Amazon.co.uk
The Art of Deception is about gaining someone's trust by lying to them and then abusing that trust for fun and profit. Hackers use the euphemism "social engineering" and hacker-guru Kevin Mitnick examines many example scenarios.

After Mitnick's first dozen examples anyone responsible for organizational security is going to lose the will to live. It's been said before, but people and security are antithetical. Organizations exist to provide a good or service and want helpful, friendly employees to promote the good or service. People are social animals who want to be liked. Controlling the human aspects of security means denying someone something. This circle can't be squared.

Considering Mitnick's reputation as a hacker guru, it's ironic that the last point of attack for hackers using social engineering are computers. Most of the scenarios in The Art of Deception work just as well against computer-free organizations and were probably known to the Phoenicians; technology simply makes it all easier. Phones are faster than letters, after all, and having large organizations means dealing with lots of strangers.

Much of Mitnick's security advice sounds practical until you think about implementation, when you realize that more effective security means reducing organizational efficiency--an impossible trade in competitive business. And anyway, who wants to work in an organization where the rule is "Trust no one"? Mitnick shows how easily security is breached by trust, but without trust people can't live and work together. In the real world, effective organizations have to acknowledge that total security is a chimera--and carry more insurance. --Steve Patient, amazon.co.uk


From Publishers Weekly
Mitnick is the most famous computer hacker in the world. Since his first arrest in 1981, at age 17, he has spent nearly half his adult life either in prison or as a fugitive. He has been the subject of three books and his alleged 1982 hack into NORAD inspired the movie War Games. Since his plea-bargain release in 2000, he says he has reformed and is devoting his talents to helping computer security. It's not clear whether this book is a means toward that end or a, wink-wink, fictionalized account of his exploits, with his name changed to protect his parole terms. Either way, it's a tour de force, a series of tales of how some old-fashioned blarney and high-tech skills can pry any information from anyone. As entertainment, it's like reading the climaxes of a dozen complex thrillers, one after the other. As a security education, it's a great series of cautionary tales; however, the advice to employees not to give anyone their passwords is bland compared to the depth and energy of Mitnick's descriptions of how he actually hacked into systems. As a manual for a would-be hacker, it's dated and nonspecific better stuff is available on the Internet but it teaches the timeless spirit of the hack. Between the lines, a portrait emerges of the old-fashioned hacker stereotype: a socially challenged, obsessive loser addicted to an intoxicating sense of power that comes only from stalking and spying. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.


From Library Journal
The world's most famous computer hacker and cybercult hero, once the subject of a massive FBI manhunt for computer fraud, has written a blueprint for system security based on his own experiences. Mitnick, who was released from federal prison in 1998 after serving a 22-month term, explains that unauthorized intrusion into computer networks is not limited to exploiting security holes in hardware and software. He focuses instead on a common hacker technique known as social engineering in which a cybercriminal deceives an individual into providing key information rather than trying to use technology to reveal it. Mitnick illustrates the tactics comprising this "art of deception" through actual case studies, showing that even state-of-the-art security software can't protect businesses from the dangers of human error. With Mitnick's recommended security policies, readers gain the information their organizations need to detect and ward off the threat of social engineering. Required reading for IT professionals, this book is highly recommended for public, academic, and corporate libraries. Joe Accardi, William Rainey Harper Coll. Lib., Palatine, ILCopyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.


From Book News, Inc.
Portrayed by the media as one of the most notorious hackers of all time, Kevin Mitnick has reinvented himself as a computer security consultant. Along with his co-author, he describes successful hackers as a form of "social engineer" who can exploit human factors to overcome technological safeguards businesses put in place to protect their computer and information systems. He accomplishes his task primarily through recounting stories of these modern day "grifters" in action and explaining how they exploit human weakness to achieve their goals.Copyright © 2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR


Review
“…a fascinating read…” (ForTean Times, June 2004)

"...a lot of interesting cautionary tales..." (New Scientist, January 2004)


Review
“…a fascinating read…” (ForTean Times, June 2004)

"...a lot of interesting cautionary tales..." (New Scientist, January 2004)


New Scientist, January 2004
"...a lot of interesting cautionary tales..."

FROM OUR EDITORS

The Barnes & Noble Review
The name ￯﾿ﾽKevin Mitnick￯﾿ﾽ is a Rorschach test for the digital age. To the government (and to companies like Sun Microsystems, whose Solaris source code he once appropriated), Mitnick was pure menace, marauding through computer systems that didn￯﾿ﾽt belong to him, causing millions of dollars of losses, and blazing a trail for even worse cybercriminals. To much of the hacker community, Mitnick￯﾿ﾽs a hero, unjustly persecuted by an ignorant Department of Justice: a prophet in the wilderness, warning folks who are too lazy or dumb to protect their digital assets. Perhaps you￯﾿ﾽve seen those Free Kevin bumper stickers. After five years in prison, Mitnick￯﾿ﾽs on parole and evidently following the straight and narrow, though he￯﾿ﾽs still not allowed a web connection -- or even a ham radio license.

Even if you could care less about Mitnick personally, though, his book The Art of Deception is indispensable if you care about the vulnerability of your business computer systems -- or your own personal information. Mitnick presents the best discussion of ￯﾿ﾽsocial engineering￯﾿ﾽ we￯﾿ﾽve ever seen: the art of understanding how to trick people into voluntarily handing over the information needed to break into computer systems.

It￯﾿ﾽs a shame you have to worry about folks ￯﾿ﾽtoy[ing] with your trust, your desire to be helpful, your sympathy, and your human gullibility to get what they want,￯﾿ﾽ but you do -- and after you￯﾿ﾽve read Mitnick￯﾿ﾽs extensive collection of case studies, you￯﾿ﾽll be ready the next time someone tries social engineering on you.

You￯﾿ﾽll learn how crackers have convinced even suspicious employees to reveal their usernames and passwords; six ways ￯﾿ﾽphone phreaks￯﾿ﾽ can get unlisted phone numbers from the telephone company; and how investigators can quickly discover a terrifying amount of information about you and your company. You￯﾿ﾽll also learn how, through a chain of ￯﾿ﾽinnocuous￯﾿ﾽ conversations, a cracker can get into even the most well protected systems.

Mitnick closes with a detailed guide to preventing social engineering attacks on your organization, including practical recommendations for employee security training, and a complete, easy-to-adapt security policy you can start implementing now. This may not be where you expected to get your security advice from, but hey, who could possibly know your vulnerabilities better than Kevin Mitnick? Bill Camarda

Bill Camarda is a consultant, writer, and web/multimedia content developer. His 15 books include Special Edition Using Word 2000 and Upgrading & Fixing Networks For Dummies®, Second Edition.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Kevin Mitnick's exploits as a cyber-desperado and fugitive from one of the most exhaustive FBI manhunts in history have spawned dozens of articles, books, films, and documentaries. Since his release from federal prison in 2000, Mitnick has turned his life around and established himself as one of the most sought-after computer security experts worldwide. Now, in The Art of Deception, the world's most famous hacker gives new meaning to the old adage, "It takes a thief to catch a thief."

Inviting you into the complex mind of the hacker, Mitnick provides realistic scenarios of cons, swindles, and social engineering attacks on businesses -- and the consequences. Focusing on the human factors involved with information security, Mitnick explains why all the firewalls and encryption protocols in the world will never be enough to stop a savvy grifter intent on rifling a corporate database or an irate employee determined to crash a system. He illustrates just how susceptible even the most locked-down information systems are to a determined con artist impersonating an IRS agent or any other seemingly innocent character. Narrated from the points of view of both the attacker and the victim, The Art of Deception explores why each attack was so successful -- and how it could have been averted -- in an engaging and highly readable manner reminiscent of a true-crime novel.

Most importantly, Mitnick redeems his former life of crime by providing specific guidelines for developing protocols, training programs, and manuals to ensure that a company's sophisticated technical security investment will not be for naught. He shares his advice for preventing security vulnerability in the hope that people will be mindfully on guard for an attack from the gravest risk of all -- human nature.

SYNOPSIS

Portrayed by the media as one of the most notorious hackers of all time, Kevin Mitnick has reinvented himself as a computer security consultant. Along with his co-author, he describes successful hackers as a form of "social engineer" who can exploit human factors to overcome technological safeguards businesses put in place to protect their computer and information systems. He accomplishes his task primarily through recounting stories of these modern day "grifters" in action and explaining how they exploit human weakness to achieve their goals. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

FROM THE CRITICS

Wired Magazine

He was the FBI's most-wanted hacker. But in his own eyes, Mitnick was simply a small-time con artist with an incredible memory, a knack for social engineering, and an enemy at The New York Times. That foe, John Markoff, made big bucks selling two books about Mitnick -- without ever interviewing him. This is Mitnick's account, complete with advice for how to protect yourself from similar attacks. I believe his story.

Publishers Weekly

Mitnick is the most famous computer hacker in the world. Since his first arrest in 1981, at age 17, he has spent nearly half his adult life either in prison or as a fugitive. He has been the subject of three books and his alleged 1982 hack into NORAD inspired the movie War Games. Since his plea-bargain release in 2000, he says he has reformed and is devoting his talents to helping computer security. It's not clear whether this book is a means toward that end or a, wink-wink, fictionalized account of his exploits, with his name changed to protect his parole terms. Either way, it's a tour de force, a series of tales of how some old-fashioned blarney and high-tech skills can pry any information from anyone. As entertainment, it's like reading the climaxes of a dozen complex thrillers, one after the other. As a security education, it's a great series of cautionary tales; however, the advice to employees not to give anyone their passwords is bland compared to the depth and energy of Mitnick's descriptions of how he actually hacked into systems. As a manual for a would-be hacker, it's dated and nonspecific better stuff is available on the Internet but it teaches the timeless spirit of the hack. Between the lines, a portrait emerges of the old-fashioned hacker stereotype: a socially challenged, obsessive loser addicted to an intoxicating sense of power that comes only from stalking and spying. (Oct.) Forecast: Mitnick's notoriety and his well-written, entertaining stories should generate positive word-of-mouth. With the double appeal of a true-crime memoir and a manual for computer security, this book will enjoy good sales. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

Library Journal