I
suppose one might be able to make a case that this
book is about
computer espionage, but the contents are hardly secret.
The fact that
the introduction is decidedly vague about the audience--anyone
concerned that someone might want to spy on their data--would
lead one
to suspect that this is another attempt to jump on a
hot bandwagon,
without necessarily doing a lot of research first. And,
in this case,
one would be right.
In
addition, this is, once again, a book about defence
that provides
more help to the attacker. Not much more, mind, but more.
The
countermeasures included after the attacks and penetration
techniques
are generally vague and not very useful. In quite a number
of cases,
the protections are irrelevant to the attacks described.
Chapter
one tells us about spies, and particularly that spies
are
purposeful. Never mind that the best data that researchers
have been
able to find points out that most network snooping and
theft of
computer equipment is random: the concentration on professional
spies
allows the author to present a much more sensational
view. The
overview of US federal laws, in chapter two, is rather
short on any
examination of legal concepts. The penetration activities
described
in chapter three are mostly physical, and even the computer
invasions
suggested in chapter four require physical access to
the machine.
About all that chapter five tells you about searching
for evidence, is
that you stand a better chance of finding it if you know
how the
machine works. I suppose this material might impress
those who know
very little about computers, but most of it is pretty
simplistic and
doesn't have enough detail to help newcomers, either
to extract
information or protect themselves.
Chapter
six briefly describes some means of cracking weak encryption.
A list of data storage devices is presented in chapter
seven.
Keyloggers, both hardware and software, are outlined
in chapter eight.
Chapter nine primarily concentrates on remote access
trojans, although
it makes no distinctions in regard to other types. Network
intrusion,
in chapter ten, has countermeasures that are, unusually,
*too*
specific, dealing with particular exploits while not
analyzing the
concepts. Again, the countermeasures are not comprehensive
in regard
to the threats that are discussed. The overview of wireless
security,
in chapter eleven, is not bad, with decent research and
an appropriate
presentation for a general audience. Chapter twelve reviews
other
devices, such as secure telephones. Government surveillance
tools, in
chapter thirteen, are described well, and the text even
includes
mention of the various controversies, although without
much analysis.
Absent
the strident and sensational tone of this book, is
there
anything really wrong with it? Well, I suppose not, but
there isn't
anything right with it, either. It is not a book about
security in
general, nor even privacy in particular. The protection
measures
suggested are generally only suitable for a computer
neophyte, but the
book does not provide adequate instruction for those
users to apply
the suggestions. As noted, the book is somewhat more
appropriate for
those trying to break into computers, but only somewhat:
this is not
exactly a guide for computer forensic analysts.
copyright Robert M. Slade, 2003 BKSCCMES.RVW 20030902
|
