Computers Under Attack: Intruders, Worms and Viruses

by Peter J. Denning

This book is broken down into 6 parts. The first describes the emergence of a worldwide network of computers, here called Worldnet, and the practices that people have engaged in as a result. The second part describes the problem of electronic breakins. The third part deals with the phenomenon of worms. The fourth part deals with viruses. The fifth part of the book gives a glimpse of the worlds in which hackers live. The final part deals with the social context in which people make ethical and moral interpretations and propose new laws.

592 pages, Paperback

First published January 11, 1990

About the author

Peter J. Denning is Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Computer Science at the Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, California. He invented the working-set model, the foundation for managing virtual memory in computer operating systems. He is a past president of the Association for Computing Machinery. He co-founded CSNET, a key bridge between the early ARPANET and today's Internet. He relishes the enduring principles underlying computing, AI, and innovation. His books include The Innovator's Way (w Bob Dunham), Navigating a Restless Sea (w Todd Lyons), and Great Principles of Computing (w Craig Martell). His latest, Turing's Mistake, challenges a founding assumption of AI and argues that human understanding is not machine computable.

Reviews

[Yousseif Abdellatif · Rating 3 out of 5]

Straight up, I don't trust a book that's this confident, and Computers Under Attack is very confident. Peter J. Denning never hedges, which makes the argument punchy and also a little suspicious. I'd still read it again. Good for readers who like a strong take, bad for anyone who wants every claim footnoted.

[Yousseif Abdellatif · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved Computers Under Attack: Intruders, Worms and Viruses because Peter J. Denning doesn't offer a comfortable exit—they force you to sit with the reality of living in a hyper-controlled environment.