The Watchman: The Twisted Life and Crimes of Serial Hacker Kevin Poulsen
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.29 (707 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 0316528579 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 304 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2017-07-14 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
True Story From A Great Writer Vince I became interested in Kevin Poulson after reading several articles about his exploits. After learning about this new book from Jonathan Littman, I emailed the author for sources of more information. He (of course) advised that I purchase his two books on The Kevins: 1) "The Fugitive Game: Online With Kevin Mitnick", and 2) "The Watchman: The Twisted Life and Crimes of Serial Hacker Kevin Poulsen". I ordered the two books, along with "Cyberpunk: Outlaws and Hackers on the Computer Frontier" by Joh. Entertaining True Crime Story This book was the most entertaining of the many books I've read on the subject of Hacking. Not only does it describe a wide range of hacking techniques, but it also tells a very compelling personal story - the gradual transformation of Kevin Poulsen from an "ethical hacker" who explored the wonders of the telephone system to enhance his knowledge, into a highly successful and unabashedly mercenary cybercriminal. It also introduces perhaps the fascinating character to emerge from the hacking scene . A Customer said A chilling look at the vulnerability & capability of PacBell. I found this book interesting on several levels. It's aboutour telecommunications system, about a few people's ethicsabusing the power of that system, and about the state of enforcement against violations of that system. All done in a readable accounting of a small cast of characters' actions over a fifteen year period. It's a difficult task to make day-to-day events readable, much less involving. Littman has done a credible job here, describing the exploits of a clique with a combination of smart
. This is a first-rate detective story--and all true. Jonathan Littman brings his readers straight into the world of cyberpunk crime as he shows the origins, development, and climax of the wildest and most audacious known crime spree in cyberspace. It's the story of a seemingly invincible electronic thief, con man, and stalker--and the people who tracked him down. Hundreds of hours of interviews allow Littman to tell much of the story through the eyes of those who lived it, and his own edgy style and excellent pacing make for a thriller that's hard to put down
Busted as a teenager for hacking into Pac Bell phone networks, Kevin Poulsen would find his punishment was a job with a Silicon Valley defense contractor. The FBI seemed no match for Poulsen. Written like a California noir thriller by way of William Gibson, The Watchman brings to life the wildest, most audacious crime spree in the history of cyberspace. The nation's phone network was Poulsen's playground. But as Unsolved Mysteries prepared a broadcast on the hacker's crimes, LAPD vice stumbled onto his trail, and an undercover operation began on Sunset Strip.. Soon he made the front pages of the New York Times and became the first hacker charged with espionage. Littman takes us behind the headlines and into the world of Poulsen and his rogues' gallery of cyberthieves. By day he seemed to have gone straight, toiling on systems for computer-aided war. Drawing on hundreds of hours of interviews with Poulsen, his confederates, and the authorities, he spins a thrilling chase story on the electronic frontier. On Los Angeles's lucrative radio giveaways, Poulsen worked his magic, winning Porsches and tens of thousands of dollars. He secretly switched on the numbers of defunct Yellow Pages escort ads and took his cut of the profits. But by night he burglarized telephone switching offices, adopting the personae and aliases of his favorite comic-book anti heroes - the Watchmen. When authorities found a locker crammed with sw