5 comments about Computer Forensics For Dummies.

1. If you use a computer, you probably know that there is an electronic trail that follows you, and that the trail potentially lasts forever and can cause serious legal problems. This book demystifies how computer forensics is performed, what to do if you are ever in trouble (or trying to help someone who is in trouble), and tools that can help you. Though the topic is potentially complex, the book is an easy, interesting read. Statements like "An IP address is like a phone number for your computer" help make the material understandable. It is clear that the authors have considerable practical experience in the area and understand current best practices, computer technology, and the law. The book is appropriate for a wide variety of people -- those with a casual interest in the topic, in legal troubles related to materials on their PC, and lawyers who either work or want to work in the area.



2. WoW! This is a book that should be read by everyone. Especially corporate heads and some in government. What you discover is that the electronic trails are everywhere and someone in the know can and will retrieve them, if need be. So be careful what you write or do on your computer, there are no secrets!
   Good writing, technical enough to keep us geeks in the read, but not so technical that everyone couldn't read it and learn a great deal. This is a book that I found myself going back to for additional information on a subject I believed I understood. It exceeded my expectations in every way.



3. I am a system engineer who needed a refresher on the topic. The logical segregation of topics makes it very easy to pinpoint the information since this topic is far-reaching and spans the legal, criminal and technical disciplines. I have some experience with CF and this book does a good job of giving you a comprehensive understanding of the subject. It's also an interesting read and keeps your attention. You won't want to put it down for long.
   
   Careers in this area are growing fast. I plan to keep this close as I move into this exciting field of work and will use it as a reference book going forward.



4. This book explains more how to work with legal issues than actually use computer forensics. There is very little actual "how to" and more "the defense will ask you". If you want to learn computer forensics, this is not the book for you, unless you are a master of uncovering data, but have no idea how show your skill in court.



5. Being that I work in the tech industry, I know that there's far more on your computer (and other electronic devices) than you think there is. But I haven't ever given any in-depth thought to how one would legally go about discovering and documenting their finds for a court of law. Computer Forensics For Dummies by Linda Volonino and Reynaldo Anzaldua do a perfect job (in my opinion) in introducing the reader to the world of computer forensics, both from the technical side as well as the courtroom perspective. While I wouldn't expect it to be your primary guide for the field, Computer Forensics For Dummies goes a whole lot further than I expected, and I learned a lot.
   
   Contents:
   Introduction
   Part 1 - Digging Out and Documenting Electronic Evidence: Knowing What Your Digital Devices Create, Capture, and Pack Away - Until Revelation Day; Suiting Up for a Lawsuit or Criminal Investigation; Getting Authorized to Search and Seize; Documenting and Managing the Crime Scene
   Part 2 - Preparing to Crack the Case: Minding and Finding the Loopholes; Acquiring and Authenticating E-Evidence; Examining E-Evidence; Extracting Hidden Data
   Part 3 - Doing Computer Forensic Investigations: E-Mail and Web Forensics; Data Forensics; Document Forensics; Mobile Forensics; Network Forensics; Investigating X-Files - eXotic Forensics
   Part 4 - Succeeding in Court: Holding Up Your End at Pretrial; Winning a Case Before You Go to Court; Standing Your Ground in Court
   Part 5 - The Part of Tens: Ten Ways to Get Qualified and Prepped for Success; Ten Tactics of an Excellent Investigator and a Dangerous Expert Witness; Ten Cool Tools for Computer Forensics
   Glossary
   Index
   
   From the techie side, it's tempting to view computer forensics as all technical, and to figure that if you can find a file, you must have done the job. Not so much... Since most of the forensic work will be legal in nature (or could well end up that way), there are definite rules and processes you HAVE to follow in order to prove to the court's and jury's satisfaction that the data you found was truly there and not manufactured by you or someone else along the way. Volonino and Anzaldua cover those requirements very well, from search warrants and subpoenas to chain of custody documentation and documented actions. Those are the things that far too many techies would ignore on their way towards uncovering data, and in turn it would completely invalidate their efforts. That's why "do it yourself" forensic work is NOT recommended.
   
   But that's not to ignore the vast array of skills and abilities that are needed to successfully find evidence that doesn't appear to exist any more. The authors present a nicely balanced discussion on both the reasons why and how data can be hidden (both intentionally and unintentionally) and how certain tools and techniques can be used to get at that data. In fact, they go into enough detail that you could download a few tools and start digging into your own computer to see practical examples of what you just read about. You might just end up rather concerned that what you thought you deleted isn't as "deleted" as you thought it was.
   
   I think that Computer Forensics For Dummies does exactly what it sets out to do, and it does it very well. By the end of the book, I felt much more informed about how the *whole* field of computer forensics works, and I left with enough knowledge to know where I would need to go to learn more. Now... time to go see what's hiding on my computer that I forgot about... :)

No comments about Criminological Theory (5th Edition).

5 comments about EnCase Computer Forensics, includes DVD: The Official EnCE: EnCase Certified Examiner Study Guide.

1. This book was written to help Forensics Technicians achieve the Guidance software's EnCE Certification. Since Encase software comes with a user's guide which is basically printouts of the help from within the program and it is as useless as a priest after a wedding, This "guide" can also be used as a documentation on how to use the Encase forensics software.
   If used for the above purposes, you will get your money's worth, however if you thing you will learn investigative techniques and best way to Forensically archive a digital device This is not the book for you. It is very single minded for example it does not count on criminals using Grub instead of MBR.
   I gave it a 3 star since it did help me pass both phase one and two of Encase certification and awarded me with an official looking certificate which is now hanging in my office.
   Best fishes and Thank you for reading.



2. I used this book as a primary reference for studying for the written portion of the exam and passed with almost a 100%. The written portion of the cert is the easy part by far. You should do the exercises if you want to pass the practical. I thought coverage was quite good. Sure, in a book this long you'll get a few inaccuracies, but what in IT doesn't? I passed the EnCE and felt confident doing so. There really wasn't another choice other than to take the review through Guidance Software - which isn't a bad way to go. The EnCE is a difficult to obtain cert, unlike Access Data's ACE - which is a paper mill cert. Expect to spend 40 hours on the practical in addition to about 3 hours on the written portion. The ACE written and practical in total is maybe 3 hours and the practical is multiple choice.



3. This is a great book, I highly recommend this book to anyone getting into computer forensics. No computer forensic examiner should be without this book.



4. This book is just what I was wanting. I would buy it again if I needed it.



5. I read this book went to take the exam and scored 94. Book and practice test on the CD are great. Highly recommended for EnCE exam prep.

5 comments about The Cuckoo's Egg: Tracking a Spy Through the Maze of Computer Espionage.

1. This book is the true account of Eric Stoll tracking down a simple accounting error. The minor accounting discrepancy, led to various other discrepancies. This in turn led Eric Stoll to a wide variety of security issues. This book covers the trials and tribulations that Eric Stoll encountered during that time in his life. His experiences during this course of events led to Eric Stoll becoming one of the foremost Network Security EXPERTS in the World.



2. I ordered the book on a Monday (pm) and was surprised to receive the book only four days later. Great job!



3. That book is a nerd test - if you've heard of it, you're probably a big nerd. I can say that because I'm a big nerd. Cliff Stoll was a physicist working at Lawrence Berkeley Labs as a sys admin when he accidentally fell into counterterrorism research. Stoll is not an excellent writer, but he did a great job of tracking a hacker when that sort of thing just wasn't a big concern for law enforcement, and his documentation of the whole thing as it went along was probably the only thing that got the guy caught and prosecuted. Recommended if you're a big nerd like me; not recommended if you're not.



4. Cliff Stoll is a astrologer at the University of Berkeley but discovered accidentally (by a stupid financial irregularity of 75 cents) an unauthorized user on their computer. From then goes on a cat and mouse game, between Cliff and the hacker.
   
   The commands (telnet, whois ...) in this book were something magical i wanted to know everything about.
   
   At that time I was already crazy and keenly interested in computers and networks but the Internet still was something far away (at least for me). With a little luck I could connect to some BBS (Bulletin Board System) using Gopher and we were suddenly in distant America. Waauw
   
   Cliff Stoll was my childhood idol and I knew then that I really wanted to do something similar!



5. I don't know what took me so long, but I finally, finally read this book. And once I did, I couldn't put it down. This is part computer security and communications technology history, part espionage/spy story, part a peek into the seemingly counterintuitive world of governmental bureaucracy. In a world where the Internet is now a deeply ingrained part of our culture, and all kinds of security traps seek to exploit the innocent on the 'Net, this is a refreshing account of the innocent early days of Internet computing. This is a really, really good, entertaining and enlightening read. Thank you, Mr. Stoll, for busting the bad guys and also for this amazing account of what happened.

5 comments about Warcraft: World of Warcraft: Rise of the Horde (No. 4).

1. A fantastic Warcraft-lore read. It gives insight into not only the history of the orcs and the origins of the Horde, but the Draenei as well (and their flight from Argus).
   
   Seeing Draenor/Outland prior to the events in the "World of Warcraft" was a treat as well. Oshu'gun, the Temple of Karabor (aka the Black Temple) are just a few places covered.
   
   With periodic narrations by Thrall and featuring characters like Velen, Durotan, Orgrim Doomhammer and Kil'Jaeden, it's chock full of Warcrafty goodness.
   
   The characterizations were largely solid, though one may find themselves questioning the validity of some decisions ("Why yes, I think we shall imbibe of this demon blood. Capital idea if I may say so!") made by the key players. Of course, with a continuity mostly in place prior to being written, the author had to work with and around what was already established as canon.
   
   Regardless of that hiccup, this book is a mandatory read for anyone interested in Warcraft lore, especially time periods preceeding the "World of Warcraft" game's setting.



2. I got this book a few weeks ago, mostly just for something to read while on Amtrak going home for break. Basically I just wanted to read something quick and easy, and most of these "Based off of..." books are quick reads, so i thought I pick this one up and to my pleasant surprise this was a DAMN good book. The author Christie Golden, whom wrote another Warcraft book I enjoyed, Lord of the Clans, writes this great and tragic story of how a Noble race fell from grace and became a force of destruction because of their own inability to think for themselves and to be led blindly. The book is filled with touching, and emotional scenes, mostly concerning the main character, whom most of the book talks about, Durotan, as he finds himself stuck between duty to his people and what he knows is right in his heart. SPOILER: One of the most particularly well written scenes in this book is when the horde overruns the Dranei city of Telmor, and Durotan see's the brutality of the new orcs and the wrongs they are doing but he knows in his heart he must obey orders or die because of Gul'dan's orders. He watches as Orcs kill Dranei men, women, and children, and Golden's writing really shows here the pain this character feels is heart as he watches this happen and when he has to do it himself. By far the best Warcraft book I have read, and probably one of my all time faves ever as well.



3. Don't get me wrong, this book served its purpose of giving me a fairly entertaining download of the backstory behind WoW. It was a bit more graphically violent than I anticipated, though I can live with that. If the intended effect was that I feel anger and revulsion toward the orcs and sympathy for the Draenei, the butchery certainly achieved that. In fact, my Draenei (my only ally toon, actually) has seen a lot more playing time since I read this book, and I went so far as to delete my level 40 warlock based on a RotH-inspired dislike of warlocks. So, any book that can drive that kind of real-life (if playing the game equates to real life) behavior change must be pretty decent.
   
   The plot itself kept me interested, and I nodded my head in recognition of the in-game bits such as descriptions of how the warlocks summon their minions and how those minions look and behave, etc. I found myself wanting to read it, to see what was going to happen, so yes, it was a good book and worth the money. I can't personally give it more than three stars because Christie Golden's style is just a little off for me. I like fantasy books, I just don't really like when they are written in "fantasy" style to the point where it feels forced. Hard for me to put my finger on what I'm trying to convey here, suffice to say that when any character in a book -- particularly an Orc -- responds to a question with the word, "nay," instead of a simple "no" and the dialogue is peppered with "shall" in place of "will," I start to get turned off. Minor complaint, and I'm more critical than most when it comes to an author's "voice," so most fans of the WoW universe will probably not be the least put off by it.
   
   For me, though, it keeps me from putting this book in with others that I would rank 4- or 5-star works. Three stars isn't bad from me, though; oh nay, verily I sayeth that it be not. ;)



4. This was the first WoW book I have ever read and I have to say that I was pretty happy with it. It wasn't the best book I have ever read but it was very entertaining and I always enjoy background stories for things that I am interested in.
   
   I am an avid WoW player and over the years I have played I have become more and more interested in the "why" and "how" of what I am doing... like "How did Lordaron fall?" or "What happened to Karazhan" - things of that nature.
   
   All-in-all this was a fun and enjoyable read.



5. World of Warcraft: Rise of the Horde, by Christie Golden
   
   "Rise of the Horde" is what a Warcraft book should be. The book is enjoyable, the plot is pretty solid, and the characters are spot on. In the author biography, Golden states that she is a World of Warcraft player and it shows - there are little things thrown in that any Warcraft player will appreciate.
   
   Each chapter starts with a brief introduction from Thrall, the current chief of the new Horde. He is writing the history of the old Horde, the Horde that destroyed their own world and invaded Azeroth, the Horde that perpetuated genocide on the draenei and slaughtered the humans.
   
   The story of the orcs starts with a noble race, living peacefully on Draenor. The orcs have coexisted with the draenei for hundreds of years, ever since the draenei arrived on Draenor fleeing from their ancient enemies. While the orcs take pleasure in hunting animals and bloodlust, they are not killers and have a culture, family groups, a belief system. But all that changes when the Burning Legion turns a key orc to their side, and he leads the orcs on a terrifying descent into madness. Only one clan stands apart, the Frostwolves; their leader Durotan watches helplessly as the orcs are corrupted by demons.
   
   Golden depicts this tale with plenty of emotion; I felt for Durotan's situation. How many of us have watched someone do something we know is wrong, but we can't change their minds? Most of us have, I'm sure. "The Rise of the Horde" details just that, the rise of the horde that descended upon Azeroth, intent on taking the world for their own. The story is known, especially if one is a Warcraft player; but Golden fleshes out the story very nicely. How many Warcraft players have visited Durotar, or Orgrimmar? The figures these places are named after, Durotan and Orgrim, are key characters in this book. The additional background detail it provides will delight any Warcraft player; this is one of my favorite novels based on the universe - I've read all of them, and read them all multiple times.
   
   5/5.

5 comments about Guide to Computer Forensics and Investigations.

1. Book has turned out to be a good source of information. The image on the site needs to updated, but that's par for the course.
   
   for the value, its not bad and has good people providing tech assistance when ot was written.



2. this book covers most topics of computer forensics investigations. easy to understand, it is very good for a beginner



3. I have just finished my computer forensics certification at the University of Washington, and we used the Guide to Computer Forensics and Investigations (Third Edition) as the primary text for three courses. I found it to be a comprehensive treatise of all of the skills necessary to complete a successful digital investigation. In addition, I have had a chance to review portions of the soon to be released Fourth edition, which is even better. You can't go wrong with this computer forensics book. It should be a part of every computer forensics investigator's professional library.



4. This book shipped just as promised. There were a few highlighted areas of text and you could tell it was used, but it is exactly what I was expecting and what I paid for. Shipping was quicker than I expected and I would definitely purchase form them again. Great job!



5. everything went down fine. no problems, the cd was intact and was up and running prodiscover quickly

5 comments about Inside Cyber Warfare: Mapping the Cyber Underworld.

1. Jeff Carr is a great digital security intelligence analyst and I've been fortunate to hear him speak several times. We've also separately discussed the issues he covers in Inside Cyber Warfare (ICW). While I find Jeff's insights very interesting and valuable, I think his first book could have been more coherent and therefore more readable. I believe Jeff should write a second edition that is more focused and perhaps more inclusive.
   
   ICW's best feature is its attention to threats. A lot of digital security professionals think "malware" or "exploit" when they hear the term "threat," but threats are really parties with the capability and intention to exploit a vulnerability in an asset. In other words, threats are people, not code. Jeff spends a lot of time talking about Russian threats, somewhat less on Chinese threats, and then less on other threats. As was mentioned in a previous review, a more balanced approach might have been more effective. Jeff does describe groups outside Russia and China, but not to the attention they probably merit.
   
   One problem I had with ICW was its tendency to cite the same incidents repeatedly. Seeing a certain event mentioned several times throughout the book made me wonder if multiple authors were involved, or if tighter focus was needed. I also felt the book lacked a clear organizing principle. It seemed like the chapter titles were more of a container than a roadmap. If you want to see a report which could be a model for future editions of ICW, read the free "Capability of the People Republic of China to Conduct Cyber Warfare" by Northrop Grumman.
   
   Chapter 4 by Matthew Sklerov was one of the more interesting sections. I liked citations of analytical models for unconventional attack (instrument-based, effects-based, and strict liability); the six criteria for determining if cyber attack is armed attack (severity, immediacy, directness, invasiveness, measurability, and presumptive legitimacy); and scope, duration, and intensity as measurements.
   
   Unfortunately I think the author's conclusions are misguided. He proposes that "a cyber attack can be imputed to the state of origin rather than trying to conclusively attribute it" (p 62). This is important because "host-states that refuse to cooperate with victim-states are stating their unwillingness to prevent cyber attacks and have declared themselves as sanctuary states. Once a state demonstrates that it is a sanctuary state through its inaction, other states can impute responsibility to it" (p 68). This doesn't seem reasonable. Just because a nation doesn't want to cooperate doesn't mean it is responsible for a cyber attack.
   
   Sklerov also puts too much faith in so-called "trace programs [that] can track attacks back to their point of origin" (p 69). It sounds like he is referring to network-based methods to identify DDoS attack sources, but that is 1) difficult and 2) only representative of a small fraction of the sorts of attacks one has to deal with in cyberspace. Finally, Sklerov promotes "active defense" but never really explores what that means. He seems to assign more value to an attacking system than is warranted, especially since many attacking systems are victims themselves and ultimately disposable.
   
   I'm giving ICW 3 stars but I still think the book is valuable. I'd like to see my concerns addressed in a second edition, which I expect would be more focused and easier to read.



2. It's really a very good work! It is plenty of up to date data about incidents of cyberwarfare and cyber terrorism. Reading its pages you will have the impression that you follow a real time discourse over the subject. The only black spot is the total absence of references and of bibliography.



3. This book reads like a conspiracy theory novel. It leverages unsubstantiated circumstantial evidence from a handful of cases to make sweepingly broad claims, that to me, read like fear mongering. In a book titled "Inside Cyber Warfare", I expect an analytical approach deeply examining the technical evidence associated with cyber warfare. If an author claims a state is responsible, I want to see threat model indicating that the action fits the described behavior, and I want technical data showing the capability is within the capacity of the state and similar to any known capabilities. Instead I only saw circumstantial evidence that read like conspiracies.
   
   I should note that I do not believe there currently is a cyber war. "War" by definition is an ugly and violent thing. Almost all cyber attacks I've seen have economic incentive or are unsophisticated DDoS that are uncharacteristic for a nation state. The best example of real cyber warfare I've seen, is the case of Russians writing software to intercept predator video. In that case you see a military system being subverted in a real world example. Otherwise, I remain unconvinced.



4. Mr. Carr's Inside Cyber Warfare is an informative and frightening glimpse into the dangerous realities of our global (connected) digital world. In form and function the book provides the layman a good taxonomy of methods, tactics, and strategies of governments [w/particular emphasis on Russia and China], criminal enterprises and hackers [in groups or on their own]. He does a very good job of describing the legal status of cyber warfare---exposing many holes which leaves most of the work exposed and without legal remedy/recourse. Most informative was his descriptions of the vulnerabilities of social media and how these everyday tools can be be used for mischief. This book is recommended for anyone curious about the state of our cyber world or information warfare. Well done, Mr. Carr. Highly recommended.



5. This is literally the scariest book I have read in the last 25 years. It is well organized, well-written, up-to-date, and very well researched. If you work with computers in ANY capacity, especially IT Security, Information Assurance, etc., you NEED this book!

5 comments about Mortal Fear.

1. I am a Greg Iles fan but was sorely disappointed with this one. I could neither like nor identify with the central character and had almost no interest in the plot, which did not keep me on edge like Iles books normally do. Iles did a terrible job of keeping the sub-plots together with the plot on this one - I looked at the date published and thought: this must have been an earlier work, therefore he is forgiven but I consider this one a waste of money!



2. It was a long book as mysteries go, but it had enough of a plot and subplot to keep me interested.



3. Harper Cole has a a pretty easy life. He never really is used to moving from his computer. He's a got a beautiful wife, money, a hot sister-in-law & he never really has grown up; until he enters a villainous world where he deals with a complete sick-o. He changes forever & needs to do it quickly.
   Taking place in New Orleans & mostly on the Mississippi Delta, Mr. Iles has put a great deal of detail into this novel. It's rather long at 622 pages. But, it never really bogs down. It's gripping & very difficult to put down. The story is told very well.
   It's a great summer read or a good companion on a long flight



4. Even though the technological aspect of this book is totally outdated (frequent references to AOL and Compuserve - it is kindof comical) as I write this review in 2010, it is a total page turner. The dated computer references are minute in comparison to the storyline, however. This author has the most intense character creation and he is a top-notch writer as well. The most incredible character is the villain--a completely deranged psychopath that is part genius and part erotic mess (when you learn of his childhood, you'll understand why). The only reason I'm giving this 3 stars is because the main character's wife needed more development. She is so understated in the beginning and this makes her actions at the end of the story a bit unbelievable.



5. This book is a real thriller, and once you start reading it, almost impossible to put down!
   At times it was hard to believe that there were so many pages left to read
   given the things that were happening in the moment! The book did not disappoint, combining
   technology, medicine, sex, and the power of love triumphing over evil. As an avid
   reader, it was a pleasure turning each page and knowing
   that there were so many pages to enjoy!

5 comments about The Scarecrow.

1. I've read all of Michael Connnelly's novels and enjoyed them all, some more than others. The Scarecrow has an interesting backdrop with villains who are expert computer hackers along with being serial sex crime murderers. Two recurring Connelly characters Jack McEvoy the reporter for The L.A. Times and his old flame FBI agent Rachel Walling (from Connelly's book "The Poet") hook-up again and try to get to the bottom of the crimes. For me, Jack McEvoy is not as endearing a protagonist as other Connelly characters (he's a tad bit snarky here). I found I was kind of hoping he'd get "done-in" or hurt really bad towards the end, and I had trouble believing him chasing villains (being just a newspaper reporter) and behaving so heroic. That being said, I still enjoyed the book as a whole and would recommend it. Not Connelly's best in my opinion, but way better than the other crime-drama fiction that's out there.



2. I bought The Scarecrow one miserable Thursday afternoon as a purely escapist read. Something to take the mind off the nonsense the world at large was creating. And it worked, as I hoped it would. The pages flew by and nothing else mattered - phones rang, people yelled and the dishes didn't get done... Too bad it had to come to an end.
   
   Connelly is a solid writer who spins a great tale of imperfect good and purely evil evil. The plot is tight, the dialogue a joy to read, and the narration allows for identification with Jack McEvoy while watching the villain from up close and personal.
   
   Great fun.



3. I wanted to spend my vacation time around the Christmas Holiday with a book I didn't want to put down... I found this book to be THE BOOK. I loved it. It had been a while since I had read Michael Connelly and I'm hooked once again. I loved it from the beginning. It had the twist early on and the suspense was perfect. What talent!



4. Michael Connelly must have a very creative mind as he came up with a new twist on how criminals develop their intended victims. The book is written in a rather unique way and the characters are developed nicely. Carver, the bad guy, was a pretty sharp criminal type, working in a place where it was nearly impossible for him to be caught. I was glad that the hero, Jack Mc Evoy finally told his employer to "take a hike" and strike out on his own. Their will be a follow up book on "good ol Jack", I am sure. His investigative abilities will no doubt lead him to look for other bad guys; so stay tuned to Mr. Connelly for more action.



5. Let me start by saying I am a huge fan of Michael Connelly. His Harry Bosch novels are at the pinnacle of crime fiction. His novels that do not feature Harry, like Scarecrow, have been a bit more variable - some pretty good, others not so much. Scarecrow starts off interesting enough, although Connelly's frequent mentions of his other books and characters within this novel is tiresome. It seems so much like a ploy - like an annoying pop up ad on a web page. Connelly captures the mood of the decline of newspapers and downsizing of journalist ranks well. It's a sad tale and that comes across in this book. But the central mystery of this book is not very interesting. It feels forced and implausible at times. The climax points of the story are weak. The ending feels unsatisfying in a vague way. I will definitely continue to read Connelly's novels - no author can hit a home run every time, and Connelly has knocked many of them out of the park. Scarecrow qualifies as only a moderate base hit.

5 comments about Fatal System Error: The Hunt for the New Crime Lords Who are Bringing Down the Internet.

1. Working in the computer security industry we see these type of criminal acts on a daily basis. However, what we see is a microcosm of what Mr. Menn writes about in this great work. Tying all the ends together into a readable format that is literally a international crime thriller brings to light the vast dangers to our financial data and it's uses.
   
   I'd recommend this book for ANYONE that uses the internet.



2. Author Menn says cybercrime is no longer the domain of small-time thieves - it has been taken up by sophisticated gangs attacking corporate websites and stealing consumer financial data. His book takes readers into both Russian and American organized hacker groups, and en route gives some idea of the difficulties involved in curtailing their activities. In fact, Menn claims less than 1% of the perpetrators are caught - mostly dumb teens bragging on Internet relay chat rooms. The general topic (Internet 'mischief') is an important one, however, Menn focuses too much on detailing the tracking and foiling of a few perpetrators and not enough on a useful explanation of their overall approaches or the credibility of their possible threats. Dated footnotes and broken links from Menn's website are not much assistance either.
   
   Menn first covers the problems U.S. off-shore gambling sites encountered with extortion demands associated with 'denial of service attacks.' The most common method involves overloading the target machine with bogus communications requests so that it cannot respond to legitimate customers, or responds so slowly as to be effectively unavailable. Mechanisms include taking remote control of hundreds or thousands of computers and directing them at the victim for either denial of service or with spamming. Unfortunately, Menn does not explain how these attacks are overcome or diverted - hardly a matter of security because any good hacker already knows. Regardless, those failing to pay the ransom (eg. $30,000) are likely to have their server rendered inoperable; unfortunately, per Menn, the costs of overcoming such attacks require time and considerable money. Other Internet gambling mischief includes past-posting betting, and rigged poker games.
   
   Menn believes that American individuals and corporations lost $1 trillion to Internet mischief in 2009. Phishing, false credit-card charges, are other significant consumer problems. Corporations and governments also have to worry about theft of documents and Trojans that monitor their Internet activities and files. Menn claims that retailers usually take the 'hit' for credit-card fraud, and thus issuers make less-than-adequate prevention efforts; however, he offers no credible explanation for this claim. China, Russia, and Eastern European countries are the main sources of computer crime.
   
   Ending, Menn offers suggestions for improving Internet security - eg. credit-card issuers providing tokens with passwords that change every minute, but fails to explain how this would work.
   
   Bottom-Line: "Fatal System Error" is overly vague and of limited value.



3. If you're already worried about computer crime and identity theft, you'll be wracked with fear if you read this troubling new account of the subject by a Los Angeles Times reporter specializing in Internet security. Joseph Menn's "Fatal System Error" is aptly subtitled "The Hunt for the New Crime Lords Who Are Bringing Down the Internet." By focusing on two heroes of the underpowered movement to combat Internet crime, Menn brings this complex and terrifying reality into high relief. The book is largely devoted to the efforts of Barrett Lyon, a California surfer self-taught to become one of the world's leading Internet security experts, and Andy Crocker, a courageous British policeman, and their collaborative work to identify the criminals responsible for the now all-too-familiar viruses, worms, Trojans, and denial-of-service attacks that have infiltrated millions of computers and disabled thousands of Web sites.
   
   It's disturbing enough to learn that criminals siphoned off [...] trillion from computer fraud in 2009 alone, and to know that a huge proportion of that money went into the pockets of the American mafia and the Russian mob. Even more disquieting, though, is to learn about how both the Russian and Chinese governments are protecting Internet criminals because they have enlisted them in building offensive cyberwar weapons. What we all learned recently about Chinese hackers' attacks on Google and other U.S. companies invested in China is just a hint of the breadth and depth of that government's efforts to gain ascendancy over the West by building the capacity to bring down our economies in the event of a future conflict.
   
   (From Mal Warwick's Blog on Books)



4. When Mikko Hyponnen (of F-Secure fame) posted about this book on Twitter, I immediately pre-ordered the book. I got it two days later. (I was only one-day advanced on the pre-order, it seems.) I wasn't quite sure what to expect exactly, only I knew it had to do with cyber-security, so I was intrigued.
   
   What I got was a fascinating book with two main stories told from the perspectives of the good guys. The first was a story of how a young dyslexic man struggled against the odds to become one of the best people around at defeating Distributed-Denial-of-Service (DDOS) attacks. His story, which spans at least two continents and his unwitting participation with some of the internet's shadier characters, is a fascinating one. That story comprises part one of the book, and ties into part two quite neatly. Part two is the story of a British detective and his exploits in foreign countries (particularly Russia) in his efforts to find and eventually catch several of the same cyber-criminals from part one. While it has the tempo of a fictional "cyber-thriller", this book is non-fiction and is based on the very thorough work of Joseph Menn, a reporter for the Financial Times (previously of the LA Times). The overall theme is that of the war that is taking place using the world's computers and networks as a battleground. Despite the chronicled successes outlined in these two stories, it's a war that's very quickly being lost.
   
   I've been working in the cyber-security industry for a while now, so I'm not entirely unfamiliar with some of the more sinister aspects of what happens on the internet. However, I think for the "layman" or someone who doesn't work with technology and/or cyber-security, this book will be a really good look into a world that you don't ordinarily see, replete with real heroes, real villains, and real consequences to real people. Most people will understand some of the consequences from the flood of spam that they're used to getting; for the unlucky few, identity theft will bring the stories even closer to home. Even if you're fortunate enough to have never experienced any of those consequences yourself, you may have recently heard of the attacks on Google and several other companies. The war taking place in cyberspace is all too real, and while I would hope that most people never have to be involved, the opposite is likely the case. It is escalating, and there need to be more stories like the ones in this book if we ever hope to win.



5. From a non-geek, I heard Menn's interview on NPR, got the book at the library the next day. It was on limited lend because of high demand. I thought it might be full of technical jargon but was surprised how interesting and compelling it was.
   
   To those cheapskates who complain about price, get a life. And a library card.