Loompanics: SECRETS OF A SUPER HACKER

[walter kehowski <wak@next11.math.pitt.edu>]

Cypherpunks:

I recently received the recent Loompanics catalog and read the review  
of SECRETS OF A SUPER HACKER in it. I wondered if the book was just  
hype ("Approaching Zero" comes to mind) so I'm glad to read in  
Timothy May's "Books, Loompanics, and other weird stuff" that the  
book might actually be worth reading. I've appended the review.  
Thanks, tcmay! 


Walter A. Kehowski

<wak@next0.math.pitt.edu>

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SECRETS OF A SUPER HACKER by The Knightmare, introduction by Gareth  
Branwyn,
205 pp., 8 1/2" x 11", ISBN 1-55950-106-5, March, 1994, Loompanics  
Unlimited,
Box 1197, Port Townsend WA, 98368.  Price: $19.95 plus $4.00 for  
shipping
(includes a copy of their must-have 280 page catalog of unusual  
books).
Credit card orders to 206-385-2230 (phone) or 206-385-7785 (fax).

   This is a very good practical book on breaking into computer  
systems.
It's readable, interesting, informative, balanced, and accurate, with  
a
nice spirit of fun and swashbuckling!

   Here's the contents:

Introduction: Hackers: Heroes or Villains?
I: The Basics
II: The History of Hacking
III: Researching the Hack
IV: Passwords and Access Control
V: Social Engineering
VI: Reverse Social Engineering
VII: Public Access Computers and Terminals
VIII: On-Site Hacking: The Tresspasser-Hacker
IX: Hacking at Hope: Dialing Up Computers With Your Modem
X: Electronic Bulletin Board Systems
XI: Borderline Hacking
XII: What To Do When Inside
XIII: This Lawful Land
XIV: Hacker Security: How To Keep From Getting Caught
XV: Conclusion
Further Reading
Glossary
8 Appendices

   The Knightmare covers lots of clever technical tricks for gaining
access, but he shows most glee with scores of hilarious "Social
Engineering" scams for seducing legitimate users into revealing their
passwords.  The striking thing about these spoofs is, just reading  
them,
you realize through the laughter how often these simple Social  
Engineering
techniques will produce results and how the credulity of  
non-security-
minded naive users is the weak point of any security system. 


   Sometimes while reading, I wished the book provided more specific  
info
about phone numbers, brand names, specific techniques that work on
specific bulletin board systems, etc.  But I recognize that such
information would go quickly out-of-date, or would be fixed in  
response to
the book's publication, or could implicate the author. 


   The Knightmare is presenting concepts that won't go out-of-date  
soon,
giving the interested non-hacker a comprehensive and comprehensible  
survey
of the field, and tipping off the potential hacker with just enough
details to get him/her started and steered in the right direction and
minimize the chance of getting caught. 


   On this final point... a few times during the early chapters I  
thought
The Knightmare was being cavalier about personal safety, favorably
reporting (for example) Social Engineering advertizing scams that  
would
likely bring the cops to one's doorstep. 


   But The Knightmare was saving his warnings for 2 chapters towards  
the
end, 22 sobering pages that make very clear the risks involved and  
what
definitely NOT to do.  A very balanced presentation. 


   As usual with Loompanics books, this one can be read backwards,  
and
pages 167-168 are directed specifically to System Administrators
interested in beefing up security. 


   I also appreciated all the hacker philosophy and pragmatic  
do-no-damage
hacker ethics.  The Knightmare disdains and derides "crackers" who  
break
into a system in order to wreak havok; for him, "hackers" are  
peaceable,
non- destructive puzzle-solvers and liberators of information.  In a  
world
where the govco is ever working to extend and centralize its control  
over
financial data, encryption techniques, cyberspace, and every aspect  
of
people's lives, the hacker may emerge as a modern-day Robin Hood.