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59 of 63 found the following review helpful:
 Dont buy this book!Nov 05, 2000
Well, what can I say? This is the worst book on the topic of computer hacking ever written. I coulda written a better book than that by far, so this is a complete waste of money. Go out there and read some textfiles, at uha1.com, blacksun.box.sk, and guide.box.sk, neworder.box.sk, etc. and screw this book. I had great expectations and I really couldnt get into the style, the structure, or the actual content. It is mostly at a very low and outdated level with the majority of the info basic and useless. The few interesting parts such as trust relationships, how CGI vulnerabilities are found, IP Spoofing, etc. are described vaguely and with a lack of understanding. This book is impractical and if you have the time, go out there and read some textfiles, they're way better. Also check out Hacking Exposed, Maximum Security, Maximum Linux Security, and Practical Unix and Internet Security. Dont buy this book.
36 of 37 found the following review helpful:
 Everything You Need To Know? Not Quite.Jun 05, 2001
By turtlex
"turtlex"
I'm a Unix System Admin, therefore, as you might guess, I have a real and tangible reason to be interested in hackers. Protecting information and my servers is part of my job. I also have a genuine interest in the entire hacker/cracker field ( yes, these are two very different things ) and I've read a lot of books on the subject - everything from the textbook system guides, to the Kevin Mitnick great-hacker-chase. There are hackers I admire, those with a true hacker ethic. There are also crackers who I think are in it for themselves and themselves alone - that's not what the whole "open source" community is all about...but I digress. Sorry. With regards to this book, it is mostly an overview. There is a lot of cursory infomation and this information is available most anywhere on the net, all you have to do is look. That's the beauty about the internet - the information is out there, check any search engine. This book does not give any great insight or additional value to what you might find trolling the user groups or informational web-sites. On the other hand - the information is already gathered for you and in book form. That's a plus. For those "script kiddies" out there - SORRY. This book is definitely NOT a "how to". It's also just a little arrogant to indicate that this 192 page book is "everything" you need to know about hacking. That's impossible. Any hacker, or computer professional, will tell you that from the start. The IT/Information Technology field is constantly growing and changing. Information is outdated the second it is published. Security holes are plugged and discovered on a daily basis. Many of that hacks listed here have already been patched and addressed. There is some good information here - I believe another reviewer indicated this is a good book for management. I'd have to agree. It's great to give you a starting place, a few buzz words and some concrete starting position information. If you really want to be a computer professional, if you need to protect your server against hackers - this is NOT the book for you. This book is for those who'd like an overview - just slightly more technical than an average computer industry article. There are some really wonderful "computer security" and "network security" books available here at Amazon. If you have some interest in this field - start with some of the "Maximum Security" series of books. Do I regret buying this book? Ultimately, No. I've got a great deal of interest in this subject and it's always good to know the kinds of books that are "out there". Consider it a good purchase as an introduction to the hacking world. You'll definitely gain some insight. It is interesting, if you have the basic curiosity. For the management types, it will give you the starting-pad and buzz-words you need to speak to your Sys Admins about security. Best Regards, turtlex
17 of 18 found the following review helpful:
 hmmm good effortNov 28, 2000
This was a good effort, but there are more technical books out there on the markey now, and this would have been great five years ago. Hacking, programming network security and all it encompasses can't be explained in one book. many researchers look toward the ACM papers for technical explanations. When Computer Hacking: Detection and Protection, came out I loved it. It shone some light of the mystical journey a hacker takes, and gave away technical detail too. This book by Dr.K is all too simular, and not enough technically, to produce a worthy 4/5 star book. Today's hacking books need to get up and close to the hacker and shed more technical light than a maths book!
11 of 13 found the following review helpful:
Complete Handbook of Known InformationNov 22, 2002
Although this book is informative for someone new to computer security, it tells no new tales for someone who already knows something about computer security. Almost all the other books have the same information presented here; some of the other books even present the information better. This is NOT a hacker's guide. This is NOT a manual for computer security professionals. This is a book written to earn the author some quick bucks. The author may very well be knowledgeable, but that knowledge was not presented here in the book. For a good security book, look elsewhere.
4 of 5 found the following review helpful:
a waste of money and timeFeb 04, 2003
By PAUL SEVINC
While the author seems to know a lot about many of the topics he writes about, he, alas, does not know how to write well about them. Therefore, this book is neither of interest to bad guys (crackers) nor to good guys.
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