Black Hat:
Misfits, Criminals, and Scammers in the Internet Age
Book Review

By Dale Farris, Vice President Golden Triangle PC Club July 2004 General Overview Homes are becoming increasingly wired, and thanks to Wi-Fi, unwired. Hackers can strike quickly and create disastrous results! These stories and follow-ups are a fascinating insight into the modern threats we all face in the techno jungle. Written by internationally recognized author, John Biggs, this book is an ideal read for anyone who owns a computer and who has ever pondered the threats of modern technology. Black Hat takes a fair and thorough look at the hacking cases that have made the news in recent years. These stories include all the juicy details, like the people behind the hacking, as well as legislative attempts to curtail hacking, cracking, and spam. You fear them. They make the evening news with their exploits. Governments cannot control them, laws cannot touch them, and CEOs tremble at their persistence, cleverness, and daring. Black hats are hackers, crackers, and phreaks. They're mischievous troublemakers, geniuses, and criminals. They're nearly impossible to track down and they pop up everywhere. Nothing you say or do online is safe from them. You do not need a master's degree in computer science to enjoy the chapters in this book on Nigerian 419 scammers, worm writers, and the rest of the underground menagerie that make up the world of the black hats. You will go to Nigeria and Russia to explore the underworld of Internet scams, chat with the spam king of Detroit, and uncover the secrets that mass emailers use to slide past scanners and firewalls. You will learn how not to get nabbed in an international swindle, how to spot different cons as they blow through your mailbox, and how to spot programs that can steal your passwords, credit-card numbers, or worse. You will examine a worm and show how it spreads throughout the Internet, and talk to a 16-year old worm writer in Austria who has created a system these viruses. To wrap it up, you will hear testimony from some white hats, the folks who keep you safe while you surf. Black Hat is about the things that go ping. Featuring in-depth interviews with real hackers, crackers, spammers, and scammers, along with biting commentary on the current state of computer security, this book is a must for anyone interested in staying safe on the Internet. Table of Contents The eight (8) chapters include the following: 1)  Black Hats: Things That Go Ping in the Night 2)  Y.O.U MayHAVE Alredy !: Spam 3)  Deep Cover: Spyware 4)  Shockwave: Worms and Viruses 5)  Dear Friend: Scams 6)  Upload or Perish: Pirates 7)  Break In: Hacking 8)  Don't Get Burned: White Hats Target Readers Black Hat is a book about hackers. Years ago, when the Internet consisted of two or three massive computers hidden away in top-secret government installations, hackers were explorers. They tried to create a new world of silicon and wire, interconnected and always on. Their legacy is the Internet. As anyone with a modem and keyboard knows, that legacy is now in danger. Mailboxes are awash with spam and computers are infected with worms and viruses almost every day. It is now time to do a little field identification. This book talks about the black hats, the bad guys, the folks who clog the Internet with junk and keep you up at night, worrying. These important chapters cover spam, spyware, worms, online scammers, the international black market for bootleg music, movies, and software, and the underside world of hackers. Lastly, the book provides a nice summary chapter on how to fight back against those who make the online world annoying, unpleasant, and sometimes downright dangerous. The author also shares information from some of the white hats, the good guys, the folks who are dedicated to protecting you online. Anyone with a computer connected to the Internet will find this important book an essential addition to their growing collection of computer books, and network administrators will also find good information how to combat the work of the bad guys. Book Contents 158 pages; about the author; preface; acknowledgments; figures; html code; glossary; bibliography; index Author John Biggs About the Author John Biggs is a skilled journalist with 7 years of intensive, real-world experience in IT programming and management, as well as a master's degree in business and economic reporting and management. He is an expert in open source software, theory, and technical aspects. John is originally from Columbus, Ohio, and now lives in Brooklyn with his wife, Joanna, and dog, Phoebe. He is the technical editor for the Bedford Communications, Inc. family of magazines, especially "Laptop," and "PC Upgrade," and writes on security and open source software. You can contact him at john@blackhatbook.com or visit the Black Hat book website, www.blackhatbook.com, for more information on black hats and hacker culture. ISBN June 2004 - First Edition 1-59059-379-0 List Price $19.99 About Apress Apress is a publishing company devoted to meeting the needs of programming professionals. Apress' unique approach to computer book publishing grew out of conversations between Dan Appleman and Gary Cornell, Apress' founders, who believe that too many programming books are of such low quality that they are a complete waste of time. Computer professionals need quality books that are not just rehashes of documentation. The "A" in Apress stands for The Author's Press, and their books have "The Expert's Voice." Apress acquires manuscripts of the highest quality by attracting the best authors and technical experts that the world has to offer. Apress makes authors partners in the publishing process, doesn't impose a "house style" on authors, and doesn't make them conform to a series that straightjacket's them. Apress also makes sure that authors are treated equitably. Another key feature of the Apress approach to publishing books is taken from the software industry. Apress treats the technical review process as seriously as the best software companies treat the quality assurance process. Apress is convinced that the innovations listed above make it possible for them to produce the highest quality books, recruit the highest quality authors, and publish titles that information technology professionals need and want. The Apress management team ensures that the distribution and fulfillment of Apress titles is second to none, and that the capital is available to move aggressively and take advantage of any publishing opportunities that arise. To accomplish this, Apress has entered into a partnership with Springer-Verlag, one of the world's most respected publishing houses. Springer-Verlag is convinced that Apress will be the publisher of quality trade computer paperbacks in the years to come. Apress will continue to publish titles of the highest quality, and has compiled a team of authors that reads like a veritable "Who's Who" list of the computing industry. The company founders have published over 200 software titles by leading software professionals, all of whom have "The Expert's Voice." Publisher Contact Chloe Benjamin Marketing Associate Apress 2560 Ninth Street, Suite 219 Berkeley, California 94710 510-549-5930 ext. 120 FAX 510-549-5939 chloe@apress.com www.apress.com