No comments about Vulnerability Analysis and Defense for the Internet (Advances in Information Security).

No comments about Advances in Digital Forensics: IFIP International Conference on Digital Forensics, National Center for Forensic Science, Orlando, Florida, February 13-16, ... Federation for Information Processing).

1 comments about Hack Attacks Denied: A Complete Guide to Network Lockdown for UNIX, Windows, and Linux, Second Edition.

1. As a companion with his other title, Hack Attacks Revealed, John Chirillo gives us another great book on keeping our networks away from the prying eyes and stubby fingers of the those out there that don't need to be inside our networks, white or black hatters. The content is very well-structured, all concepts are supported by numerous examples so even if one doesn't understand the subject in it's depth he or she can find an answer to a specific real-world question. They say sequels are never better than the original. This may be somewhat true for this book. This is a VERY GOOD book. It's just that it's not as good as the first volume. It is a lot better...it is so much more geared for both sides of the IT spectrum...those of us up to our necks at the NOCs, and for the SOHO admin who needs juicy morsels for his knowledge palate... I have already started to implement Chirillo's countermeasures from this book, on top of the ones we are forced to use in a government system. Kudos to the author!

5 comments about The Devil's Code.

1. Not worth your time, not worth your money, not worth 3 stars, not worth it.....
   
   and definitely not worth my time writing this review.



2. I got to page 320 or so and didn't care enough to finish it. I still don't know what happened. For me the wall was an inane discourse on art having nothing to do with story in the run up to the climax. I think i've been reading too many classics lately. I just can't stomach this writing any more.



3. It started when I was housitting at my buddy's condo and the power went out during the superbowl. WTF? I had nothing to do and all I could find was one flashlight. On his coffee table I saw a copy of Devil's Code and once I picked it up I could not put it down. This book is far from what you think it is, but everything that you hope it will be! I would compare it most to watching a really good Russel Crowe or Brude Willis movie, but with powerful and exciting thoughts and situations instead of explosions! Forget all those other "code" book out there. Now this book REALLY changed the way I think about what goes on in government. Something tells me that they're not telling us everying that is going on. You'll never look at life the same again. Now I'm usually a slow reader, but the amount of action that takes place in this book is increadible. To think about the fact that a guy could jump out of an air plane and his parachute could not work and he could still live is increadible.



4. I am a good fan of John Sandford. I liked this book by him as well. He keeps you interested. There are no slow starts as he gets right to the action. I do prefer his Prey series but these others didn't dissapoint me.



5. The Devil's Code is the second Kidd book I've read by John Sandford after reading the Hanged Man's Song. There are only four in this series of a part time artist/part time computer hacker, and I've read the last two. The Devil's Code is a fun book, where the differences in Sandford mainstay Lucas Davenport and artist Kidd are more fleshed out. Kidd is a funny guy who enjoys his life and his relationship with LuEllen. LuEllen is a thief who likes golf and cocaine and can help Kidd out with the dirty work that he isn't quite used too.
   
   In the Devil's Code, a fellow hacker is killed and his sister comes to Kidd for help. Kidd begins to look into it and finds out that the hacker, named Standford, was researching AmMeth. Meanwhile, the US government is after a group of terrorist hackers named Firewall. The members of firewall include Kidd. There's only one problem, Kidd is on the list of terrorists and Kidd knows that isn't true. Someone must be setting him up.
   
   In Davenport novels, Sandford spends a fair amout of time with the villian, giving the readers all the gory details of his methods. In the Devil's Code, St. John Corbeil is the villain and we get to meet him be he isn't given the center stage in this novel. There are a lot of twists and turns as Kidd and LuEllen run around the country trying to discover what's going on and also not leave any tracks for the authorities. There isn't much cat and mouse like in the Davenport novels, but there is a sense of fun, even when things get violent.
   
   I'll move on to the first two books in the series, which by now are seriously outdated. And I hope there may be another Kidd novel in the series coming soon.

1 comments about Digital Crime and Digital Terrorism.

1. This book is far superior than many other books on similar topics, and the authors walk the line well between being academic and practical. The thrust of the book is toward an understanding of what criminologists call "emerging crime," and it delivers a well researched baseline of information synthesized with what is known or speculated about emerging trends. The end result is a product suitable for adoption in the academic marketplace, and would even make for fascinating reading by laypersons. Overall, the book is congruent with the scholarly and curricular purposes of higher education, and one shares the sense of urgency that comes across at times, but one also relishes the moments, evident in the writing, when careful and meticulous reflection is done.
   The introductory chapter spares the reader from a boring introduction to the history of the Internet, and the basic typology relied upon is the well-known computer as target and computer as tool (instrument) which comes from some of the earliest distinctions made, as well as the third type, the computer as incidental to crime. The authors wisely stick to a legalistic approach, and educate or orient the reader about theft and fraud law, which is important to do. Gladly, there is not any overemphasis upon news stories. The writing is generalized when it can be, and specific when it has to be.
   The criminological theory chapter is ripe with promise. Twenty-five pages are spent bringing the reader up to par on the mainstream theories in criminology, but then, strain, learning, and control theories are just applied, not really extended, to explain computer crime. Theoretical extensions are left to the reader's imagination.
   There is a well-done analysis of hacker subcultures, but the approach taken is symbolic interactionist, leading to a morally relativistic position that hackers and computer criminals are qualitatively and quantitatively different from other criminals. Likewise with the discussion of virus writers, semantic danger is noted in perceiving virus writers as "technopathic" and I take this as the authors attempting to make the reader more culturally sensitive to the plight of those poor, unfairly-labeled "bad" guys.
   The crimes of embezzlement, economic espionage, money laundering, and fraud are discussed in a straightforward manner, but the approach is quite legalistic, and all the reader will walk away with is a better understanding of the CFA and EEA acts.
   A welcome focus on victimization appears when stalking and obscenity are discussed, but the writing is quite antiseptic, handling very meticulously and tactfully things like child prostitution and sexual predators on the Web. Topics like sex tourism are also discussed, but there's really no "voice" of the victims to be found.
   Towards the middle, the book shifts to what criminal justice agencies are doing, but the discussion is freshman-level, and there's really no coverage of the Patriot Act, Homeland Security, or what the feds are doing. Other topics are missing altogether, like cyber-vigilantism. Computer forensics is the focus.
   Once cyberterrorism is finally gotten around to, four types of it are discussed: infrastructure; information; facilitation; and promotion. The first type brings up the subject of homeland security. The second type brings up web defacement. The third type discusses cryptography and steganography, and the fourth type gets into the topic of propaganda. Issues are only brought up and never fully explored or exploited. An interesting inclusion is what's written on anarchy, eco-terrorism, and Internet cartoons. It seems like certain emerging trends sometimes take precedence over mundane issues.
   All in all, the book grasps what can safely be generalized without losing currency. There are some brave, noble initiatives in this book, and it is creative in many respects, but it tries to deliver all things to all people, and suffers somewhat for it by lacking a perspective or voice.

5 comments about Secrets of My Suburban Life.

1. Ren D'Arc suffers an Edward Gorey sort of tragedy when her mother is killed by a stack of Harry Potter books. I'm still cackling over that. Then her grieving father uproots her from NYC, fleeing to the suburbs. Adventures ensue. I love Lauren Baratz-Logsted's writing for the same reason that I love John Hughes' brat pack films: fully-realized, quirky, and intriguing secondary characters. Thankfully, Lauren's suburbs aren't so uniformly bland and white as Hughes', so Ren manages to surround herself with a diverse group of people. How Ren finds her way into a new school, new friends, new challenges, and a new adult support system makes for engaging reading on its own. The fillip of a mystery to solve a la Nancy Drew adds a whiff of danger, and provides momentum to the story. Secrets of my Suburban Life is a delightful read.



2. Ren D'Arc has an unusual name, and an even more unusual story: Her mom was killed when a set of Harry Potter books and her writer dad decides to uproot her from cushy New York City to cushy Danbury, Connecticut. Like any new kid, she struggles to fit in, while also missing her mom, dealing with a distant best friend back home, and befriending her new town's taxi drivers, who she uses exclusively for transportation. She becomes more and more distant from her father, especially when she starts to expect he may be up to no good.
   
   Ren is quirky and witty, sometimes seeming far older than her peers, but when she exults in the friendship that takes her a while to earn, or is forced to join the cheerleading team headed up by popular mean girl Farrin Farraway, it's also clear that she's a normal 16-year-old dealing with all the social problems a 16-year-old regularly deals with. But Ren's spunky and shows herself to excel at problem-solving, and her wry observations of her rich friend's parents, the sex predator she's trying to catch online, and the other adults in her life give her a sense of being wiser than her years.
   
   Lauren Baratz-Logsted has created a highly memorable character in Ren, and not just because of her unique circumstances. One gets the sense that even if Ren lived in a house with a white picket fence and mom and dad at home, she'd still be more than a little offbeat. She wants to fit in, but thankfully she doesn't go to outrageous lengths to do so, and instead finds herself and eccentric group of new friends who help her when she truly needs it. This humorous YA novel also has a message - well, actually more than one, and Ren had me rooting for her even as she walked right into situations that were clearly not going to go her way. She learns that being smart will get you lots of places, but having people you can rely on will get you even further.



3. A lot has happened to Ren in the past few months...her mother has died (in the most unconventional way: crushed under a load of Harry Potter books), her father has moved them from their duplex in New York City to a regular house in the dreadfully boring suburb of Danbury, Connecticut, her best friend is barely returning her emails, and she is being ostracized by everyone at Waylord Academy. Everything in Danbury is the exact opposite of NYC. She is the only one who doesn't drive which causes her to resort to taking a cab everywhere via the small and often times unreliable Wheels Instead of Heels, and Waylord Academy requires every one of its students to participate in a sport. It is by default that she is thrown on to the cheerleading team, and into Farrin Farraway's evil clutches. Then Ren learns Farrin has a secret: she's been communicating with a mysterious older man online, and is planning to meet him. As much as she may despise Farrin, Ren can't bring herself to allow her to do this...especially when she thinks she might know who the man is.
   
   Secrets of My Suburban Life is a page-turner that will suck the reader in. Baratz-Logsted's style is unique, and stashed with subtle humor. Ren's reaction to her mother's death is wholly believable and raw, from her emotional state to her frequent letters addressed to her mother that give the story life, and her expressiveness and loyalty are to be admired, and make her character real. There is a pleasant balance between Ren's grief and friend problems, and the disaster that she is desperate to save Farrin from, which makes this story relatable and plausible. Every word will count in this heartrending, witty, and suspenseful novel.
   
   For more book reviews, author interviews, and contests, visit: [...]



4. I just finished reading this book and, personally, I did not like it all that much. It started out promising with all the aspects of a good book-some good characters, an interesting conflict and an author with a sense of humor. Unfortunately, as I read on I discovered that the cool main character wasn't so cool. She turned out to be totally into herself, even when she was trying to help others. Not only that, but the entire story consisted of her being put in totally malfunctioning situations. I was amazed that, by the end of the book, this character wasn't chronically depressed. As for the main love interest, he got a few pages in but they weren't much to go off of-I mean how in-depth can you be about a character you barely know? Besides that, the plot went from endurable to over-the-top creepy and ended abruptly with some drunk landlady calling the cops on the bad guy and everything going back to normal. All conflict (along with my interest) was gone within seconds. Call me cynical but I'm a teenager, the age directed for reading this book. For others this book may have been a good read, but for both myself and my peers, this book was neither here nor there.



5. SECRETS OF MY SUBURBAN LIFE by Lauren Baratz-Logsted
   Rating **** (4 Stars)
   
   February 23, 2008
   
   This reviewer rarely ventures into the world of YA books and Teen Fiction, and was not aware that SECRETS OF MY SUBURBAN LIFE was just that - teen fiction. But there was no doubt about it, that this book was very funny and enjoyable and regardless of being Teen Fiction or not, it was very good.
   
   The story is narrated by Ren (Lauren), who is learning to deal with life with a single (widowed) Dad, moving to a new city, going to a new school, and trying to fit in with new friends. Ren's mother was a writer who happened to be killed by Harry Potter - a stack of Harry Potter books fell on top of Ren's mother and killed her. So, instead of continuing life in New York, Ren and her father, who also happened to be a writer, are now in the suburbs of Connecticut, which is very boring in comparison to New York.
   
   Farrin is the most popular girl in school. Ren and Farrin "connect" when Ren is forced to join the cheerleading squad (since Ren was a failure at all other sports, and every student was expected to participate on at least one sports team). They are also in some of the same classes, and it's during one of these classes that Ren learns an awful secret that Farrin has been keeping. It's so bad that Ren's life will change because of it. Farrin has been secretly communicating with an older man via the Internet, and Ren is afraid that Farrin is about to make a big mistake. Ren figures out a way to impersonate Farrin online to intercept the pervert, but the "joke" is on Ren when she finds out who this pervert is that Farrin is about to meet!
   
   The book is told from Ren's point of view, along with email communications between a girl (Sexgurl) and an older man (FDA), and Ren's letters to her mother, who she confides with and misses terribly. At times Ren appeared to be a lot older than her teen years, possibly because she's had to grow up that much faster after her mother died.
   
   SECRETS OF MY SUBURBAN LIFE is populated by all sorts of characters typical to the average teenager's life. Ren's got a best friend, Shannon, who she left behind in New York and misses a lot. Shannon, however, has moved on with her life, and has some secrets of her own. Ren's got a crush on Jack, the most popular guy in school, who unfortunately is dating Farrin. Jack and Ren do strike up a friendship, to the astonishment of Ren, and she is secretly hoping Jack may start to have feelings for her. But the competition is pretty fierce. What guy wouldn't want Farrin for a girlfriend? Luckily for Ren, she manages to get involved with Jack's family by mentoring his little sister Amanda, a girl who is as obnoxious as they can get. Ren can't believe that the two are even related. Through Amanda, Ren is able to hang out with Jack's family, and comes closer to him than she ever imagined.
   
   Ren is also making new friends at school, in particular T'Keyah who's related to a famous basketball player, but the two don't hit it off right away. It's a lot of work being the new girl in school, and Ren wishes that her mother never died.
   
   While a good part of the story is funny and light, there are moments that are much more serious, as Ren deals with the death of her mother, being at a stage in her life when having her mother there was most important. Young readers will connect with Ren, who is the best part of the story and the reason to read it. A very likeable character, Ren is definitely the perfect protagonist.
   
   This reviewer is recommending SECRETS OF MY SUBURBAN LIFE because it was such a delightful surprise. Filled with teens that many young readers will relate to, this book is fun to read. It was a very refreshing change for this reviewer, mainly because of the main character, Ren, and for the first time, this reviewer actually enjoyed a book that was aimed at a younger audience. - courtesy of Love Romances and More - M. Lofton

5 comments about The Professional Paranoid.

1. When I was targeted by the Clinton Administration, I experienced several years of round the clock physical surveillance and harrassment and all manner of risks for which my experience on Wall Street and in Washington had not prepared me. This included friends and family who helped me during this extraordinary period also being targeted.

   Thank goodness for H. Michael Sweeney and his book, The Professional Paranoid. To this day, I believe that this book helped save my life. This was a period when websites kept death lists of people who had been targeted and died. I sure did not want to end up on one of those lists.

   Sweeney has lived through the real thing, bested it and his lessons learned can work for you, whether you are dealing with being targeted by the government, by private organized crime, or just a pesky landlord or neighbor. It's well written too.

   Unfortunately, the time has come in American when many of us have to protect ourselves, our family and our neighbors without much help from law enforcement. In the face of covert operations by intelligence agencies or the wishes of drug cartels, local police hands are often tied. Local police can be as scared of the powers that be as we are, or as mystified by the latest "tools of the trade" such as non-lethal weapons.

   H. Michael Sweeney can teach us how to "hold the line" despite what is happening and do it with a marvelous sense of humour. I recommend it highly.




2. My dad read this book back in 1984 and though it was
   good because it was honest about what was going on back then.



3. I am a whistleblower in a state Supreme Court Case and must say that this book is all it purports to be. I used the text to help resolve many of the problems I was having dealing with a certain government agency for which I worked. The methods of self protection outlined can be of use to any whistleblower involved in a serious situation. Mr. Sweeney, I applaud you for this timely work.



4. Feral House, known for their usually ozone perforating titles such as The Octopus and Psychic Dictatorship in the U.S.A., have come up with something a bit more down to earth for us, The Professional Paranoid by H. Michael Sweeney. This practical manual thoroughly describes proven techniques on how to safely deal with potential snoops ranging from stalkers, corporate bullies, the IRS, private dicks to CIA spooks and spookettes. How to know when your being trailed, when your mail is being tampered with and if your phone is being tapped can be found in this intriguing and important survival guide. Women will find much useful information on how to avoid date rape and other forms of assault included in this very street smart book. Reading The Professional Paranoid has awakened this reviewer to some ultimately sobering facts:
   1. FISA (Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act) as enacted in 1978 and later expanded by Klinton under Executive Order #12949 as a response to the World Trade and Oklahoma City bombings, pretty much annihilates our rights to privacy, protection from unreasonable search and seizure, and a right to a fair hearing. 'Seven men can meet in a secret court, with no public record kept, to decide that, because of who you may have associated with (even accidentally or coincidentally)'
   2. The NSA, the largest intelligence agency in the U.S. can pretty much intercept any phone call you make, e-mail you send or receive through technology that they themselves have developed, yet are somehow mysteriously immune to the surveillance laws that the rest of us are subject to.
   3. FEMA has established a 'Financial Crimes Enforcement Network' of 'supercomputers designed to track every financial transaction of every citizen' Imagine the implications if they hook up with those literal outlaws at the IRS.
   4. PROMIS is a software program that enables the CIA and other federal agencies to track you online. "If you call a police department or federal agency and they enter your name into a computer, the CIA knows about it. They can even alter the information. Who knows, you might suddenly be listed as 'armed and dangerous'."
   Most impressive in this work is the abundance of information found in the appendix which spells out the staggering number of CIA and other surveillance fronts at large, ranging from the AAI Corporation to Mitre to Zenith Technical Enterprises. Also in the appendix is detailed technical information on bugs and other forms of surveillance technology often employed by the snoops at large. Updated information on the telecommunications and computer industry's collusion with the NSA to make their technology more surveillance friendly is also included such as clipper chips which enable 'secret electronic entrance into digital information systems' and the like. I found the information on pertinent web sites dedicated to exposing Big Brother also highly useful as well . I commend Mr. Sweeney for his courage as well as impressive thoroughness of the research he put into the making of The Professional Paranoid . Anyone who scoffs at the suggestion that surveillance isn't the problem its made out to be in the world of conspiracy should read and re-read this book for a much needed change of mind. Check out www.feralhouse.com and www. proparanoid.com for more info. if you dare.



5. 
   Great little book unless you are "unstable," then it could push you over the edge. Stalkers, Corporate Bullies, Gangs, Professional Criminals, the IRS and a Host of Government 'Intelligence' Agencies... are groups mentioned.
   
   Interestingly the "how to fight back" are far from the "Get Even" and "Screw You" series by another author.
   
   Best chapter (and point of the book) is "Awareness is the First Line of Defense" unless of course you are already freaked out, then skip this chapter AND the book.
   
   There's also a useful Internet Resource listing in the book.
   
   A great and useful read. Recommended.

5 comments about CD and DVD Forensics.

1. The book has some info at the beginning, but most of the book is dedicated to showing you how to use their $549 product "CD/DVD Inspector". You're better off with something like "File System Forensic Analysis".



2. I got a review copy of CD and DVD forensics in the mail a couple of weeks ago, and immediately two thoughts came to mind. First, I honestly didn't ever think about these media types in a forensic examination, and so it was a bit unexpected to see a book on them. The author, Paul Crowley, does a good job of explaining why these media types are important to the forensic examiner. Secondly, I began to wonder if it would compare favorably to Brian Carrier's excellent "Filesystem Forensic Analysis". Crowley's book doesn't, but given that Carrier has set such a high bar, it's not surprising.
   
   Chapter 1 dives right into it, covering a lot of CDROM and DVD disc physical attributes and some common layout features. Chapter 2 is a similarly thorough treatment of the logical layout and describes a lot of the fliesystems commonly found in optical media. In this chapter some additional images and illustrations would have helped.
   
   Chapter 3 is surprisingly short, and it introduces binary forensic images. There's little treatment, if any, given to how to collect them. I'm not clear why this chapter was so short or even standalone. Chapter 4 is a bit longer, but also quite short. It covers collecting CD and DVD evidence. There are some useful tips and insights in this chapter, but again it's so short. Chapter 5, "Preparing for disc examination" is a bit longer again, and contains some useful information. There's some useful information here, and some more in depth treatment would have been appreciated.
   
   Chapter 6 starts the real meat of the book, the CD/DVD Inspector manual. This is a lengthy chapter with good illustrations, organization, and a full treatment of the specific messages given by the software. A pretty standard overview of the software package, specific to it as well.
   
   Chapter 7 is, sadly, a short chapter on using CD/DVD Inspector. I say this is sad because a more thorough treatment with insights and exercises would have been valuable. As it stands it's basically tossing you in the deep end. Chapter 8, "Advanced tasks with CD/DVD Inspector", is quite similar. Again, a longer, fuller treatment of the tasks would have been great.
   
   Chapters 9 and 10 are real letdowns because they treat such important material ("Reporting your findings" and "Things to keep in mind", respectively) so cursorily. Just a few pages apiece (Chapter 10 is all of one page!). Real insights would have been valuable here.
   
   Appendix A is useful and covers "Disk swap modifications", and finally a lengthy glossary rounds out the book.
   
   While the material is presented clearly (both the text and the illustrations), it's not presented completely in most chapters. This feels like an exercise without much value beyond being a manual for the software and some introductions and overviews of CD and DVD filesystems. All in all this book should go back to the author for a full fleshing out. I give it three stars on the basis of its strengths, but I think it's more of a 2.5 star book overall.
   
   If you're looking for forensics material, this may wind up on your bookshelf, but see if you can get this book at a steep discount. It's incomplete for the novice or student and focuses specifically on one software package. I hope that any future editions are more complete.



3. I am sure if you wish to learn CD/DVD Inspector, or use it regularly, this book is one to buy. I have also heard that this book is used as a text in a CD DVD course being offered. However, if this is not what you are doing, then I would suggest that you look elsewhere, as this is not a well rounded introduction to the field nor the output of a study. To me the CD and DVD Forensics text read more like the 'missing manual' for the application than truly useful information. I guess I was a little disappointed with this, as I don't believe the title nor the blurb conveyed the extent of the product tie in.
   
   Physically, the book is printed on low quality paper and is quite thin, the font size used is huge and approximately 1/5 of the book is made up of the glossary and the table of contents. The photographs and images used are also of a low quality, which is a shame.
   
   However, I will keep this book on hand because it does have some interesting information within it, and in case I ever need to use the CD/DVD Inspector application. Certainly not a well-rounded book though.



4. Review of CD and DVD Forensics by Paul Crowley
   
   An extremely technical , well written book covering all aspects of CDs and DVDs. From the opening paragraph you know that you should be a Medical Examiner to truly understand all of the ramifications of these types of storage media.
   In depth coverage of the media itself, is followed by the file structure on CD and DVD media as well as potential problems you can encounter using the forensic recovery processes. Software is described that can be of assistance, types of drives, cleaning products and handling techniques, are covered in detail.
   Use of the primary recovery software is covered in extreme detail over nearly 100 pages. If you are truly serious about file recovery, in a most professional manner and varied circumstances, get the book and follow the step by step processes described. This book is not meant for a casual read about CDs and DVDs.



5. Crime scene forensics has captured the attention of nearly everyone, thanks primarily to the CSI television franchise shows. Fans tune in every week, to all three series, to find out whodunit and, more importantly, how the detectives are going to catch the bad guys. Forensics investigations have progressed past the point of simply blood, hair, and fibers. The television shows routinely show evidence being recovered from digital media that the perpetrators had thought were erased or destroyed. I enjoy the shows, but a lot of what they do with electronic media has seemed like magic. I became a doubter in that kind of recovery technology.
   
   Paul Crowley and Dave Kleiman's new book CD AND DVD FORENSICS addresses such electronic magic. They formed a company that specializes in recovery of lost or intentionally disrupted data. With their technique and program, they can virtually look into a disc and find out not only what has on it now, but also know what has ever been on it.
   
   We live in an era with rewritable data, and many people mistakenly believe that once they erase something from their computer or put it into the trash bin on their desktop, it's gone. Even if they delete the file from the computer, the information is not gone. With the advent of the police shows, the general public has learned that files are not erased. They get overwritten, which is vastly different. Overwritten means that parts of that file still exist on a hard drive or a flash drive. Of course, the educated criminal can install a program that will overwrite the whole drive.
   
   CDs and DVDs are the same way. Computers burn images onto the disc surface. Some of the discs are rewritable, but they feature the same logistical programming as hard drives. Information that was previously stored on the disc is merely written over, not erased. Even though a disc has been damaged, or even thought destroyed, information can be recovered from them.
   
   Crowley and Kleiman begin their book with a thorough discussion of what the CD and DVD media are. They explain the makeup and architecture of those discs from the ground up in terms that a generalist can understand. People who are already skilled in knowing CD and DVD composition can probably skip over this section, but I had a very vague idea of how the discs were made and archived. I found the technology fascinating, and again was overwhelmed by how much science and invention we seem to take for granted on a day-to-day basis.
   
   Once a general understanding is achieved, the authors move on into the recovery procedures. They talk about their application, CD/DVD Inspector, and explain at length about how to use the software when recovering information.
   
   The book is well laid out. There are plenty of margins for taking notes and for highlighting the text. Too often technical manuals have a habit of being densely printed and provide no areas in which to work. They're also hard to read.
   
   The authors use down-to-earth language and provide plenty of illustrations to make their methodology and procedure clear. The book is extremely user-friendly and laid out so that someone who uses this technology often can easily reference the material.
   
   As a writer, I often find myself researching many subjects. Sciences, technologies, histories, and geographies are all part of the usual retinue I have to wade through in order to create a novel. Many of the books that I use are not as generous as this one. This is one of those reference manuals I will keep near my desk.
   
   For fiction purposes, I would have liked more information on how the evidence recovered from the discs was presented in court. How does a recovery expert persuade a jury that he knows what he's doing? How can he provide a jury a short lesson that will bring them up to speed on the technology being shown? Of course, the authors didn't write this book to provide that kind of slant with their material. But I can see that law enforcement personnel or private security agencies would want additional training in those fields as well.
   
   CD AND DVD FORENSICS is an excellent book for the layman. Even though I doubt I will ever use the software application, it's still nice to know that I can recreate it in a fictional setting and have it right.

4 comments about Computer Forensics: Principles and Practices (Prentice Hall Security Series).

1. A nonsense book. It should have been useful 6-7 years ago but, at the present it doesn't say anything which can help you both to learn computer forenics and to perform your day-by-day analisys.
   Buy something other



2. Computer Forensics: Principles and Practices is a great teaching tool for forensic investigators of all skill levels. For a beginner, the book takes you through the investigative process from A to Z and doesn't leave out the more advanced and complicated processes of data carving, email reconstruction and mobile device analysis.
   
   For the advanced user, there is plenty of information that is both relevant and useful, some of which you may not have seen before. I appreciated this most because of the specific processes outlined and the tools that were described. I am a big fan of books that can help you apply examples to your own processes, something this book does very well.
   
   Everything from A to Z, this book provides excellent material focusing on process and step-by-step analysis using the latest tools available.



3. I highly recommend this book for beginners and experienced forensics experts. It talks about all possible situations you could encounter from a technological and legal stand point. This book really prepares you for how to be ready for the field and explains everything in a really friendly way. The book is a very easy read but is specific and isn't vague like other books I have read. You can literally keep reading and not have to take a break.



4. This books gives some decent insite into the world of computer forensics if you have never touched on the subject before, but you certainly will not come away with the ability to perform computer forensics on your friends old hard drive. Leave that to the experts...
   
   Helped me to provide my high school students to the introductory world of computer forensics and that was all I needed it to help me with.

5 comments about Hack Attacks Revealed: A Complete Reference with Custom Security Hacking Toolkit.

1. Dated, boring, with a lot of repetitions, and full of almost useless information.
   If you are really interested in 'Hack Attacks Revealed' then try the very recent 'Hack Proofing Your Network (2nd Edition)', quite up to date and comprehensive.



2. If you are a security professional, then this book is not for you. Its content is too scattered.



3. For network administrators and security managers who want to know the enemy, HACK ATTACKS REVEALED is essential reading. Don't leave your network without it.



4. This is a strange book to review. I'd give a 50% recommendation mostly because some chapters (perhaps half the book) could have been stripped with no real loss.

   There are some good ones, in the beginning and at the very end, but the ones in the middle simply reprint names and usage of trojan/worm/virus kit software found on the net. Besides not being a complete list is useless since needs to be updated in a daily bases.

   The good chapters explain you a lot of the protocols and how they interact, common techniques used by intruders.

   If you do not have any other security/tcp-ip related book you should buy this since it's a good start. If you already have others you can safely skip this one.




5. I really don't understand this book.

   The author takes too much time to say too little discerning information.

   Go with other books, this simply is too expensive and of too little value.