- Hardcover: 304 pages
- Publisher: Little, Brown and Company (Mar 31 1997)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0316528579
- ISBN-13: 978-0316528573
- Product Dimensions: 2.4 x 1.6 x 0.3 cm
- Shipping Weight: 612 g
- Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
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Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
#285,071 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #61 in Books > Computers & Internet > Business & Culture > Security
- #68 in Books > Computers & Internet > Business & Culture > Biographies
- See Complete Table of Contents
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Amazon
This is a first-rate detective story--and all true. It's the story of a seemingly invincible electronic thief, con man, and stalker--and the people who tracked him down. Jonathan Littman brings his readers straight into the world of cyberpunk crime as he shows the origins, development, and climax of the wildest and most audacious known crime spree in cyberspace. Hundreds of hours of interviews allow Littman to tell much of the story through the eyes of those who lived it, and his own edgy style and excellent pacing make for a thriller that's hard to put down.
From Library Journal
Littman (The Fugitive Game: Online with Kevin Mitnick, LJ 1/96) takes us inside the mind of yet another notable computer hacker. Kevin Poulsen electronically seized the phone lines of a major Los Angeles radio station to make certain he was the 101st caller. Over time, he won two Porsches, $22,000 in cash, and two trips to Hawaii. He was caught and charged with numerous computer and telephone crimes, the most serious of which alleged that he obtained a classified document from a military database. Poulsen became the first computer hacker in history to be charged with espionage, and in all he was charged with 19 counts of computer fraud, wiretapping, money laundering, and obstruction of justice. Littman offers a perspective on the social phenomenon of hacking in addition to the intricate legal and privacy issues involved here. Relying on interviews with both hackers and pursuers, pages of court filings, court transcripts, and associated documents, the author blends narrative with action in this riveting account of digital malfeasance. Recommended.?Joe Accardi, Northeastern Illinois Univ. Lib., Chicago
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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Most helpful customer reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Entertaining True Crime Story,
By
This review is from: The Watchman: The Twisted Life and Crimes of Serial Hacker Kevin Poulsen (Hardcover)
This book was the most entertaining of the many books I've read on the subject of Hacking. Not only does it describe a wide range of hacking techniques, but it also tells a very compelling personal story - the gradual transformation of Kevin Poulsen from an "ethical hacker" who explored the wonders of the telephone system to enhance his knowledge, into a highly successful and unabashedly mercenary cybercriminal. It also introduces perhaps the fascinating character to emerge from the hacking scene - Justin Petersen, the weird and completely amoral "Agent Steal", an elaborately coifed serial seducer whose inferior technical skills were more than compensated by his complete willingess to betray anyone, friend or foe, when it served his purposes. If you are tired of reading books which take pains to portray hackers as simply selfless seekers of wisdom and truth, this story of a "cyberpunk" who clearly was in it for the money - and the power - will provide a refreshing change of pace.
5.0 out of 5 stars
An inside look at hacker culture,
By
This review is from: The Watchman: The Twisted Life and Crimes of Serial Hacker Kevin Poulsen (Hardcover)
I had no idea who Kevin Poulson was when I picked up this book. All I knew was that I wanted to read a book which dealt with computer hackers and this book had been recommended to me by a friend of mine. Suffice to say I was not disappointed.Littman writes a compelling story about Kevin Poulson, who is perhaps the second best known hacker in North America best Kevin Mitnick. And what makes this book such an interesting read is that it is a modern day, and real life, version of the Fugitive. But unlike the Fugitive, Kevin is hunted to tapping in to phone systems and learning much more about the telephone networks than the average, non-telco employee, should be allowed to. The book is filled with first hand accounts and funny anecdotes of the escapades that Kevin and some of his company managed to pull off. After reading the book, I was left scratching my head in disbelief. It was almost as if the feats Kevin was able to accomplish were too good to be true. But in the end, that's what makes this book so great.
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Ultimate Hacker Story!,
By Michael A. Newman (New York) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Watchman: The Twisted Life and Crimes of Serial Hacker Kevin Poulsen (Hardcover)
Kevin Poulsen typifies the avid computer thrill seeker! He was a very resourceful and ingenious individual who loved to get into computer systems for the challenge. The book goes into explicit detail as to how Poulsen gets into various systems. Many times he uses social enginering and "dumpster diving." He gets himself into trouble by feeling he does everything for the good of companies and the government. In some cases it is true and he exposes security weaknesses that are then corrected. However, he does not know where to draw the line and starts listening in on FBI wire taps and running escort services. In some cases the author takes liberty to assume that the reader understands specifics about the phone company and certain technologies and the book in those instances is hard to understand. Otherwise I would have given it 5 stars.
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