Product Description
How con artists will steal your savings and inheritance through telemarketing fraud, investment schemes and consumer scams. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

A good read
If you are interested in protecting yourself from different types of "once in a life type opportunities", then read this book. There are several good books on this comprehensive topics. I found this one an easy read. It covers all of the major (and their variations) frauds/schemes you are likely to encounter. I have take many proactive steps are reading this book to protect my identity and myself.

The World's Second Oldest Profession?
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"Imagine then, a worthless item covered in gold dust so fine that while appearing lustrous, a simple puff of wind or breath reveals its true value." p.5
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I own the first edition (2000). I believe Les both wrote and published it himself. There is so much raw data here, I think an editor would have provided some measure of control. That's one explanation for the book being over 600 pages long. Another culprit is the large font size. I suppose one justification for that might have been the anticipated readership, i.e., senior citizens who might be scam targets (and who I suppose have bad eyesight!).

Still, the author is to be commended for tracking down these scam artists. If the book is not as attractive as one from a major publishing house, so be it. The message is still valid, and the cost of purchasing "Crimes of Persuasion" must surely pale in comparison to the potential for lost life savings.

After all, it is easier than ever to get scammed and we must always remain vigilant. Is an offer too good to be true? Then it probably is. While not advocating paranoia, I believe a healthy degree of skepticism will prevent criminals from taking your money easily. As well, there is a responsibility to keep an eye on our elderly relatives who are, it must be said, ripe for the picking. Many older people have a trust and respect for their fellow citizens which can be exploited. They also may be unable to fact check or do due diligence online.

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"Offenders routinely include an element of urgency in their pitches, stressing that the prize, investment, or other item being offered will not be available unless you send the required funds quickly." p.13
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This book covers many variations of scams, some popular, some less encountered. Pyramid schemes, Ponzi schemes, chain letters, Nigerian 4-1-9 ("The manufacture of impressive stamps and letterhead is now supported by a huge infrastructure funded by the huge success of this industry." p.522), lottery and sweepstakes, medical billing, money clubs, affinity fraud, and much, much more. Even other ways of separating yourself from your money, such as boiler room telemarketing, or face-to-face street scams like the pigeon drop.

Ever received a series of calls (or newsletters) accurately predicting market trends or even specific stock movement? Here's the magic behind the curtain:
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"The scammer began with a calling list of 200 people. In the first call, he told 100 that the price would go up and the other 100 were told it would go down. When it went up, he made a second call to the 100 who had been given the "correct forecast." Of these, 50 were told the next price move would be up and 50 were told it would be down. The end result: Once the predicted price decline occurred, he had a list of 50 persons eager to invest." p.90
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In addition to the concerns I mentioned at the outset, only five pages of "Solutions" at the very end of the book seemed light. The pagination as it relates to the Table of Contents was also askew. Hopefully the 2nd edition (2003) remedies these issues, and is more readable. I'm guessing so at least on the latter point, since it is listed at a slimmed down 436 pages.

Once you are prepared with the knowledge and insight to repel scammers, you can watch late-night Get Rich Quick informercials just for the fun of it.

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"The unnaturally happy and enthusiastic audience is paid to applaud and look dumbfounded as each new feature is revealed." p.482
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Further reading might include License to Steal and The Big Con:

License to Steal : The Secret World of Wall Street and the Systematic Plundering of the American Investor

The Big Con: The Story of the Confidence Man

Easy to read explanation of con artists and fraud
This book gives a great over view of con artists and their work. It offers a much needed balance given the media's tendency to glorify con artists and the crimes they commit. The focus on the victims is a wonderful aspect of this work.

Although they are psychopathic and antisocial, they are not loners. Con artists have many relationships and I have been most interested in their family relationships. I highly recommend this book to people who are the family members of convicted and suspected con artists. This book will help you come to grips with the real person behind the con and it is not pretty!

The author (Henderson) does a great service as he points out that con artists cannot work without accomplices. Often people become unsuspecting accomplices when they endorse a con artist or his/her business.

Alot of grey areas
I bought this book after looking at the table of contents and seeing the plothera of cons that can be done to people and businesses. I wanted to use the book as a comparative to ethical marketing. Well guess what? You can argue that the con man and the businessman uses the same tatics!!!! Indeed, in this book there are some straight cons that are blankety illegal, but, others really aren't so cut and dry. Some methods that marketers use and "get away" with you can find on informocials past and present. Some of the biggest names and best selling products and services in history have been used by marketers using some of the methods in this book. I think the blur between whats legal and illegal can be a matter of what the government and law enforcement choose to do with a company.

This book was an eye opener and I thought that there is no way I could be conned, but, I see as the author pointed out that anyone can be conned, including the author with all his knowledge.
My only caveat is that a consumer can read this book and may think that everything is a con because the con man and legitimate companies are so much alike. The real difference is what is deemed as value by consumers, lawyers, gov't and all who choose to be involved.
My only other complaint is that I was left wanting more details!! Things such as the economics of the con and cost analysis of hiring and building the company of each con and a whole lot of other specifics which probably would've catapult this book to 1000 pages!

Informative, and Fun to Read
A must-read. The author describes in details many different types of scams through which people get defrauded. The book is also fun to read because it shows how the scammers use people's psychological traits (like greed, insecurity, or even loneliness) to get them to part with their money. It's very interesting and you can actually see analogous strategies being played out in TV commercials or even in your daily interactions with people who try to get things from you. I feel much more prepared to deal with life after reading this. ... Read more

Product Description

Here's a systems engineering-level introduction to the growing field of Information Warfare (IW) -- the battlefield where information is both target and weapon. This book provides an overview of rapidly emerging threats to commercial, civil, and military information systems -- and shows how these threats can be identified and systems protected. This is the first book to detail the component principles, technologies, and tactics critical to success in the three key areas of IW: Information Dominance, Information Defense, and Information Offense. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Great Overview
Good Book -a little hard to grasp if you have no experience in the field but brings together all the information.

Awesome book.
Starts out a little dry, but it's the necessary building blocks for the rest of the book. This is a great end-to-end description of the science of IW. Good buy!

A thorough introduction to a complex discipline
This book presents an information warfare framework that is more aligned to national infrastructure and military systems protection than commercial enterprises.However, the framework and systematic discussion of all of the relevant elements of information warfare can be applied to any environment - commercial, government or military.

The framework itself is sound and is the foundation of any infowar readiness posture. The book emphasizes a readiness posture that is defensive in nature, and the approach set forth addresses both strategic and tactical defense considerations.

There are a three of interesting viewpoints provides, which is consistent with the systems engineering approach taken: (1) hierarchy of strategic components.These are presented topdown with defense and deterrence paths as follows: Policy, Strategy and Operational levels and Operational Influence Relationships. (2) A strategic process that encompasses development of strategy, threat analysis and assessment of effectiveness.(3)Operational model, comprised of perceptual, information and physical layers.

Issues such as MEII (Minimum Essential Information Infrastructure deployment and modes of operations are cogently discussed along with associated tactical responses (surveillance, mode control, auditing/forensic analysis and reporting).The conceptual and process framework is augmented by a solid discussion of security technologies that are still in the large as accurate and valid today as when the book was written in 1998.

What I especially like about this book, aside from the systems engineering approach and viewpoints, is the complete coverage of the full spectrum of information warfare, including more subtle issues such as data and knowledge analysis, the cursory examination of offensive operations (seeing the info war from a hostile's viewpoint), and the copious amount of detail provided for each of the topics and subjects associated with infowar.

This book is an excellent starting point for corporate security organs that have matured to the point where infowar defensive measures can be effectively addressed.Although infowar is an element of information security, the mindset for defense requires a vastly more mature security program than normal network and system security practices because the threats may not be strictly technical in nature.This book will prepare you for the realities of infowar and give you insights about how it can be incorporated into your security posture. ... Read more

Product Description

Today more than one billion people worldwide use the Internet for communication, shopping, business, and research. But in the last five years they have lost over $10 billion to malicious computer attacks alone. Is there a way to keep the benefits and avoid the problems?

The Internet and Society: A Reference Handbook explores both the positive aspects of the Internet and its darker side. Topically organized, it chronicles the background and history of the Internet, with a focus on the 1960s and beyond. Through analysis of the latest research in sociology, political science, economics, law, and computer science, it examines problems, varieties of cybercrime, controversies, and solutions related to the Internet's phenomenal growth. It also illuminates the likely directions of the Internet's future and the ongoing challenges it presents to societies around the globe.

Product Description
This book attempts to create greater awareness about the growing dangers of cyber-hooliganism, cyber-crime, cyber-terrorism and cyber-war, inherent in the new opportunities for good and evil that have been opened up in Information Technology. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

educates a general audience
This guide is written for a general, non-technical audience. It attempts to educate the reader in the common types of malware and cyber attacks that are now seen globally. The scope of the threats vary. Some are the equivalent of graffiti on billboards. Breakins to computers just for the heck of it. Hooliganism, as the book calls it.

But there are more serious attacks. Phishing-style, for example. Where financial fraud is being tried on an unwary user. No adequate technical answer is given to this by the book.

Further along the scale of severity is cyber terrorism, or even cyber war. These are disguished by the former being done by groups unaffiliated with any government. While the latter is, or might be, performed by one government on another. Thus far, few real and damaging examples of cyber terrorism have surfaced. Nuisance value events that might be construed as cyber terrorism have occasionally surfaced in recent years. But nothing more dire. ... Read more

Product Description
You can't succeed in the field of computer forensics without hands-on practice--and you can't get hands-on practice without real forensic data. The solution: Real Digital Forensics. In this book, a team of world-class computer forensics experts walks you through six detailed, highly realistic investigations and provides a DVD with all the data you need to follow along and practice. From binary memory dumps to log files, this DVD's intrusion data was generated by attacking live systems using the same tools and methods real-world attackers use. The evidence was then captured and analyzed using the same tools the authors employ in their own investigations. This book relies heavily on open source tools, so you can perform virtually every task without investing in any commercial software. You'll investigate environments ranging from financial institutions to software companies and crimes ranging from intellectual property theft to SEC violations. As you move step by step through each investigation, you'll discover practical techniques for overcoming the challenges forensics professionals face most often.Inside, you will find in-depth information on the following areas: * Responding to live incidents in both Windows and Unix environments * Determining whether an attack has actually occurred * Assembling a toolkit you can take to the scene of a computer-related crime * Analyzing volatile data, nonvolatile data, and files of unknown origin * Safely performing and documenting forensic duplications * Collecting and analyzing network-based evidence in Windows and Unix environments * Reconstructing Web browsing, e-mail activity, and Windows Registry changes * Tracing domain name ownership and the source of e-mails * Duplicating and analyzing the contents of PDAs and flash memory devicesThe accompanying DVD contains several gigabytes of compressed data generated from actual intrusions.This data mirrors what analysts might find in real investigations and allows the reader to learn about forensic investigations in a realisticsetting. A(c) Copyright Pearson Education. All rights reserved. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

computer forensics
i like the way the book starts with step by step instructions and comes with a cd and access on the internet for further information

Great computer forensics book written by the experts!
OK.What more do you need to know?This book is written by three gentlemen who live, eat and breathe computer incident response & forensics.The fact that they present the information in a well written and easy to follow format is just a bonus!If you're one of those "I wanna do it" types like me, you'll read through the material and then tackle the provided data to see if you can solve the crime.A great starting point for future incident responders and folks who want to know more about computer forensics.

super
Thanks a lot, we are very happy to have this book in our library!

A very good Book.
I took this book because it was told to me by my professor to purchase it.
But after reading its content I feel its really worth buying this book.

Excellent Read
This book is written in such a style that is easy to understand, yet technical and detailed enough to maintain your interest and attention all the way through.

The book presents several ways of accomplishing the same tasks in a non-biased, non-vendor-specific way.It explores the use of free, open-source tools as well as commercial offerings, and drills down into forensic analysis of both Windows and Unix/Linux Operating Systems.

The included CD contains actual forensic data and a few tools, which is both interesting and exciting to use while following along with the lessons in the book.

After receiving this book and opening it to the first page, I was almost unable to set it down until I finished it.I received it on a Friday afternoon and I had completed reading it by the end of the weekend.I highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in Computer or Network Security. ... Read more

Product Description
Identity-theft is the fastest growing crime in America, affecting approximately 900,000 new victims each year.Protect your assets and personal information online with this comprehensive guide.

Hack Proofing Your Identity will provide readers with hands-on instruction for how to secure their personal information on multiple devices.It will include simple measures as well as advanced techniques gleaned from experts in the field who have years of experience with identity theft and fraud.This book will also provide readers with instruction for identifying cyber-crime and the different ways they can report it if it occurs.

Hot Topic. Hack Proofing Your Identity will provide readers with both simple and advanced steps they can take to protect themselves from cyber-crime.
Expert Advice. This book will present security measures gathered from experts in both the federal government and the private sector to help secure your personal information and assets online.
Unique Coverage. Hack Proofing Your Identity will be the only book to include security measure for multiple devices like laptops, PDAs and mobile phones to allow users to protect themselves while taking advantage of the newest ways to access the Internet. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Good information for the average computer user...
Target Audience
Anyone who is an internet user and hasn't thought about protecting their identity.

Contents
This book outlines the issues involved in protecting your identity in an online environment, along with giving practical suggestions on how to do so.

The book is divided into the following chapters:Identity Theft: Are You At Risk?; Protecting Your Hard Drive; Keeping Your Email Private; Self-Defense On The Web; Connecting To The Internet Safely; Are Your Kids Putting You At Risk?; If You Become A Victim; Configuring Your Browser And Firewall; Index

Review
If you're a long-time techno-geek, you've no doubt been aware of the risks of exposing your identity on the Internet.You make sure credit cards are only used over encrypted links, you don't fall for phishing scams, and so on.But as more people have started to go online over the years, the incidents of computer crime and identity theft have risen dramatically.To combat your exposure to those scams, you should read Hack Proofing Your Identity In The Information Age.

The typical computer user will pick up quite a bit from this book.The first chapter will introduce the concept of identity theft and how easy it is for someone to glean information from you and use it to open credit accounts.There is also information here on how to avoid theft by non-electronic methods, such as securing your mail and cell phone.Subsequent chapters go more into detail on specific areas, such as email and web browsing.While the authors rightly state that it is impossible to completely protect yourself against a determined attacker, reading and implementing the material that you find in this book will significantly decrease your chances of becoming a victim.

To the techno-geek who's been living in the computer age for a long time, you will undoubtedly know most of this information.Even so, it's not assured that you will never become a victim.The chapter titled If You Become A Victim is a good reference on what steps to take once you determine that you've been targeted.Since it can be a stressful experience to clean up the damage, the convenience of having all the steps spelled out for you can be a lifesaver.

Conclusion
A good book for people who have never considered the risks of identity theft as they surf the internet, as well as for someone who is trying to clean up the damage once the theft occurs.

Read and Apply This Information
The developed world is in a transition.We are becoming an information economy.A result of this is that our identity is more important than ever and our identities are at risk of being stolen and misused!Hack Proofing Your Identity covers the fundamentals you need to know about identity theft.The book is primarily positioned as an awareness tool and is a serious wake up call.The author, Teri Bidwell clearly makes the point that simple everyday tasks such as writing checks, using credit cards, logging onto the Internet to perform on-line banking or stock trading reveal our private information to the outside world.

This book is directed towards real people, the average computer user, and avoids the gargon you might see in a text written for IT workers.Parents will also find this book intriguing as it teaches cyber security for children.The Author not only shares ways of protecting yourself and your private information, but also provide an in-depth introduction and summary of each chapter, as well as fast track solutions and frequently asked questions.

The book begins with identity theft and outlines what electronic information is truly private and how your personal information can be used against you.Then it moves on to a discussion about choosing strong passwords, installing and updating antivirus software as well as file encryption.

There is a fascinating discussion about how to protect your identity while using E-mail and the Internet.The book makes it clear that connecting to the Internet connects you to the rest of the world!

Raising children in the cyber and digital age brings a whole new set of challenges.Parents need to educate children about computerized sexual predators, unethical and illegal uses of computers.This is not a pleasant topic, but it is crucial.My own son nearly fell prey to one as a young teenager.My wife found him in the garage on the phone with an older lady who was trying to set up a rendezvous.They had met in a chat room.The book shows you how to protect children from becoming victims of crime on the Internet.

What happens if you become a victim of identity theft?How do you protect yourself or regain your identity?This is covered as well.The bottom line, this is an approachable book that covers the basic information that you really should think about.Read it then make sure your spouse, your parents and your kids know this stuff and put it into practice. ... Read more

Product Description
A family reference manual that provides the fundamentals of online and computer safety for each family member and employees with links to American law enforcement agencies and various software vendors. Major topics include fraud, scams, hoaxes, infectors, spam, identity theft, online harassment, home computer security, privacy and parental online issues. ... Read more

Product Description
Date: Fri, 11 Mar 2005 18:38:09 +0000 (GMT)

To: honbarrsedd4za@yahoo.co.in
PROPOSAL FOR URGENT ASSISTANCE
Dear Sir: I must solicit your confidence in this transaction. I am a high placed official with the Department of Finance Affairs in Lagos, Nigeria. I and two other colleagues are in need of a silent foreign partner whose bank account we can use to transfer the sum of $18,000,000. This are monies left by a barrister who died tragically in a plane crash last year...

Sound familiar? Congratulations. You have been selected to become a mugu, an expression African con artists use to describe the targets of their e-mail scams. But they drew a bead on the wrong guy when they started spamming Steve H. Graham. Like many Internet users, Graham eventually got tired of receiving mugu mail and decided to fire back at his wannabe swindlers.

Armed with a scathing sense of humor, Graham quickly turned the tables on his tormenters--with side-splittingly hilarious results. Whether he's referring to his fictional lawyer Biff Wellington, complaining about the injury he received while milking a lactating sloth, or offering the Preparation H helpline as his phone number, Graham--using aliases such as Wile E. Coyote, Barney Rubble, and Herman Munster--offers proof that spamming the spammers is the best revenge.

Steve H. Graham is a retired attorney. Since childhood, he has been fighting for truth, justice, and free movie passes. For each copy sold of this book, he will donate 100 percent of the proceeds to himself. He is also the author of the cookbook Eat What You Want and Die Like a Man. He lives in Miami. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (21)

Shipping
Can someone explain why it takes two weeks to ship this book?Another book by the same author was ordered on the same day and delivered within a few days.Give me a break!

Getting bacvk at the Nigerians
I often play with Nigerian scammers though not to the extent that the author does. Some of his responses to the scammers email are really funny. A lot like the annals of "The Porcine Princess".

Rude, in the best possible way
The Publishers Weekly review above is on the money, in that this book is gleefully offensive.

I'm fine with that.

If you're fine with that as well, this book will make you snort with laughter at inappropriate times.Do not read while sitting in bed next to your sleeping spouse.She will eventually punch you in the chest for waking her up.

It'll be worth the bruise.

FUNNY! FUNNY! FUNNY!
A laugh-riot from start to finish--the funniest book I've read in years.

Out of breath funny.
This was one of the funniest books I have enjoyed in a long, long time.The content is fun and light and makes for an easy read.There were times I had tears in my eyes and pain in my stomach from laughing so hard.It's an excellent book for when you need a break from this mad, mad, world.

It's one of those purchases you won't regret.

Highly recommended! ... Read more

Product Description
Computer technologies in general and the Internet in particular have had a massive impact on the type and scope of offences being committed, and on the organization of the policing and detection of criminal and deviant behaviour. Yet the complexities of these new developments and their wider social impact are little understood. This book has the aim of shedding light on the nature of the relationship between crime, deviance and the Internet. The book: encompasses both criminological and sociological approaches in understanding "cyber deviance" as well as cyber-crime; explores the potential of the Internet to construct identities, in particular criminal identities; makes an important contribution to the debate on this rapidly expanding area and at the same time is ideal as a teaching text for courses on the Internet and society; and includes chapters on different types of criminal and/or deviant behaviour and its relation to the Net. ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from National Underwriter Property & Casualty-Risk & Benefits Management, published by The National Underwriter Company on October 29, 2001. The length of the article is 1429 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.

Citation Details
Title: The Next Terrorist Attack: Coming Soon To A Computer Screen Near You?(Internet security)
Author: Ara C. Trembly
Publication: National Underwriter Property & Casualty-Risk & Benefits Management (Magazine/Journal)
Date: October 29, 2001
Publisher: The National Underwriter Company
Volume: 105Issue: 44Page: 36

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

Product Description
Identity theft is one of the fastest-growing white collar crimes in America and can have devastating and long-lasting effects on its victims. This trend has led to an increase in criminal sanctions as well as a flurry of new laws aimed at safeguarding financial information. A number of these new laws directly impact individuals and businesses. Identity Theft: How To Protect Financial Privacy at Home and Office will provide an overview of the problem of identity theft and some of the legislative responses. ... Read more

Product Description

Cybercrime: Criminal Threats from Cyberspace is intended to explain two things: whatcybercrime is and why the average citizen should care about it. To accomplish that task, the book offers an overview of cybercrime and an in-depth discussion of the legal and policy issues surrounding it.

Enhancing her narrative with real-life stories, author Susan W. Brenner traces the rise of cybercrime from mainframe computer hacking in the 1950s to the organized, professional, and often transnational cybercrime that has become the norm in the 21st century. She explains the many different types of computer-facilitated crime, including identity theft, stalking, extortion, and the use of viruses and worms to damage computers, and outlines and analyzes the challenges cybercrime poses for law enforcement officers at the national and international levels. Finally, she considers the inherent tension between improving law enforcement's ability to pursue cybercriminals and protecting the privacy of U.S. citizens.

Product Description
The first two books in this series "Stealing the Network: How to Own the Box" and "Stealing the Network: How to Own a Continent" have become classics in the Hacker and Infosec communities because of their chillingly realistic depictions of criminal hacking techniques.

In this third installment, the all-star cast of authors tackle one of the fastest growing crimes in the world: Identity Theft. Now, the criminal hackers readers have grown to both love and hate try to cover their tracks and vanish into thin air. "Stealing the Network: How to Own an Identity" is the 3rd book in the "Stealing" series, and continues in the tradition created by its predecessors by delivering real-world network attack methodologies and hacking techniques within a context of unique and original fictional accounts created by some of the world's leading security professionals and computer technologists. The seminal works in TechnoFiction, this "STN" collection yet again breaks new ground by casting light upon the mechanics and methods used by those lurking on the darker side of the Internet, engaging in the fastest growing crime in the world: Identity theft.

Cast upon a backdrop of "Evasion," surviving characters from "How to Own a Continent" find themselves on the run, fleeing from both authority and adversary, now using their technical prowess in a way they never expected--to survive.

*The first two books in the series were best-sellers and have established a cult following within the Hacker and Infosec communities
*Identity theft is the fastest growing crime in the world, and financial loss from identity theft is expected to reach $2 trillion by the end of 2005
*All of the authors on the book are world renowned, highly visible information security experts who present at all of the top security conferences including Black Hat, DefCon, and RSA and write for the most popular magazines and Web sites including Information Security Magazine, and SecurityFocus.com. All of these outlets will be used to promote the book ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

A good entry into a sometimes difficult subject
This book is a good read for people who are technical, but not information security experts.I see from Amazon that there are other books in the series; I will definitely be reading them soon.

It is a fictionalized account of people (on both sides of the enforcement/criminal side) who are dealing with identity theft and forgery. I would recommend that anyone who has questions about identity theft gives this book a look - it's definitely opened my eyes.

The technical sections are useful illustrations for those who understand them, but the main thrust of the book is in the concepts applied.Anyone who does not understand the details of the technical approaches would still be able to understand the plot movement and basic areas where they may want to bolster their own identity security.

Great continuation of the series
I give it 5 stars because not only is it a great hacker thriller but the use of character names from the 80s movie Real Genius cracks me up.Its like the movie's sequel.

One of the most innovative adn unique books on the mindset of a hacker
This book is hard to put down! It was like looking into a window of the underground world that most people, even those in the Information Security Industry, are unaware exists. The technical aspects in thoe book gave the storyline a credibility that other books lack. The characters were colorful and well developed. The book opened my eyes to the very real threat of identity theft and how identities are "harevsted" and used as currency on the blackmarket by organized crime and malicious entities such as terrorist organizationa. Great read that will not diassapoint you.

More fun from the most imaginative security writers on the scene
I reviewed the first Stealing book in May 2003, and the second in September 2004.I liked the two earlier books, and the third book -- Stealing the Network: How to 0wn an Identity (STNHT0AI) -- is also a fun read.The book is most impressive when it outlines plausible scenarios for identity theft, penetrating wireless networks, and compromising Hushmail.Although some of the writing is rough, I still recommend reading this book.

I'd like to point out a few aspects of the book that hooked my attention.First, Ch 3 explains how to assume a college student's identity.1. Steal pre-approved credit card applications from neighborhood mailboxes.2. Identify a likely target, and find that person's date of birth and parent's names using online family tree databases.3. Buy NetDetective and obtain the target's SSN.4. Get a real driver's license from a thief who stole DMV equipment.5. Intercept at mail box the credit cardapplied for in step 1. 6. Apply for a real birth certificate using the credit card obtained in the previous step. 7. Intercept at mail box the real birth certificate mailed to the target's home.Aside from the SSN acquisition, that scenario is plausible and incredibly scary!

The second scenario that left a lasting impression appears in Ch 8.Jay Beale explains how to compromise and read mail exchanged through Hushmail.The crux of the matter is obtaining control of Hushmail's DNS servers.At the end of his chapter, Jay notes that Hushmail's DNS servers were compromised in April 2005.I thought his chapter contained the best mix of story and clear technical explanations found in STNHT0AI.

It is very helpful to have read at least the previous Stealing book prior to STNHT0AI.At times it felt like I was watching the second Back to the Future movie, where Marty sees different aspects of events that took place in the first movie.I was also completely shocked by the hints left at the end of the book, and the abrupt ending left me waiting to resolve the cliffhanger.I look forward to reading Stealing the Network: How to Own a Shadow later this year.

How about some proofreaders?
Good story, followed through pretty well from STN:Continent, which I haven't read in quite some time, so I didn't really do much cross-referencing, so take that comment for what it's worth.My two major issues with the book were:
1) Apparent lack of proofing whatsoever.In some cases it appeared that the author had stopped typing mid-sentence and picked up some time later, forgetting what exactly they had said because they had previously stopped typing mid-sentence. (re-read for example) At one point a whole paragraph was in there twice in a row.This sort of thing frazzled me a bit as I was reading it, and took away from the immersion to an extent.Each chapter was written by a different author so this is not a consitant trend through the entire book. There is some good writing in there as well.
2) More story, less technical stuff.This seemed a bit more 'novel-y' than the previous books, I kind of didn't like that aspect of it. That was just me though.Some of it was pretty good though, and a fun read, like the chapter about Knoll Jr. as well as the Blacktower chapter.All-in-all, I'd have to say that I liked the first STN [:box] the best, but that's just me.The cohesiveness of the story between chapters seemed to be better in this one [Identity] than STN:Continent, though.

Overall I give it three stars because I am a grammar nazi but you might enjoy it more.I recommend it if you've read the previous ones. ... Read more

Product Description
Most Cyber Crime Professionals rely on a small core of books that are targeted specifically at their job responsibilities. These dog-eared volumes are used on a daily basis and are considered essential. But budgets and space often limit just how many books can be added to your library.

The 2008 Cyber Crime Investigator's Professional CD solves this problem. It contains three of our best selling titles, providing the "next level" of reference you will need for about less than half the price of the hard copy books purchased separately. The CD contains the complete PDF versions of the following Syngress titles:

* CD and DVD Forensics, ISBN: 978-1-59749-128-0

* Windows Forensic Analysis Including DVD Toolkit, ISBN: 978-1-59749-156-3

* Cyber Crime Investigations: Bridging the Gaps Between, Security Professionals, Law Enforcement, and Prosecutors, ISBN: 978-1-59749-133-4

Add over 1,033 pages to your bookshelf.Includes 3 best selling SYNGRESS Books in PDF Format. ... Read more

Product Description
How do you catch criminals who leave no physical trace? This is the central dilemma facing law enforcers and businesses blighted by digital crime. This book covers all aspects of the cybernation's threat to security. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A great book!
The author of this book knows what he is talking about, a very interesting view of computer crimes.

sounded good, but wasn't.
Before I bought this book I thought, "Wow, this might be a great book". But afterward it appeared that the author didn't always get things in the proper perspective, or just wrote it down wrong. if you don'tbelieve me, see for yourself. ... Read more

Product Description
Most Cyber Crime Professionals rely on a small core of books that are targeted specifically at their job responsibilities. These dog-eared volumes are used on a daily basis and are considered essential. But budgets and space often limit just how many books can be added to your cored library. The Cyber Crime Investigator's Professional CD solves this problem. It contains seven of our best selling titles, providing the "next level" of reference you will need for about less than half the price of the hard copy books purchased separately. The CD contains the complete PDF versions of the following Syngress titles: Insider ThreatCyber Adversary Characterization: Auditing the Hacker MindCyber Spying Tracking Your Family's (Sometimes) Secret Online LivesInside the SPAM Cartel Phishing Exposed Software Piracy Exposed Stealing the Network How to Own an Identity ... Read more