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Fighting Computer Crime
by Donn Parker
Mike Hudack
Editor-in-Chief
Donn Parker pledges to create a "new framework for protecting information." The back of the book describes him as "the world´s most listened-to cybercrime expert," which turned me off immediately. Among other things, he claims that CIA (confidentiality, integrity and availibility) isn´t an adequate description of security. And he makes bold statements about "cybercrime" psychology.
What it Covers
This volume is more about psychology and criminals than it is about technical information. Parker spends hundreds of pages describing crackers he´s known (although he often describes them as hackers, but always as criminals) attempting to show who these people are. In doing so his contempt and perhaps even hatred for these people seeps through his words, coloring everything he writes.
It has specific chapters on "computer abuse and misuse," "cyberspace abusers and misusers," "the disastrous hacker culture" and more...
"The Disastrous Hacker Culture"
Parker makes clear that he doesn´t like hackers -- or most computer security experts. He claims that hackers are criminals, and that security experts are more artisans than scientists (and he emphasizes that this is a bad thing). In general Parker uses the terms "criminal" and "hacker" interchangably, enraging many -- including myself.
He further says that "hackers cannot be trusted" and that "hackers turned security experts cannot reform." He also says that [hackers] are "characterized by an immature excessively idealistic attitude. Regardless of age, they act like irresponsible kids playing cops and robbers..." Many psychologists and security experts (some of them former hackers themselves) would disagree. In fact, one FBI agent called the statements in this book "ludicrous" and "stereotypical."
Framework for Information Security
Parker makes some good points in his framework, but all together it focuses more on psychology and social engineering than on actual technical information. It does, however, include small sections on topics such as biometrics, authentication, cyprography and "information anarchy." Most of the information here, with the possible exception of his criticism of the CIA model can be found elsewhere in better context, however.
Worth the Money
All in all, had this book not come free from the publisher, I wouldn´t have read it. At thirty-five bucks for a bunch of nonsense about how hackers == criminals it just doesn´t compute.
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