the daily discovery ofnew sites that they can condemn and prohibit"

Even commonly knownsecurity details are missed.In a discussion of phone phreaking the authorstates that the publication titled 2600 was named after the frequency thata quarter made when falling into a pay phone.2600 Hertz is actually thefrequency of a supervisory tone that was used to bypass tollequipment.

In an evaluation of the hacker Kevin Mitnick's his technicalabilities were rated as #2 in the world.I am personally aquatinted withassociates of Mitnick who state that he is a technical wannabe that excelsonlyin dumpster diving and social engineering.

[exerpted from a reviewfor Security Management -- all rights reserved by the author]

Recommended?Click the 'Back' button.
I can hardly believe this book is recommended by the "Cyberculture Editor".It reads as though it reasearched by watching TV news programs and talk shows. Guisnel has a penchant for bombast and egaggeration: he makes no effort to back up a number of nebulous-yet-sweeping claims about the level of monitoring of the internet by security organizations (or a bunch of other claims, for that matter).Publishing a bunch of quotes don't prove jack.

In one glaringly ignorant sentence he infers that published bomb-recipies are a phenomenon perpetrated solely by right-wing militia groups. Huh. On the subject of internet policing he wanders from: the idea that governments should not, to the idea that the internet is a "self-policing nirvana", to wondering how laws to prevent nazis from having websites could be enforced. If you are a regular study of this topic you will not find anything new here.Despite the intruiging title, this guy has nothing to say. ... Read more

Book Description
Internet and Computer Ethics for Kids (and Parents and Teachers Who Haven't Got a Clue) The Book of cyber-ethical Questions for the Information Age

The Title says it all.

Internet and Computer Ethics for Kids (and Parents and Teachers Without a Clue) is going to be one of the most significant books of 2001.

It discusses, in a non-technical language that everyone can understand, one of the most serious issues facing us today:

Hackers, Hacking and Cyber-Ethics.

1. How should kids behave on the Internet?
2. How can parents help their technically fluent children?
3. What can the schools and teachers do to assist?

Cyber Ethics is an important mission that you will want to be a part of, and this book is only the first of a series of books that will be appearing in the coming three years on the subject, all talking to a wide variety of issues.

CyberEthics for Kids and Families!

Internet and Computer Ethics for Kids is the first book to actively promote family and youth values and cyberethics in an entertaining, colorful way.

All About Internet and Computer Ethics for Kids!

Internet and Computer Ethics for Kids is a colorful, extensively illustrated book written in an easy to understand, non-technical format. No other book has been specifically targeted at non-technical parents, teachers and kids who are in the greatest need of ethical education on issues they don't understand.

This lack of cyber ethical knowledge:
-Hampers a parent's ability to raise their children with the appropriate amount of teaching and ethical foundation.
-Creates a greater schism in families
-Ultimately raises children with no cyber ethical guidance, which as we all know, if bad for business and society as a whole.

Unlike the small handful of older books which preach ethics and tell people how to behave, Internet and Computer Ethics for Kids does not preach or suggest what is right or wrong behavior. Instead, it provides situational conundra for the reader, the parent and the educator to discuss, evaluate and form the basis for personal ethics.

Internet and Computer Ethics for Kids is written so everyone, from all walks of life and education can read it - and understand it.
Parents
Kids
Families
Teachers
School Districts
Information Age Workers
Government Employees
Corporations to Teach Staff Ethics
Technical Conferences ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Even teens will like it...
We have to use this book in our Information Technology course, and we were all a little hesitant at first, but from the first page this book had us laughing...and thinking. It provides you with great resources and plenty of opportunities to flex your mind muscles with hypothetical situations and challenging questions. I actually enjoy using THIS text book! Everyone who has a computer should get it, if for no other reason that to laugh and think!

For Parents and their Kids together
This book is well written.It uses language kids can understand, and also points parents and teachers to additional resources.A great book for parents to read WITH their kids, with lots of discussion suggestions at the end of every chapter.It can really help parents guide their children in the Internet age.

A Great Book
After I saw this book on Tech tv i had to have it and its well worth it.. ... Read more