The Art of Intrusion : The Real Stories Behind the Exploits of Hackers, Intruders and Deceivers

Hacker extraordinaire Kevin Mitnick delivers the explosive encore to his bestselling The Art of Deception Kevin Mitnick, the world's most celebrated hacker, now devotes his life to helping businesses and governments combat data thieves, cybervandals, and other malicious computer intruders. In his bestselling The Art of Deception, Mitnick presented fictionalized case studies that illustrated how savvy computer crackers use "social engineering" to compromise even the most technically secure computer systems. Now, in his new book, Mitnick goes one step further, offering hair-raising stories of real-life computer break-ins-and showing how the victims could have prevented them. Mitnick's reputation within the hacker community gave him unique credibility with the perpetrators of these crimes, who freely shared their stories with him-and whose exploits Mitnick now reveals in detail for the first time, including: A group of friends who won nearly a million dollars in Las Vegas by reverse-engineering slot machines Two teenagers who were persuaded by terrorists to hack into the Lockheed Martin computer systems Two convicts who joined forces to become hackers inside a Texas prison A "Robin Hood" hacker who penetrated the computer systems of many prominent companies-andthen told them how he gained access With riveting "you are there" descriptions of real computer break-ins, indispensable tips on countermeasures security professionals need to implement now, and Mitnick's own acerbic commentary on the crimes he describes, this book is sure to reach a wide audience-and attract the attention of both law enforcement agencies and the media.

Four pals clean up in Vegas with a pocket-sized computer. A bored Canadian teen gains access to the wire transfers section of a major Southern bank. A couple of kids are recruited to hack into Lockheed Martin and the Defense Information System Network by a terrorist with ties to Osama bin Laden.
And these stories are true.
If you're the security officer in your organization, the tales in this book crawled out of that closet where your nightmares live. Fears about national security keeping you awake? Put the coffee on; it gets worse. And if you just enjoy a heck of a good cliff-hanger full of spies and real-life intrigue, strap yourself in for a wild read.

Publishers Weekly

It would be difficult to find an author with more credibility than Mitnick to write about the art of hacking. In 1995, he was arrested for illegal computer snooping, convicted and held without bail for two years before being released in 2002. He clearly inspires unusual fear in the authorities and unusual dedication in the legions of computer security dabblers, legal and otherwise. Renowned for his use of "social engineering," the art of tricking people into revealing secure information such as passwords, Mitnick (The Art of Deception) introduces readers to a fascinating array of pseudonymous hackers. One group of friends bilks Las Vegas casinos out of more than a million dollars by mastering the patterns inherent in slot machines; another fellow, less fortunate, gets mixed up with a presumed al-Qaeda-style terrorist; and a prison convict leverages his computer skills to communicate with the outside world, unbeknownst to his keepers. Mitnick's handling of these engrossing tales is exemplary, for which credit presumably goes to his coauthor, writing pro Simon. Given the complexity (some would say obscurity) of the material, the authors avoid the pitfall of drowning readers in minutiae. Uniformly readable, the stories-some are quite exciting-will impart familiar lessons to security pros while introducing lay readers to an enthralling field of inquiry. Agent, David Fugate. (Mar.) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

Four Pals Clean Up In Vegas With A Pocket-sized Computer. A Bored Canadian Teen Gains Access To The Wire Transfers Section Of A Major Southern Bank. A Couple Of Kids Are Recruited To Hack Into Lockheed Martin And The Defense Information System Network By A Terrorist With Ties To Osama Bin Laden. Kevin Mitnick, Whose Own Exploits Have Made Him A Veritable Hacker's Hero, Shares More Than A Dozen True Stories Of Cyber-invasions - Devilishly Ingenious, Highly Effective Schemes That Kick Up Your Pulse Rate Even As You Marvel At Their Sheer Audacity. Each Is Followed By Mitnick's Expert Analysis Of How The Attack Could Have Been Prevented. And He Is Uniquely Qualified To Recommend Effective Security Measures. Both A Legend In The Hacker Underworld And A General In The War On Cybercrime, Kevin Mitnick Holds The One Weapon Most Likely To Take Down The Intruder - Intimate Knowledge Of The Hacker's Brilliant And Tenacious Mind.--book Jacket. Hacking The Casinos For A Million Bucks -- When Terrorists Come Calling -- The Texas Prison Hack -- Cops And Robbers -- The Robin Hood Hacker --the Wisdom And Folly Of Penetration Testing -- Of Course Your Bank Is Secure, Right? -- Your Intellectual Property Isn't Safe -- On The Continent -- Social Engineers : How They Work And How To Stop Them -- Short Takes. Kevin D. Mitnick, William L. Simon. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Content: Chapter 1: Hacking the Casinos for a Million Bucks. Chapter 2: When Terrorists Come Calling. Chapter 3: The Texas Prison Hack. Chapter 4: Cops and Robbers. Chapter 5: The Robin Hood Hacker. Chapter 6: The Wisdom and Folly of Penetration Testing. Chapter 7: Of Course Your Bank Is Secure - Right? Chapter 8: Your Intellectual Property Isn't Safe. Chapter 9: On the Continent. Chapter 10: Social Engineers - How They Work and How to Stop Them. Chapter 11: Short Takes. Index. If you're a computer security officer, these tales crawled out of that closet where your nightmares live. Fears about national secuirty keeping you awake? Put the coffee on; it gets worse. And if you just enjoy a darn good real-life spy story, strap yourself in for a wild read. -- Provided by publisher There comes a magical gambler's moment when simple thrills magnify to become 3-D fantasies - a moment when greed chews up ethics and the casino system is just another mountain waiting to be conquered.