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Black Hat: Misfits, Criminals, and Scammers in the Internet Age
* Accessible to both lay readers and decision-makers * These stories are as exciting, if even more exciting, than even the most fast-paced movie adventure. Hackers strike quickly and with disastrous results. The story and post-mortems are fascinating * Homes are becoming increasingly wired and, thanks to Wi-Fi, unwired. What are the associated risks of fast Internet? * Technology is everywhere. People who subvert and damage technology will soon by enemy #1. * The author is an internationally recognized authority on computer security
- GenresHackers
192 pages, Paperback
First published June 10, 2004
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
July 13, 2019
Readable intro for the neophyte
While reading this breezy introduction to the unlikely but inevitable cloak and dagger cyber world of hackers and spammers, encryption and "things that go ping in the night," I had a terrible sense of estrangement mixed with fear and loathing simply because I knew and know jack diddly about hacking and how to protect myself against it. So I suppose this book is a start, lesson one in Cyberspace judo.
There are eight chapters, covering such topics as spam and spyware, worms and viruses, scams and counterattacks against the black hats. In one chapter Biggs explores the "Dear Friend," advanced-fee fraud, often referred to as the "Nigerian potentate scam," or simply "419" since it is section #419 in the Nigerian Criminal Code.
You might recognize this con as the outrageous come-on that promises you a nice percentage of some many millions of dollars if you will allow an abused princess (or such) of some African country to use YOUR bank account for a transfer of the millions. (Right!) Of course you'll be asked for a few thousand dollars up front... Biggs writes that "in 2002 over 16,164 Americans, including 74 who reported losses totaling $1.6 million, reported being suckered by 419 scams." (p. 72) Biggs actually found one guy, a Dr. Shahla Ghasemi, who admitted to personally losing $400,000 to the scam. (p. 77) But Biggs also shows how he and some others had a lot of fun by leading these would-be scammers along with encouraging emails and baited bits of information.
Biggs also introduces us to some notorious hackers and spammers, "Ebola Monkey Man," Marc Maiffret aka "Chameleon," and Alan Murray Ralsky, "the spam king of Detroit," for example. There are some black and white photos of Web pages and persons, including one of Patrick Kroupa aka "Lord Digital" caught in dark light in front of his lap top, looking for all the world like a cross between Darth Vader and a young Bobby Fischer. (There is an element of glorification in this book that may be off-putting to some.)
There is also something eternally juvenile about the nether world of Internet "hax0rs" and spammers, something gloriously amateurish about their pursuits and values. Why hack? To make a buck, to gain fame, to win the heart of the prom queen? No. Because it's fun and because it's there? Yes, oh, yes. Why spam? Well, in the case of spam, if somehow the monetary reward could be removed, that is, if somehow people would NOT reply to spammers and their scams, then spam would gurgle to a trickle.
In other words, the nefarious world of black hats and white hats, phreaks and crackers, acne-sprouting adolescents in trailer parks and spam king millionaires in Cancun is an all too human world doing what humans do best. That is, trying to rip each other off while puffing out their chests.
John Biggs draws a distinction between amateurs (e.g., "script kiddies" and "punks"), and the pros who go after Citibank and other places where the money is. Script kiddies create nothing "but are just stupid enough to be dangerous" (p. 125) while the pros can, if they like, toss their black hats and don white ones and become hired guns who hack for the establishment.
He also makes a distinction between "free as in freedom" and "free as in free beer"--a very nice distinction new to these ears. There is freedom of expression, and there are free things worth having. Be sure you know which is which. I should also note that Biggs's mantra throughout is "open source, open source, open source." (As opposed, I imagine, to "Microsoft rox, dude!")
Personally I think somebody like Gilbert and Sullivan ought to make a comic opera of the whole scene with dance numbers and catchy tunes. The Net is in a sense a soap opera in which you can play a part. All it needs is a musical score.
Like many books that have their birth on or about the Internet, Black Hat is full of flashy terminology and tortured syntax, missing words and choppy organization characteristic of quick and easy netstyle communications, featuring not fully professional editing. Nonetheless this book is definitely worth reading if you are, like me, pretty much an amateur Cyberian. A more engaging and professionally accomplished (but more narrowly focused) intro to this world is Spam Kings (2005) by Brian McWilliams, which I also recommend.
--Dennis Littrell, author of the mystery novel, “Teddy and Teri”
While reading this breezy introduction to the unlikely but inevitable cloak and dagger cyber world of hackers and spammers, encryption and "things that go ping in the night," I had a terrible sense of estrangement mixed with fear and loathing simply because I knew and know jack diddly about hacking and how to protect myself against it. So I suppose this book is a start, lesson one in Cyberspace judo.
There are eight chapters, covering such topics as spam and spyware, worms and viruses, scams and counterattacks against the black hats. In one chapter Biggs explores the "Dear Friend," advanced-fee fraud, often referred to as the "Nigerian potentate scam," or simply "419" since it is section #419 in the Nigerian Criminal Code.
You might recognize this con as the outrageous come-on that promises you a nice percentage of some many millions of dollars if you will allow an abused princess (or such) of some African country to use YOUR bank account for a transfer of the millions. (Right!) Of course you'll be asked for a few thousand dollars up front... Biggs writes that "in 2002 over 16,164 Americans, including 74 who reported losses totaling $1.6 million, reported being suckered by 419 scams." (p. 72) Biggs actually found one guy, a Dr. Shahla Ghasemi, who admitted to personally losing $400,000 to the scam. (p. 77) But Biggs also shows how he and some others had a lot of fun by leading these would-be scammers along with encouraging emails and baited bits of information.
Biggs also introduces us to some notorious hackers and spammers, "Ebola Monkey Man," Marc Maiffret aka "Chameleon," and Alan Murray Ralsky, "the spam king of Detroit," for example. There are some black and white photos of Web pages and persons, including one of Patrick Kroupa aka "Lord Digital" caught in dark light in front of his lap top, looking for all the world like a cross between Darth Vader and a young Bobby Fischer. (There is an element of glorification in this book that may be off-putting to some.)
There is also something eternally juvenile about the nether world of Internet "hax0rs" and spammers, something gloriously amateurish about their pursuits and values. Why hack? To make a buck, to gain fame, to win the heart of the prom queen? No. Because it's fun and because it's there? Yes, oh, yes. Why spam? Well, in the case of spam, if somehow the monetary reward could be removed, that is, if somehow people would NOT reply to spammers and their scams, then spam would gurgle to a trickle.
In other words, the nefarious world of black hats and white hats, phreaks and crackers, acne-sprouting adolescents in trailer parks and spam king millionaires in Cancun is an all too human world doing what humans do best. That is, trying to rip each other off while puffing out their chests.
John Biggs draws a distinction between amateurs (e.g., "script kiddies" and "punks"), and the pros who go after Citibank and other places where the money is. Script kiddies create nothing "but are just stupid enough to be dangerous" (p. 125) while the pros can, if they like, toss their black hats and don white ones and become hired guns who hack for the establishment.
He also makes a distinction between "free as in freedom" and "free as in free beer"--a very nice distinction new to these ears. There is freedom of expression, and there are free things worth having. Be sure you know which is which. I should also note that Biggs's mantra throughout is "open source, open source, open source." (As opposed, I imagine, to "Microsoft rox, dude!")
Personally I think somebody like Gilbert and Sullivan ought to make a comic opera of the whole scene with dance numbers and catchy tunes. The Net is in a sense a soap opera in which you can play a part. All it needs is a musical score.
Like many books that have their birth on or about the Internet, Black Hat is full of flashy terminology and tortured syntax, missing words and choppy organization characteristic of quick and easy netstyle communications, featuring not fully professional editing. Nonetheless this book is definitely worth reading if you are, like me, pretty much an amateur Cyberian. A more engaging and professionally accomplished (but more narrowly focused) intro to this world is Spam Kings (2005) by Brian McWilliams, which I also recommend.
--Dennis Littrell, author of the mystery novel, “Teddy and Teri”
October 8, 2011
Although John Biggs does make some valid points, I found the tone of the book to be excessively sensationalist. This is not helped by the fact that he feels the need to simplify issues to the point of inaccuracy.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews