Product Description
Get noticed. Get discovered.

It's YourSpace

There are over 90 million profiles on MySpace. How do you make yours stand out? You use these programming tricks and techniques to tweak the look, feel, and content of your profile. You get the inside scoop on hot design and photography. You maximize the effects of HTML and CSS. And, if you happen to be a musician, you check out Chapter 30 to see how MySpace can launch your career. It's all in here. What are you waiting for? Make it all about you.

Complete code and instructions for these and more MySpace hacks:

• Embedding graphics
• Creating animated images
• Developing your own background
• Building custom cursors
• Changing profile text styles
• Getting kinky with links
• Adding a comments box
• Altering your contact table
• Redesigning the navigation bar
• Making DIV overlays

A companion Web site provides even more tricks and techniques.

Visit www.myspaceismyplace.com to find all code from this book, links to software and featured profiles, a reader forum, and more. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Outdated Rubbish
If I was to sum this whole book up into three words, it would be -- Boring and Dull. This book was not at all what I expected. It showed how to create really dull myspace pages and example links that weren't even existing anymore. This is a bland book, nothing to be excited about like I was. I wanted something to show me how to create spectacular band myspace sites, this book only covers the very basics of myspace code, and doesn't even know where it is going. i don't recommend this book unless you don't mind disappointments.

amazing book
The reason I was compelled to write this is because the person who wrote that you have to type in all the code didn't even read the book. It's all available online. I am starting a business and creating advertising from Myspace and this book was the perfect compliment to all that mixed information on the web. It's very comprehensive and usable. Thank you Mr Pospisil.

Hacking My Space
This one is for the geeks.The most helpful thing about it was about 15 pages into it, it states if you do not understand all this computer language go look at all the sites online that will help you "Pimp your site" or my pace editors that makes life a lot easier. The other thing in the book is that it teaches you how to get the advertisements from these other sites off yours.I am not sure if the price it was worth it for that..but it did help.

Good if You're a Beginner
I got this book for myself because I've been doing a lot of web design work and I've been doing the majority of my design work making DIV overlays for Myspaces.I got this book hoping it'd help me out with advanced CSS manipulation of band Myspaces, but it turns out there's nothing in there like that.The reason why I gave it four stars is because if I were a beginner at coding Myspaces then I would greatly appreciate having this book.It is a very organized, well written book with lots of great information that would really help out anyone that is looking to start seriously messing with HTML and CSS meant for Myspaces for the first time.It would have gotten a 5 star rating if it went further explaining advanced page layout properties, but what I can say is that this book doesn't have anything that you won't find doing a simple google search of "myspace codes."

A good resource
This is a really good book for doing what it says it's trying to do - teach you to personalize your MySpace page. It has a good balance; it's not so technical that it overwhelms and not so simple that it isn't useful. ... Read more

Product Description
From the best-selling co-authors of the world-renowned book, Hacking Exposed, comes Hacking Windows 2000 Exposed. You'll learn, step-by-step, how to defend against the latest attacks by understanding how intruders enter and pilfer compromised networks andweaknesses in password encryption, domain control, Web and IIS 5 communications, LM/NTLM protocols, Active Directory, NetBIOS services, and much more.Amazon.com Review
With a revised Microsoft operating system comes a revised set of security holes and means of attacking them. Hacking Exposed: Windows 2000 presents a snapshot of known Windows 2000 security weaknesses and the tools that have been developed to exploit them, in turn enabling system operators to mount better defenses. This book builds on and contributes to the small but respected Hacking Exposed series, giving network administrators a detailed picture of the threats their Windows 2000 machines face--and all the motivation they should need to install the latest patches right away. Which points out a characteristic of this book: Many of the problems it catalogs are known bugs that shouldn't be a problem if you've installed the latest fixes and have good password and privilege policies. The point: Even with this book on your shelf, keep an eye on the security sites for news of emerging problems.

Joel Scambray and Stuart McClure have chosen to organize their book according to the steps involved in system compromise (identifying a target, gaining access and privileges, using or destroying the system, and so on) as well as by area of vulnerability. In addition to well-written passages that explain general hacking strategies and concepts, the authors devote sections to software (meaning native Windows commands, tools that are part of the Windows NT/2000 Resource Kit, as well as external software). Sometimes, they'll just offer a description, but most of the time, the authors present a step-by-step guide to carrying out the exploit at hand. This is a valuable book that every Windows 2000 expert should read closely. --David Wall

Topics covered: How to break into a Windows 2000 system and, by extension, how to go about defending against attacks. Sections deal with tools for locating victim systems, gaining access to them, and either damaging them, overloading them, or using them as bases for further attacks. The authors also highlight the weaknesses in Windows 2000 services, including Internet Information Services (IIS) and Microsoft SQL Server. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (23)

Hacking exposed: excellent books
This is a general comment regarding Hacking Exposed series. I owned Hacking Exposed (first edition) and then I moved to the more specific Hacking Exposed books, so now I've got Hacking Linux Exposed, Hacking Windows 2000 Exposed and hacking web Applications exposed. All those books absolutely worth it, do not hesitate to buy any of them.

Buy this book if you use windows
Don't run Windows without it.An in-depth windows security book written for those who do not understand geek.Easy to read and chocked full of info provided to save you from common (and not so common) windows sins.Definitely for the home and enterprise network user/admin.

The best security manual I have ever seen
If you are responsible for a Windows 2000 server and do not have this book, you are asking for trouble.Get it today!!!!

Excellent book - useful from the first read
My security officer loves this book because it allows him to send me emails guaranteed to keep me up at night. ;-)

Excellent security book
Excellent book which helps you secure your system from the attacker's point of view. It makes you think as a hacker to be able to find the vulnerabilities in your machine/network. ... Read more

Product Description
This book is to provide security configuration recommendations for the Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 5 and 6 operating system. The guidance provided here should be applicable to all variants (Desktop, Server, Advanced Platform) of the product. Recommended settings for the basic operating system are provided, as well as for many commonly-used services that the system can host in a network environment.

Customer Reviews (1)

Hands-on Red Hat Linux Manual
This is Not a book to teach you the basics about Linux.This book is kind of study note from an experienced Linux user.Compared to those 1000 pages linux books, this book is more concise and right to the point for Linux administration. I particularly appreciate author's effore on the explanation of default Red Hat firewall, which you will not find in the other books, and SSL certificates.Recommeded.
... Read more

Product Description
Though rootkits have a fairly negative image, they can be used for both good and evil. Designing BSD Rootkits arms you with the knowledge you need to write offensive rootkits, to defend against malicious ones, and to explore the FreeBSD kernel and operating system in the process.

Organized as a tutorial, Designing BSD Rootkits will teach you the fundamentals of programming and developing rootkits under the FreeBSD operating system. Author Joseph Kong's goal is to make you smarter, not to teach you how to write exploits or launch attacks. You'll learn how to maintain root access long after gaining access to a computer and how to hack FreeBSD.

Kongs liberal use of examples assumes no prior kernel-hacking experience but doesn't water down the information. All code is thoroughly described and analyzed, and each chapter contains at least one real-world application.

Included:

Product Description
Today's iPod can do much more than just play music. Apple now includes software for keeping track of personal contacts, viewing appointments, reading notes, and even playing games. But iPod owners crave more. They explore the nooks and crannies of iTunes and their iPods, discovering and inventing amazing new ways to use their devices.

Hacking iPod and iTunes teaches readers everything needed to use the most obscure and least documented features of Apple's software, but that's just the starting point. For the dedicated, hardcore iPod users who are ready to really unlock the potential of this great hardware device, Hacking iPod and iTunes reveals the secrets of more than 100 hacks, tweaks and mods, unlocking both the musical and non-musical tricks in the iPod's repertoire.

With Hacking iPod and iTunes, readers will roll up their sleeves, put on their headphones, and groove to iPod and iTunes hacks including:

Product Description

Customer Reviews (2)

An Excellent VoIP Security manual
Eureka! What a pleasant surprise. This is the best Hacking book I have ever read. as matter of fact the book scared me so much that if asked I would classify it as "non-fictional horror".

According toHimanshu Dwivedi "Hacking VoIP is a security book written primarily for VoIP administrators"; This statement is in the introduction of the book, that is the only thing I did not find to be true, I like to change that statement to read something like " .....a security book written primarily for Information Security and Auditors it can also be used by VoIP administrators.....".

I accidentally started reading this book, and I just got hooked. The book is devided into 4 sections;
1-Introduction VoIP Security
2-VoIP Protocols
3-Security treats
4-Securing and Auditing VoIP
The 4 sections are contained in very well organized 10 Chapters. Each chapter, no each line of each chapter is a list of ingredients needed to break in to a VoIP phone, switch or a server.

The author goes at great lengths creating a VoIP lab, following his step by step recommendations and downloading the programs listed, I actually created the exact same lab, I have no idea why. Than downloaded the hacking tools, which should go in the blacklisted application database of every business, once again following the steps outlined in the book I could actually break into conversations, change caller ID (you can really play sick tricks with this feature), and realize that the 6 character password I have for my voice mail is actually crackable in less than 10 minutes.

OK!, Where is the beef? You may ask, how can I use this book? Well! Up to Chapter 9 you learn what a malicious person is or may try to do. Chapter 10 you learn to identify weaknesses and block the attempts, integrating this with a well planned Information Security Management System such as ISO 27001, and creating an audit plan based on recommendations, you can rest assured that your VoIP is secured, you probable need to read about implementing 802.1x, this is also a recommendation in the book.
Best Fishes and thanks for reading.

Great resource to understand VoIP security
Voice over IP (VoIP) communications are a core component of the next wave of communications. Consumers and enterprises both are beginning to grasp the benefits of VoIP communications and making the switch from traditional voice communications to VoIP.

VoIP can be a double-edged sword as well though. It provides cost savings. It adds flexibility and extensibility that isn't possible with traditional telephone communications. It enables a whole new scope of applications to interact with and leverage voice communications in whole new ways.

However, with all of those benefits, it also merges voice data onto the standard data network and exposes what was a relatively secure system to a wide variety of attacks and exploits. Traditional voice attacks like eavesdropping or wiretapping are still issues, but on a grander scale. And now voice communications can also be subjected to denial-of-service (DoS) and man-in-the-middle (MiTM) and other attacks that have traditionally been reserved for data networks.

With Hacking VoIP: Protocols, Attacks, and Countermeasures from No Starch Press, Himanshu Dwivedi explores the security issues inherent with VoIP communications and how to protect your VoIP system against them.

Dwivedi opens the book by walking through how to build a VoIP lab environment to use as you read through the book to get first-hand experience and understanding of the VoIP attacks and exploits and the countermeasures to use against them. This hands-on experience helps the reader to see the attacks in action rather than just reading about them.

The book provides a good background on the VoIP protocols themselves, and Dwivedi does an excellent job of explaining the weaknesses and exploits. VoIP admins should read this book and follow Dwivedi's advice to protect their VoIP environments. ... Read more

Product Description

The complete guide to today’s hard-to-defend chained attacks: performing them and preventing them

Nowadays, it’s rare for malicious hackers to rely on just one exploit or tool; instead, they use “chained” exploits that integrate multiple forms of attack to achieve their goals. Chained exploits are far more complex and far more difficult to defend. Few security or hacking books cover them well and most don’t cover them at all. Now there’s a book that brings together start-to-finish information about today’s most widespread chained exploits–both how to perform them and how to prevent them.

Chained Exploits demonstrates this advanced hacking attack technique through detailed examples that reflect real-world attack strategies, use today’s most common attack tools, and focus on actual high-value targets, including credit card and healthcare data. Relentlessly thorough and realistic, this book covers the full spectrum of attack avenues, from wireless networks to physical access and social engineering.

Writing for security, network, and other IT professionals, the authors take you through each attack, one step at a time, and then introduce today’s most effective countermeasures— both technical and human. Coverage includes:

• Constructing convincing new phishing attacks
• Discovering which sites other Web users are visiting
• Wreaking havoc on IT security via wireless networks
• Disrupting competitors’ Web sites
• Performing–and preventing–corporate espionage
• Destroying secure files
• Gaining access to private healthcare records
• Attacking the viewers of social networking pages
• Creating entirely new exploits
• and more

Andrew Whitaker, Director of Enterprise InfoSec and Networking for Training Camp, has been featured in The Wall Street Journal and BusinessWeek. He coauthored Penetration Testing and Network Defense. Andrew was a winner of EC Council’s Instructor of Excellence Award.

Keatron Evans is President and Chief Security Consultant of Blink Digital Security, LLC, a trainer for Training Camp, and winner of EC Council’s Instructor of Excellence Award.

Jack B. Voth specializes in penetration testing, vulnerability assessment, and perimeter security. He co-owns The Client Server, Inc., and teaches for Training Camp throughout the United States and abroad.

informit.com/aw

Cover photograph © Corbis /

Jupiter Images

$49.99 US 

$59.99 CANADA

Customer Reviews (14)

Well written and easy read
The book focuses on real techniques that are used by attackers to perform hacks. It is well written in that each chapter is clearly laid out with an intro, steps to complete the attack, and countermeasures. The authors effectively link together the multiple exploits and tools that are needed to perform a real world attack. As anyone who works in the security industry can attest, there are almost unlimited methods an attacker can use to conduct an attack. Although the author's choice for performing attacks may not always be the simplest or most realistic, they allow the authors to introduce numerous vulnerabilities and the authors also offer suggestions for other ways that the attacks could be conducted.

As the version of the book that I read was not a first edition, it was apparent that the order of the chapters had been rearranged making the flow of the overall book a little disjointed. Some chapters focused in depth on technical details of using tools while others were much more high level.

In all, it was a very good read and I would recommend it to anyone who is working or has an interest in security and especially penetration testing.

Just OK
I purchased this book recently at a security conference along with a moderate discount.After reading I'm happy to say that a discount was applied.The book is a set of eight (8) short stories that follows a fictitious character named "Phoenix" as he completes various "Chained Exploits" to take over targets.The book does a great job keeping the reader's attention with the sometimes confusing storyline.The creative thinking the authors used wouldn't be my first choice in the attack scenarios, but it appears to work.The book makes a great reference for security students or novice professional but unfortunately the book falls short on the advanced side and instead should be titled "CHAINED EXPLOITS: Hacking Attacks from Start to Finish.

Each attack is analyzed one step at a time
Andrew Whitaker, Keatron Evans and Jack B. Voth's CHAINED EXPLOITS: ADVANCED HACKING ATTACKS FROM START TO FINISH provides a fine guide to chained attacks and is a pick any network security library must have. Chapters cover new phishing attacks, how IT security can be vulnerable to wireless networks, how competitors' web sites are disrupted, and more. Each attack is analyzed one step at a time with the latest countermeasures - technical and human - covered. An outstanding presentation.

A multi-scenario hacking adventure novel focused on combined real-world attacks.
The penetration testing (and criminal) field has focused during the last years on increasing the foothold on compromised systems, proving advanced pivoting and post-exploitation techniques that might help to expand the compromise to other systems or critical resources. This book is a novel that describes these reality by telling hacking stories where multiple techniques, tools and vulnerable input vectors are exploited in order to accomplish a variety of clearly defined attacks and goals.

Each chapter is a well structured story describing multiple attack scenarios. From credit card theft, to insider threat, going through corporate espionage focused on stealing confidential intellectual property, the launch of a DoS attack in a key point in time, the risk and exploitation of inter-corporation network connections, physical access to healthcare records, up to social networking and wireless break-ins.

The book is a modern fictional narrative with technical touches, covering attacks from start-to-finish in elaborated stories (my score evaluates the book from this perspective). However, by reading the book description, you might expect a deeply technical book that will teach you how to perform those attacks, and... it is not.

Every attack story is introduced by setting the stage and the overall attacker approach. Besides that, it is surrounded by a few final defensive tidbits and conclusions, describing countermeasures to mitigate the various attacks covered. This book may act as an excellent eye opener for managers and top level positions (see recommended audience below) in order to understand how small security investments and tweaks can definitely help to increase the overall protection of a target environment substantially.

Unfortunately, from a technical perspective, some of the technical details have not been thoroughly reviewed, such as the output of nmap (order of ports), the unexplained switching of target systems from Vista to XP, the targeting of RDP while not on the port scan (chapter 4) , or the coverage of some tools. Some attacks are a bit outdated, such as the silent winpcap installation to capture traffic from a target box. However, I must admit this book inspired some of the components of a recent "Prison Break" hacking challenge I released this summer (2009).

Specific portions of the book and, overall, the story plot, is well written from a novel perspective, and as particular attacks are progressing, it made me feel the common excitement we get when we are involved in a real penetration test and successfully progressing through the targets, getting the adrenalin going.

This book is highly recommended for people entering in the security field, and for experienced technical security pros in two ways. On the one hand, it's an enjoyable and entertaining novel for a weekend or vacation period. On the other hand, it is a very good reference to give to managers and CxO positions so that they can get a feeling of how real-world attacks look like nowadays and the kind of targeted threats they may face.

Fun Read, Useful for Folks New to Security
As you might guess, I often read security books for fun, not for solvinga particular technical problem. So I approached "Chained Exploits" by Andrew Whitaker, et al with that filter in mind. The book worked just fine for that purpose - it is well-written and has a story line, while covering enough technical details to be educational (for those who are reading it to learn about security and not just for fun). It covers the exploits of a malicious hacker "Phoenix" who fulfills the assignments of some underground criminal mastermind and sometimes just goes and 0wns somebody on his own. Obviously, the book does not cut it as "fiction" since it has actually commands, configuration, etc.

The book is not about a new cutting edge technique or an "oh-day", its main goal is to actually tie "that security stuff" together for folks who are not skilled with it yet. IMHO, IT folks getting into security will benefit from it the most. If you 0wn boxes for fun and profit, you will not learn anything fundamentally new about security, but likely will have fun in the process. Think about it as "Life-like Security Horror Stories" or realistic scenarios. Still, these are a bunch of good story of how mundane, "uncool" attacks tie together to achieve some rampant 0wnage, like having people at a hospital almost die as a result of one particular scenario...

Each story covers motivation and goals of the attach, planning stage, sometimes failed attempts (and why they fail), tool selection and some guidance on tool use. Then it explains what happens and finally covers countermeasures that could have stopped it.

The book bears unfortunate, but noticeable signs of being written by multiple people who didn't talk to each other much.

Finally, the name ("Chained Exploits") first turned me away from the book, I thought it was kinda silly; now I suspect that it will attract some folks to the book.

Recommendation: definitely worth a read if you are new to security, especially if moving from IT. Useful for students in computer science classes to get motivated about security. Also useful for technical management to learn what is not just possible, but very real. Finally, useful for security folks - as a fun read - and also as a reminder about things in their own (still their own, not 0wned...) environments. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (3)

Big adventure, high interest novel
This is an exciting quest story.The book begins with a thief in an underground tunnel in the fourteenth century, Ankonio Dolo, a student at the University.Ankonio has tunneled his way into the treasury, where pure gold ingot bars are packed nine deep. His tunnel comes up behind the gold and he has spent years removing two million mitqals worth of gold bars.He has taken his gold to a safe place, a place he leaves a cryptic clue to once he is caught following an unfortunate series of events. Ankonio yells the gold is hidden in the Dogon cliffs and, "It takes a Dogon to know a Nommo," as he comes to a brilliant and shocking end.

In the twenty-first century, two young men are scanning ancient manuscripts to computer when they find the doodling of the long ago student in the margin of a page in a math textbook.That discovery launches a quest for the legendary gold.But one of them is going to be put out of the running immediately.The one left standing has one goal.The gold.

The London hackers are brought into the picture by a group calling itself Knights of Ankonio Dolo.Their methods are a little violent.Their goal?The gold.The abused hackers also now have a new goal.The gold.Omar and Danny are skilled in the practice of parkour - the ability to travel from one place to the next in a straight line very quickly, no matter the obstacles.They need to go to Timbuktu to find the cliffs of Dogon and the gold.The treasure hunters all converge on the same site.

This novel is very likable.The fourteenth century boy and Omar and Danny are all the same age and have many of the same sensibilities.It's easy to hate the hate-able characters, easy to feel sorry for the likable ones.This is an adventure novel and is likely to be especially liked by young teenage boys.It is not too dense and stays pretty tight with the story.Personally I would cover the book with warnings. "Don't try this at home."

International adventure galore!
So, I knew absolutely nothing about parkour before reading Hacking Timbuktu; however, in no way did this lack of knowledge diminish my enjoyment of the novel.I learned as I went.At first, I thought that all of the French terms would confuse me; I was woefully wrong, and they added great flavor to the read.Also, I knew little of the culture of Timbuktu but was enlightened as I read.This novel had a wonder international flavor to it.

Action and adventure run rampant!If you want page-turning excitement, this is a book you will want to read.This a great addition the the Young Adult genre.If only more of the YA novels taught lessons. . . (Greed hides within us).

"From here on in it's all catting and hacking."
I am 75 years old. In my lifetime I have seen America absorb previously unfamiliar sports such as surfing, skateboarding and soccer. And now there is parkour.

In his Author's Note to his 2010 novel HACKING TIMBUKTU, missionary to Africa Stephen Davies, opines that he has just written "perhaps the first-ever parkour novel." You do not have to know anything about parkour before opening HACKING TIMBUKTU. The book will explain it all. But I was helped before I started reading, because my 15-year old grandson in Greenville, South Carolina took up parkouring (aka PKing) a couple of years back. I have ever since watched him leap across streams, scale pillars and fall without (too much) pain on shoulders, etc. after jumping off a ten-foot high tree house.

Action is non-stop from beginning of HACKING TIMBUKTU to end. Two English boys, Danny Temple and Omar Dupont (the latter bilingual in French, which helps greatly when the boys reach francophone Mali), are swept into a worldwide frenzied hunt for treasure. 700 years ago Akonio Dolo, a fictional 17-year old mathematics student in Timbuktu, Mali, had cleverly stolen millions of dollars of gold from a mosque. He left clues where to find his trove but they were not noticed until a university project scanning all ancient manuscripts of Timbuktu into computers popped up Akonio Dolo's clues.

Danny Temple is a world-class white hatted (i.e., he does no harm) computer hacker with some knowledge of parkour. His friend Omar Dupont is a master of parkour but a bit of a computer dud. Throughout HACKING TIMBUKTU there is constant interplay between the mental games played by the mind and the physical games played by bodies (called traceurs) that do parkour (PK). A perfect example, from many, is what happens at the Gatwick Airport. The two boys, after fleeing across the rooftops of London from The Knights of Akonio Dolo (Danny even made a daring three-storey dive into the Thames), are determined to fly to Mali and find the treasure for themselves. But they don't have enough money. Yet Omar has Air France's equivalent of Frequent Flyer Miles. If Danny can tap into the computer at the Air France travel desk, he can increase the miles in Omar's account and, voila, off they go!

And the following episode allows me to flesh out my review title "From here on in it's all catting and hacking." Daniel had climbed up high above the Air France station. He reached a beam, cut into a computer cable and did the necessary penetrating of fire walls, using software conveniently attached to his Swiss army knife.

Parkour and hacking: what a high! "Catting" refers to "cat balance," a maneuver you can find all over YouTube. "Cat balance had been one of the first techniques Danny learned. ... Left palm, ball of right foot. Right palm, ball of left foot. Head down, back straight. ... You had to practice until you couldn't get it wrong" (Ch.20)

With the whole world in pursuit, Dan and Omar figure out where the treasure is hidden. But Moktar Hasim, a murderous Arab knows too. And he won't hesitate to kill them if he finds them there before him.

I remember my own pleasure 65 years ago reading books like Sinclair Lewis's boys adventure taleHike and the Aeroplane and R. Sidney Bowen's Dave Dawson with the R. A. F. (The War Adventure Series, 2) (Yank teen and UK teen team up to defeat the Axis). I think my computer savvy, PK traceur grandson will eat up HACKING TIMBUKTU. My only caveat to all young readers (even the girls who are NOT represented at all in this novel) is this: gold corrupts, even Arab and English boys who start out wearing white hats.


-OOO- ... Read more

Product Description
This is absolutely the ultimate guide to hacking Adobe’s wildly popular graphics software, written by an Adobe Certified professional photographer and designer.

This is serious, down and dirty, tweaking – blowing away the default settings, customizing appearance, optimizing performance, customizing tools and offering readers total control over Photoshop like never before.  With these 300+ hacks, readers will find their work with Photoshop faster and easier than ever.

Roll up your sleeves, and dive into these hacks including:

• Faster Photoshop startup
• Customizing the Photoshop interface
• Hacking Photoshop’s Tools
• Access hidden dialog buttons
• Hacks for Masks, Layers, Paths, Curves and Selections
• Camera Raw tricks

and so much more. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Not for New Users
This is a good book for one who already has a working knowledge of CS2. It is nicely put together with lots of full color pictures and good explainations. If you are new to photoshop CS2 start with "Classroom in a Book" and go to "100 Simplified Tricks". Both of those take you by the hand and walk you through different projects until you become familiar with all or most of the tools. I got a good deal on this book in Amazons used catagory so I had to snap it up. All and all a GREAT book for the more experienced user.

Love the layout and approach
Great stuff.Not a lot of fluff.Just good, straight forward tips.Presented in a concise way.Not for a beginner but even a modest user could greatly benefit from this book.

A Great At-Desk Reference
Okay.You're not going to find everything about everything in here.And it's not going to cover just one topic in exhaustive detail.

But I was able to find five different optimizations and hacks to increase my PS CS2 productivity within the first five minutes of opening this book!In the second chapter alone, in the day I've had this book, I've implemented eight of the tips to customize my work area.And I'm finding tips, tricks and hacks that allow me to do things I've wanted to learn and have searched for tutorials on through these last eight months.

This book is worth the money.

Keep on Hacking!
As a real world user from Photoshop 4 onwards, I find this book is a welcome change from the usual lists of tools etc and what they do. Hacking Photoshop, as it name suggests takes us under the bonnet and shows us all those hacks, shortcuts and clever little gizmos that we never even guessed were there. I know of no other books that explore the ins and outs of Photoshop so thoroughly and exhaustively, and what a difference to workflow whether hobbyist or professional, some of this knowledge makes, well worth the modest outlay.

Wheat and Chaff
I like to think of Photoshop books as falling into three categories: process books, which take you through an entire process; cookbooks, that show you how to solve certain problems or achieve certain effects; and encyclopedias that discuss Photoshop tools and processes without reference to specific pictures."Hacking Photoshop CS2" falls into the last category.

The book contains hundreds of tips, organized into chapters like "Optimizing Performance", "Hacking Layer Masks", and "Outputting to Print". While many of the tips are the kind that you would pick up in a process book, others are of the kind that most books miss.For example, like many other books, the author shows you how to apply ratings to images in Adobe Bridge.But he also provides a tip for quicker opening in Bridge of previews stored on a CD by exporting either the cache or sidecar files to the CD.Another new tip I encountered was a method for creating a new image with the same dimensions and color mode as an open image rather than the new image default.

The question a reader will have to ask himself is whether it's worth wading through a lot of tips that may not be relevant to the reader to get to the one tip that will help him.I suspect that heavy Photoshop users will find it more useful to do so.I also note that most of the tips are probably more applicable to graphic designers than photographers.

I was a little disappointed by some of the tips that weren't in the book.For example, in the discussion of optimizing performance, the author noted the importance of additional RAM to Photoshop but he didn't mention that if Windows users add more than two GB of RAM to their computers, Photoshop will only be able to access it if the 3 GB switch is set in the boot file.

The author has also been a little sloppy.For example, in providing the location of the Photoshop preferences file in Windows, he has omitted one of the subdirectories that you must go through to get to the file.

Still, for the serious user of Photoshop, there will probably be a few useful tips that will make this book worthwhile. ... Read more

Product Description
The second edition of the successful "Hacking the TiVo" (1592001114) provides the latest information for TiVo owners got get the most out of the TiVo.This book discusses how to hack the latest TiVo hardware, including the Sony 4000, Pioneer 57H, and Pioneer 810H (updated Series 2 TiVos running on a new version of the TiVo operating system). These updates require additional techniques in order to expand storage capacity and install utilities into their file systes.Not only appealing to TiVo owners who want to save money, this book also serves owners who want the security of backing up their TiVos themselves, and Linux users who want detailed information about the version of Linux used in TiVos."Taboo" topics such as video extraction are also covered. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

not very useful
can find most of the info on the internet only for those wanting to open up the tivo

Not very enlightening
This book by the cover appears to be a very in-depth book when in fact it is meant to be a sort of text book. I have taught for over 4 years and this company was a primary source of text books. Over all their text books are of good quality, but leave a bit more to be desired. I found this book to be in-line with my history with this publisher. In fact if I had known that the book was by them I would not have purchased it for myself. That was my mistake for not paying closer attention.
The book offers the typical level of information that I would expect from this publisher. It will provide enough information to dazzle those of you that are not so technically inclined, and may even impress you. For those that have a bit of technical knowledge. You will find the book basic and leaving you at a point where you will either want to know more, or are not sure if this book offered you any more information than you already knew.
Anyone that is serious about finding out information about the Tivo box, the actual software, or remote hacking is pretty basic and offers no real interesting information that will really improve your Tivo experience. It offers information about changing the text and displaying information on the screen that really has no realavence, or benefit.
As for the hardware hacking, this information may be interesting to someone that may be timid about opening the box. If you have any real computer experience, you could have figured most of this information on your own.
In my best oppinion I would pass on this book. In fact if any other Tivo books are of similar quality I would save the money and find a good library to check it out for free. Even if it is late you will have still spent less than the shipping.

Excellent Book, Pathetic Editing
As usual for the past 15 years, the editors were asleep at the wheel and completely hosed the vital (to brain-damaged Linux) command line arguments -- at least on page 39 (Chapter 2: Adding a Larger Hard Disk to Your TiVo).

If you're transferring everything over to a larger hard drive using the "mfstool" commands the correct arguments are as follows (I've used "[space]" to indicate a single space between commands):

mfstool[space]backup[space]-o-[space]-a[space]/dev/hdb[space]|[space]mfstool[space]restore[space]-i-[space]-C[space]/dev/hdd

Idiot copyeditors and typesetters. Idiot editors in general.

System information
The current, non-DirecTV system, updated by satellite, is actually 7.1 (as of 9 August 2005). I haven't found that any of the hacking books are especialy useful for Series 2 boxes, especially as the software upgrades.

DirecTV Tivo System-2 software Updates - now 6.1
While this book contains some useful information for older Tivo boxes, the Series-2 has been Upgraded automatically by the Satellite to an even higher version. While the other reviewer, recently written, says it's now 5.3 and nobody has figured it out without actually tweaking hardware and reinstalling the chip (definately NOT recommended), the Software has already been upgraded again. As of now, 8/1/05, it is Version 6.1. ... Read more

Product Description
With this easy-to-use guidebook, expansive views of the Olympics, picnic lunches on bluffs overlooking Puget Sound, and the impeccable stillness of a wooded ravine can all be found within a half-hour drive of Everett, Seattle, Bellevue, Tacoma, or Olympia. Completely revised and updated, Take a Walk contains information on 15 new walks, additional tips for birdwatchers, more photographs, expanded parks information, and website addresses. Settings for walks detailed in this guide range from saltwater beaches to lakeshores to forests and meadows within the region's bounty of parks, preserves, and other lush, natural spaces. Each walk description includes a map and complete information about the setting, special attractions, length, level of difficulty, amenities, disabled access, connecting trails, dog restrictions, and surrounding flora and fauna. Details about play areas, interpretive trails, parking, picnic spots, and other park services are also provided. A calendar listing local organized walks for causes is included as an appendix. This indispensable guide to 100 nature walks in the Puget Sound region is perfect for walkers, birdwatchers, families, seniors, and joggers alike. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Good review of Parks only
This is a great book to acclimate yourself to the numerous parks around the Puget Sound area. There are so many parks to choose from that you get a great overview of each park and what it's best uses are for. I was interested in parks to go with my toddler so I particularly wanted this book to find choices that were kid-friendly, stroller-friendly, etc. Some of the parks have very extensive trails -- this book was handy in describing the terrain and scenery with tips and maps. The maps are a great resource in this book! Just keep in mind this book isn't for those looking for a hike up in the mountains or far away from civilization. Nor is every park included!

Take a Walk - Get out there! Inspiring
I have a ton of walking, hiking, biking, cruising books around Puget Sound. This is by far one of the better ones I have acquired. I love its organization. It gives you the nitty gritty directions, what's there, quick map, features, all the basic stuff with only two pages per park. Its what I call my "idea" book. I'm in the mood but don't know where to go - I should check out a new park. This is the book. You can quickly thumb through it get inspired to check out a local park! I have been to several of the parks listed, and I found the information is accurate and informative. If you want more details with more pages pick up "Nature in the City of Seattle", A Mountaineers Book.

Great for Olympia, WA
I used this book while temporarily living in Olympia, WA, and it was a great guide to experiencing the abundance of natural beauty around the small city.Most guide books on the state of WA only cover more obvious areas like Seattle or the Olympic National Rainforest or Mount Rainier."Take a Walk" is a great resource for walking trails in areas that are more off the beaten path.Also, the author provides helpful information regarding the description of the trails, difficulty level, handicap access, and directions.I can't vouch for the trails in areas outside of Olympia but, based on my experience, I would highly recommend this book as a useful, descriptive resource.

A good guide to Seattle parks
Sue Muller Hacking's Take a Walk is a guide to some established trails in the Puget Sound region.The descriptions are concise, include a map and may include a black and white picture.The book summarises the highlights of the trail, other usage (e.g. bicycles), steepness, connecting trails, park services (e.g. restrooms, picnic areas) and whether there is disabled access.There is then a brief description of the trail (usually a couple of paragraphs) followed by directions to the park.

This would be a good book for families with young children, because most of the parks seem to be "family friendly" and you will have essential information on facilities.You will also have 100 ideas of places to visit that are a short drive from Everett, Seattle, Bellevue, Tacoma or Olympia.

I was rather disappointed with this book as I was expecting to find a book of short hikes on non-paved trails.I had the distinct impression that I could have put together a similar book by contacting the Parks and Recreation Department and asking them to send me flyers on each park.There is also a dearth of historical information.

If you are new to Seattle and want a concise guide to the many different parks and trails of the region, then this book might be just what you are looking for.If you are a day hiker looking for some varied, challenging and interesting trails, look elsewhere. ... Read more

Product Description
The Frequency Of Digital Attacks And Intrusions Has Steadily Increased Over The Years As The Number Of People With The Appropriate Motivation And Technical Ability Continues To Grow.Internet Security: Hacking, Counterhacking, And Society Is A Modern Survey Of The Recent Ethical Policy Issues Arising In Connection With Internet And Network Security.This Exciting Collection Of Papers, Articles, And Monographs Discusses A Number Of Important Ethical Questions Arising In Many Distinct Areas Of Internet And Network Security, Including: Are Hacker Attacks And Hacktivism Morally Justified? Is Hacking Justified As Self-Defense?How Should Professionals Respond To Security Issues?Is Publishing Malicious CodeProtected By Moral Rights To Free Speech?Is It Morally Permissible For The Government Or Individuals To Actively Conceal E-Content?Internet Security: Hacking, Counterhacking, And Society Is A Valuable Addition To The Library Of Anyone Concerned With The Growing Number Of Internet Security Issues And Intrusions Facing Society Today. ... Read more

Product Description

The Latest Linux Security Solutions

This authoritative guide will help you secure your Linux network--whether you use Linux as a desktop OS, for Internet services, for telecommunications, or for wireless services. Completely rewritten the ISECOM way, Hacking Exposed Linux, Third Edition provides the most up-to-date coverage available from a large team of topic-focused experts. The book is based on the latest ISECOM security research and shows you, in full detail, how to lock out intruders  and defend your Linux systems against catastrophic attacks.

• Secure Linux by using attacks and countermeasures from the latest OSSTMM research
• Follow attack techniques of PSTN, ISDN, and PSDN over Linux
• Harden VoIP, Bluetooth, RF, RFID, and IR devices on Linux
• Block Linux signal jamming, cloning, and eavesdropping attacks
• Apply Trusted Computing and cryptography tools for your best defense
• Fix vulnerabilities in DNS, SMTP, and Web 2.0 services
• Prevent SPAM, Trojan, phishing, DoS, and DDoS exploits
• Find and repair errors in C code with static analysis and Hoare Logic

Customer Reviews (9)

Not about hacking Linux
When I was reading this book, I kept waiting for the topic to be Linux.The book starts with OSSTMM material.You can tell the OSSTMM folks have become too abstract to be concerned with the work-a-day security industry.This is not what I (or, I'm sure, anyone) will expect from a Hacking Exposed book.Imagine a book of definitions, but no examples; references to techniques, but no tools.

The book features large tracts of discussion about OSSTMM, PSTN, ISDN, X.25, VOIP, Wireless (in general, not really Linux), RFID, web-apps (shouldn't that be its own book?), and C code static analysis.There's a whole chapter on hacking the users, without any real discussion of brute force attacks or tools you'd use to hack a Linux system.I was very disappointed.

Where is discussion of kernel- and user-space?Where are hardware abstraction layer boundaries?What about exploiting stacks and heaps in Linux?What are the security implications of Linux dynamic libraries?What about hacking OpenSSH, Apache, Samba, X11, NFS, Kerberos, NIS and other common Linux services?

If you're looking for hands-on Linux exploitation techniques, look elsewhere.

1st and 2nd editions better
hacking linux exposed 3rd edition is a complete rewrite and (in my opinion) loses the power of the previous editions.

the first two editions have numerous examples of exploits followed by appropriate strategies for defending against them. the current edition is jargon and alphabet soup found within the field of security. about the only redeeming feature of the latest edition is a concise summary of security software for linux found in the appendix.

i teach linux security (usually in the spring) and i know how difficult it is keep current with examples of exploits. what i demonstrate one year is unavailable the next! however, the red books really attempted to demonstrate the various vulnerabilities the blue book is generality and vocabulary.

Good book, but little news
I had this on preorder, so I got it the moment it came out. If you are new to Linux security, this book is excellent. It talks about all the things you need to be aware of, and how to protect your systems. I would most definitely recommend it. Unfortunately for me, I knew most of this already. It did have some tidbits I liked, and the security recommendations are most definitely sound. I give it 4 stars, because I had expected more about hacking and less about securing.

Solid Information
ISECOM, the renowned research organization for security, has again "made sense" of securing a Linux network against attacks. The book is a thorough guide to understanding how to "separate the asset from the threat" and block hackers from playing in the ultimate playground of Linux.The authors take you from the elements of security, to hacking the system, to hacking the users.

What is particularly helpful are the case studies. If you or your company's employees need to travel and access your company's website via wireless connection, you'll be especially interested in the case study in Chapter Eight, where a hacker tracks a signal to a hotel's access point and creates legit-looking error pages in order to obtain the account information of the user. Also helpful are their usual attack and countermeasure icons, which further define how to pinpoint areas of risk.

Security teams looking to evaluate their areas of vulnerability within Linux will be forearmed with the powerful arsenal of preventative approaches covered in this edition. All of the material is new, based upon the most recent and thorough security research. The hacking and countermeasure are based on the OSSTMM, the security testing standard, and cover all known attacks on Linux as well as how to prepare the system to repel unknown attacks. A great buy for the Amazon price of $31.49.

Fantastic Security Resource
I found this book to have enough depth to assist in protecting your network and computer assets, but would have like to seen more specific examples in some cases.

High Points:
Circumventing Bios Passwords
chrooting
Fingerpring scrambling
Secure Network Topology
X.25 Information ... Read more

Product Description
Hacking provides an introduction to the community of hackers and an analysis of the meaning of hacking in twenty-first century societies.

One the one hand, hackers infect the computers of the world, entering where they are not invited, taking over not just individual workstations but whole networks. On the other, hackers write the software that fuels the Internet, from the most popular web programmes to software fundamental to the Internet's existence. Beginning from an analysis of these two main types of hackers, categorised as crackers and Free Software/Open Source respectively, Tim Jordan gives the reader insight into the varied identities of hackers, including:

* Hacktivism; hackers and populist politics
* Cyberwar; hackers and the nation-state
* Digital Proletariat; hacking for the man
* Viruses; virtual life on the Internet
* Digital Commons; hacking without software
* Cypherpunks; encryption and digital security
* Nerds and Geeks; hacking cultures or hacking without the hack
* Cybercrime; blackest of black hat hacking

Hackers end debates over the meaning of technological determinism while recognising that at any one moment we are all always determined by technology. Hackers work constantly within determinations of their actions created by technologies as they also alter software to enable entirely new possibilities for and limits to action in the virtual world. Through this fascinating introduction to the people who create and recreate the digital media of the Internet, students, scholars and general readers will gain new insight into the meaning of technology and society when digital media are hacked. ... Read more

Product Description
In Information of Technology David J. Gunkel examines the metaphors applied to new technologies, and how those metaphors inform, shape, and drive the implementation of the technology in question. The author explores the metaphorical tropes that have been employed to describe and evaluate recent advances in computer technology, telecommunications systems, and interactive media. Taking the stance that no speech is value-neutral, Gunkel examines such metaphors as "the information superhighway" and "the electronic frontier" for their political and social content, and he develops a critical investigation that not only traces the metaphors' conceptual history, but explicates their implications and consequences for technological development. Through Information of Technology, David J. Gunkel develops a sophisticated understanding of new technology that takes into account the effect of technoculture's own discursive techniques and maneuvers on the actual form of technological development. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Don't be so Literal
Don't judge a book by its cover or even a cursory reading of its title.This book is only tangentially about computer hacking and hackers.Instead of examining the practices of hacking, this book itself functions as hacking.That is, it is a clever and resourceful investigation of computer technology that breaks into and re-purposes the texts and systems that comprise this thing we call "cyberspace."So instead of being a book about hacking, this book learns and uses the lessons of hacking to analyze and mess with information technology.Bottom line: If you are looking for a handbook about hacking or hoping to protect your network from a hack attack, this is not the book for you.But if you are looking for an insightful and eye-opening foray into the social, political, and philosophical aspects of computer technology, then this book is definitely something you will want on your bookshelf.

Well documented but...
This book is good if you want to know more about the philosophical understandong of the cyberspace. It is well written and well documented. The major problem is that the author seems to be affraid to go deeper in the topics that he talk about. For example, he speaks about the cyberspace as a "real" space and a new one (Terra nova). But, he does'nt leave us with a strong argument on it.

Still good if you want to know more on cyberspace and philosophy.

ConsequencesofHacking
This book helped me to understand some of the consequences for hacking into things.It also helped me to undertsand that hacking can really cause very serious damage. Hacking may seem harmless but it isn't. Buy this book if your wanting to know some tactics some hackers use. It can help you get prepared for a hack attack. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Hacking from the Commonwealth
This book provides a great overview of a number of computer intrusion incidents and links them throught not only the technical nature of the activity but the persons behind them.UNDERGROUND provides an excellent overview of intrustion activities focusing on the UK, Australia, and the United States.It covers the late 80's to the early nineties with stories on incidents such as the WANK Worm outbreak and 8lgm's activities.The stand out attribute of this book is that it examines what happened to the intruders after their activity rather than focusing on the activity itself.It also examines the interrelationships between intruders worldwide giving some insight into how the culture allows for several key persons to be involved in or have siginficant knowledge of many different activities.A must have to include in your library along with other staples such as Cuckoo's Egg, Masters of Deception, Fugitive Game, and Hacker Crackdown.However, like the other books noted, there are apt to be a few points that persons will take exception too with regard to accuracy. ... Read more

Product Description
Analyze your company’s vulnerability to hacks with expert guidance from Gray Hat Hacking: The Ethical Hacker’s Handbook. Discover advanced security tools and techniques such as fuzzing, reverse engineering, and binary scanning. Test systems using both passive and active vulnerability analysis. Learn to benefit from your role as a gray hat. Review ethical and legal issues and case studies. This unique resource provides leading-edge technical information being utilized by the top network engineers, security auditors, programmers, and vulnerability assessors. Plus, the book offers in-depth coverage of ethical disclosure and provides a practical course of action for those who find themselves in a "disclosure decision" position. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

Ordered used, looks new
I ordered this book from Amazon, but the seller was Textbooksrus LLC.The description on Amazon.com said 'Used - Very good'.When I received the book, I couldn't believe it was used.I had to look through the pages a few times, because I thought maybe they sent me a new one by mistake.I guess it's Used.It looks like new to me.The price was right and the shipping was fast.I would give the seller Textbooksrus a 5 star rating.I gave the book 4 stars, because I haven't read it yet.It looks like some good technical information so far, judging by the table of contents and skimming a few chapters.Definitely more technical in depth than a 'For Dummies' book.

Great book
What a great book.From no skillz to haxor writing shellcode, I'd recommend this to any academic institution wishing to teach on security.The first few chapters aren't overly exciting, but finding a book that gives fair coverage to topics like Linux shellcode development, client-side attacks on Windows, IDA pro usage, fuzzing, and more is no easy find!

Great job guys!
jrod

thisbook is a waste of good paper
I have been condicting ethical hacking for 3 years and this book was such a let down,it falls well short in providing and good detailed content. Basically its the kind of stuff you learn on day 1 and shows no evidence of experience from an author who can hack into systems.My advise is save your money as this book covers nothing you wouldnt find on Google in 5 minutes. You know it is so bad I think I will write my own book.

My advise google, wireshark, nmap and netcat the content you get it 5 minutes will be as good as this book.

Another revolutionary book from a revolutionary author!
Now Listen...


I know some of you look at these books as if it's a world of training people to be hackers. Now, maybe these books might create a few bad seeds, but they usually create a lot of good ones..

This book is astounding, I bought this book because I love researching all about hacking, security, and protection. My major is computer science and I am hoping to be a professional white hat security professional, a hacker that is hired to show the flaws in sites.

Now,when people see these books and say...this is madness!! books about hacking?!

I think these books are great.They help you protect yourself, your computer, your company, your website, your server.

This book shows a lot what hackers use...and the more you know about it, the better you can protect yourself.If you think that this trains bad hackers, well we cant change how some people use information.What I can tell you is that a lot of people will be better off with the information in this book for the companies and servers.

This author is excellent!
Great book!

A good guide for the beginner ethical hacker.
There is alot of good knowledge to be learned in this book, but it is very cutthroat and dry. There are almost no "real world" examples of what they talk about, and alot of it talks about using programs that were created for linux.. Otherwise it is a good book, but I have read better. ... Read more

Product Description
Examining computer security from the hacker's perspective, Practical Hacking Techniques and Countermeasures employs virtual computers to illustrate how an attack is executed, including the script, compilation, and results. It provides detailed screen shots in each lab for the reader to follow along in a step-by-step process in order to duplicate and understand how the attack works. It enables experimenting with hacking techniques without fear of corrupting computers or violating any laws.

Written in a lab manual style, the book begins with the installation of the VMware® Workstation product and guides the users through detailed hacking labs enabling them to experience what a hacker actually does during an attack.It covers social engineering techniques, footprinting techniques, and scanning tools. Later chapters examine spoofing techniques, sniffing techniques, password cracking, and attack tools.Identifying wireless attacks, the book also explores Trojans, Man-in-the-Middle (MTM) attacks, and Denial of Service (DoS) attacks.

Learn how to secure your computers with this comprehensive guide on hacking techniques and countermeasures

By understanding how an attack occurs the reader can better understand how to defend against it. This book shows how an attack is conceptualized, formulated, and performed. It offers valuable information for constructing a system to defend against attacks and provides a better understanding of securing your own computer or corporate network. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Instructor Review
If you have dealt in the theory of Information Security and also would like to do some thing practical, this is one of the books that you should have. Since the practical tools, and their location on the web are continuously changing, the book should have a web site, where updates should be followed regularly. There is a web page for errors and/or changes . But that is not the point I would like to make, a live dynamic page for supporting the book. I have recommended the book in my cryptography/Network security course.

Above and Beyond
I have read many Security books and this one goes Above and Beyond all the
other books. All the Computer Security books I have read and seen teach
theory and this one does that and then he shows you the proof in the pudding
as he walks you through his Virtual Labs. ... Read more

Product Description
Written by a certified Arabic linguist from the Defense Language Institute with extensive background in decoding encrypted communications, this cyber-thriller uses a fictional narrative to provide a fascinating and realistic "insider's look" into technically sophisticated covert terrorist communications over the Internet. The accompanying CD-ROM allows readers to "hack along" with the story line, by viewing the same Web sites described in the book containing encrypted, covert communications.

Hacking a Terror NETWORK addresses the technical possibilities of Covert Channels in combination with a very real concern: Terrorism. The fictional story follows the planning of a terrorist plot against the United States where the terrorists use various means of Covert Channels to communicate and hide their trail. Loyal US agents must locate and decode these terrorist plots before innocent American citizens are harmed. The technology covered in the book is both real and thought provoking. Readers can realize the threat posed by these technologies by using the information included in the CD-ROM. The fictional websites, transfer logs, and other technical information are given exactly as they would be found in the real world, leaving the reader to test their own ability to decode the terrorist plot.

Cyber-Thriller focusing on increasing threat of terrorism throughout the world.
Provides a fascinating look at covert forms of communications used by terrorists over the Internet.
Accompanying CD-ROM allows users to "hack along" with the fictional narrative within the book to decrypyt. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Terrible story, no plot, poorly researched
How to write a book and make money: Find the hot topic of the day - today's is terrorism, put in your own pet theory or idea about the topic - the author's is how terrorists can use steganography to communicate and finally write a lot of fluff to combine the two. The author has written a poor story, thrown in liberal screenshots and lengthy explanation of how they work.

The author knows enough about steganography but know little about the terrorists and their culture. Of course, today any fool can sell a book about "terrorism" and most do.

Pathetic nonsense
I am quite familiar with steganography. This book is just a nonsense.
Maybe, the fictional story could be worth of it, but how pathetic. She plans it all in detail. Then suddenly, she turns herself in to authorities, but does not get an idea to keep in contact with co-conspirators to help stop them.

Interesting and Provocative Story
"Hacking a Terror Network" tells a convincing tale of Cyber Terrorism.This fictional story uses communication technology readily available today to spin a fascinating tale a potential scenarios for any criminal element and easy enough for the novice computer user.By combining emotional motivation and computer savvy, terrorist threats press US counterterrorism teams to keep ahead of electronic means of causing death and destruction.
The only thing missing are sidebars describing instructional exercises for the reader to try out these easily used technologies.
The reader might enjoy supplementing this book with another Syngress book, Zero-Day Exploit, to continue reading cyber terrorism scenarios.
The author talks about applications to use and you don't even have to google them on the internet.They're included on the accompanying CD.Additionally, Syngress gives you 4 free e-booklets online.

Good intro to stenography and its uses.
I found this book to be interesting both as a fiction and technical material.The plot develops around a very hot topic of these days - the war on terrorism. Unlike your "conventional" terrorists, the characters in this book use Internet and computer technology to secretly plan and launch an attack against the US.

The tools discussed in this book were new to me, although I've heard of something similar in the past. I found it difficult at times to adjust to this interesting combination of suspense fiction and the technical explanations of how certain tools work.However, overall information obtained is quite useful and encouraged me to further research the topic of "covert channels" and stenography.Besides a few grammar errors and typos that were missed by the editors, this is a good introduction to stenography, especially for computer enthusiasts and professionals.If you are looking for a page turner fiction novel you may want to look somewhere else.

On The Internet They Won't Know You Are a Dog
There are some important topics in cyber-security that are very important, but may not require an entire book to cover in detail. When it comes to online communication using "covert channels" and "stegenography", Syngress does what is excels at: they cover the topic in the context of a fictionalized narrative to give it a "real world" context. While not as excellent as some of their other efforts in this genre, Syngress still does a good, but not perfect, job with Hacking a Terror Network: The Silent Threat of Covert Channels (364 pages , SYNGRESS, 2005, ISBN 1-928994-98-9).

The context of this book is a revenge-motivated terrorist attack, borne out of the first Gulf War, against targets on the United States. Some might question how realistic the scenario is or is not, but the book weaves a story which may ring all too true today. The threat of terrorism is real, and it could/would be too easy for people with evil purposes to use covert channels to plan and coordinate an attack.

Without giving away a surprising plot twist, it is hard to envision how the scenario lain out in this book could be realistic, but then again no one on the streets envisioned 9-11 or the recent bombings in London either. What Rogers does in this book is effectively explain the different types of covert channels that can be used, tools that are readily available to use the channels, and tools that are available to detect their use. He also demonstrates that how, without a stroke of luck, it may be virtually impossible to detect the use of these channels.

The book is not written as tautly as it could be and at times you might want to say "Just get to the point!". And there are some items in the book, such as the presence of an Internet Cafe in Iraq in 1991, that require as they say in Hollywood, the "willful suspension of disbelief". Put these things aside and you will learn some new things and technologies you may not have known about before.

The bottom line is that without luck, nobody on the Internet will know you are a dog.

The Scorecard

Par on an Average Par 4 ... Read more