Author: Robert Schifreen
ISBN No: 0-470-02555-7
Review date: 16/12/2025
No of pages: 398
Publisher: Wiley
Year of publication: 11/09/2012
Brief:
The struggle between IT security and computer hackers is reaching crisis point, it is claimed.
Corporate dependency on computers and the internet as well as the rapid spread of broadband into more households has resulted in a feeding ground for hackers around the world. Estimated damage costs are now into the billions. So says Robert Schifreen in his latest book, Defeating the Hacker: A non-technical guide to computer security. He is a self-confessed ex-hacker; he chaired a ‘hackers panel’ at the Infosecurity Europe 2006 conference in London in April. As he says in his introduction, you may have seen adverts in the computer press which show pictures of a stressed IT manager or security guy relaxing on a beach somewhere, safe in the knowledge that product X, which he’s just purchased, is taking care of security, and he doesn’t have to worry about it any more. He adds: “I hate to tell you this, but the real world really isn’t like that. Despite what the glossy adverts tell you, you can’t buy peace of mind. You still need to worry.” That is, information can fall into the wrong hands or be tampered with.
Schifreen writes: “Most of the time, the IT security industry (and especially those involved in producing antivirus software) is playing catch-up, fixing holes and blocking viruses that have already been exploited and unleashed. This means that the dedicated IT security manager can never afford to stand still and glory in the knowledge that the battle has finally been won. It will never be won. The best we can do is to hold the attackers at bay, but even this cannot be achieved without constant expenditure of both time and money.” The good news; you can improve IT security not by throwing money at hardware or software, but through proper procedures, training, and use of what you know.
