No Tech Hacking: A Guide to Social Engineering, Dumpster Diving, and Shoulder Surfing by Johnny Long, Jack Wiles [Syngress, 2008] [Paperback]

by Johnny Long

No Tech A Guide to Social Engineering, Dumpster Diving, and Shoulder...

Genres: Hackers, Computer Science, Nonfiction, Technology, Psychology, Textbooks, Technical

Paperback

First published February 21, 2007

About the author

Johnny Long is a Christian by grace, a professional hacker by trade, a pirate by blood, a ninja in training, a security researcher and author. He can be found lurking at his website (http://johnny.ihackstuff.com). He is the founder of Hackers For Charity(http://ihackcharities.org), an organization that provides hackers with job experience while leveraging their skills for charities that need those skills.

Reviews

[Noah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think I already wrote my review, but just in case . . .

A few takeaways:

1) there are many padlocks can be opened without bolt cutters
2) keep a low profile - I removed my business card that I had taped on my laptop, and from my bags;
3) shoulder-surfing 101 - just be more observant as to what's going on around you;
4) have fun with this book - it's a quick read and gets you to thinking about simple security.

There's more, just take a look at the sample chapter on Amazon.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good idea for a book. Not so great in execution. Almost looks like one of those books for 'Dummies'. The largest chapter, on Google Hacking, is ripped directly from another book by the same author and is little more than grainy, hard to read, black and white photos. I rate it an....... Eh.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pretty good introduction to social engineering and physical penetration testing. The mix of stories as good examples and then a list of practical steps to be more resilient to social engineering attacks was good.

[TL Kett · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's a lot to learn from this book, and the fact it's mostly pictures makes it very easy to get through. I personally feel the formatting and presentation leave something to be desired, but this is definitely a good read for information security professionals and those who are conscious about their own security.

[Stéphanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Guaranteed to make you somewhat paranoid, still cool. Loved what the guy could accomplish with one camera -- the pictures were very enlightening. The no-tech chapters are full of seemingly obvious information I'd have ignored if the photos weren't there to prove we can all be a tad stupid when it comes to digital security. Just reading this made me look at my desktop with another set of eyes.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this one should be on everyone's must read list. In fact, I would recommend re-reading it at least once a year until you memorize it. Some of the technical stuff is dated, but the principles and lessons are timeless. Follow up by watching the YouTube video of Johnny giving this presentation. Seriously, do it.