Hacked Again details the ins and outs of cybersecurity expert and CEO of a top wireless security tech firm, Scott Schober, as he struggles to understand the motives and mayhem behind his being hacked. As a small business owner, family man, and tech pundit, Scott finds himself leading a compromised life. By day, he runs a successful security company and reports on the latest cyber breaches in the hopes of offering solace and security tips to millions of viewers. But, when a mysterious hacker begins to steal thousands from his bank account, go through his trash, and take over his social media identity, Scott stands to lose everything he has worked so hard for.
Amidst the backdrop of major breaches, Scott shares tips and best practices for all consumers. Most importantly, he shares his own story of being hacked repeatedly and how he has come to realize that the only thing as important as his own cybersecurity is that of his readers and viewers.
Since the book is written by a noted cybersecurity celebrity, I was hoping for nitty-gritty details about how the author was hacked and specific steps he took afterwards to mitigate similar attacks. Instead the book was filled with vague sentiments about the attacks and many other high-profile attacks of recent years - punctuated by how often the author was interviewed on TV and radio afterwards. If you're looking for a yet another book surveying recent cybersecurity attacks, you might like this one. If you're looking for details about attacks and mitigation, this is definitely not the book you're looking for.
Hacked Again is a great book to understand more the complexity and dangers of online world. I would mostly recommend it to people who do not have a technical background because the book explains every detail in a very simple way. You will get to learn more ways on how to protect yourself and your data.
In an age where much of life is conducted virtually (especially during the pandemic), this book should be part of everyone’s education. The message of this book is simple, be safe. Doing so is difficult.
Scott Schober runs a highly successful cyber security company. Much to his surprise, he has been hacked twice. Explaining how and what he has done to protect himself and his company illustrates the steps we need to take too. For example, people become complacent, even lazy, with passwords. With limited online research, many people can be hacked. Using one password across all sites is dangerous because once your password is hacked, the hacker can access every account you have.
Major corporations have been the victims of hacking too. Target and JP Morgan Chase are the two corporations mentioned. When they were hacked, we,as customers, became compromised. To protect ourselves, we must be vigilant with all online activities.
Throughout the book, Mr. Schober explains key problems we can encounter when using the internet. It is important to know what to watch for. Don’t be afraid of being overwhelmed with “tech talk”, the concepts in this book are clearly and succinctly explained. This should be mandatory reading for anyone venturing onto the internet. Knowledge keeps us from being victimized.
There are dangers and scams everywhere but by following the recommendations in this book, you can minimize your risk of being hacked. I enjoyed learning about the behaviors I have that are making me “hack-able”. I now have a better understanding of the steps I need to take for protection and plan to share these with my family.
Mr. Schrober’s book is clear, understandable and well written. It uses contemporary examples to explain errors easily made and steps to avoid them. While being a technology book, readers have a glossary and detailed explanations to prevent any confusion. This is an appropriate and necessary book for our time.
This book was very well written. It knew from the very beginning that the way to hook us into the book was to give us very impactful stories, so he did. Believe me, he has a lot to tell.
He separates the book into different parts. The first part is personal experiences that he went through when his business, and himself personally, were hacked. He tell us of how, despise being a security company, these things happen, the emotional turmoil, and what he learned through these experiences.
The second part is about the different ways a person can get hacked. Each theme is explained in a very well and easy to follow manner, and they are also filled with different stories of things that he has learned alongside his work. I loved the quick tips and cyber stats from each chapter.
The third part is about the different ways you can prevent yourself or businesswise from being hacked. Although previous chapters also provide tips on things to do, there are also other ways you can make a change to increase security.
The fourth and final part are noteworthy security breaches and hacks. I have heard of some of these, but to read about what happened behind the scenes and everything was very amazing.
I really liked this book. I learned a lot and enjoyed a lot the illustrations that it has as well. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who wants to learn more about cybersecurity.
I found Scott Schober and the details of his book “Hacked Again” by way of Twitter. And it caught my eye, especially when I noticed, directly under the title it read: “It can happen to anyone even a cybersecurity expert.” Okay, now I was totally looking over the details of this book cover to cover, and even made an attempt to contact Scott, and gave him the details of my blog.
He responded, and said he would love to have me read and review his book. And then he asked for my address. I was like what? My home address? Now I was even more excited, because not very often does someone want to send out a real life paperback anymore, least wise without making you enter contests, do this, that, and you know—work for it. Needless to say, I gave him my address and anxiously awaited the arrival of my book of knowledge.
Once the book came, the first thing I noticed about it, was Scott made a glossary. Now that was intriguing. For those of us who aren’t experts, and wonder what a ‘pen test’ is, he explains. I am one who had no idea what one is. And in case you don’t know, I will explain since I did bring it up to those of you following along.
Definition of a pen test: A colloquial term for penetration test or penetration testing. If you still don’t know, don’t be alarmed. There is no quiz in this review, or in the book, I promise. LOL
Anyway, I read this book cover to cover, twice honestly. I wanted to be certain I caught a few things, in case I missed something.
You see, Scott Schober is a CEO of one of the top wireless security firms. No, that isn’t where or how he started, but through the thick of it, it is how he learned and grew, and even learned. Those who create mayhem, hack, create bugs and viruses, and even cyber attack, and cyber bully people and companies, are internet criminals. Some get caught, and some don’t. These people live on the dark web, and victimize anyone and everyone without a care in the world.
Scott Schober has even been victimized, not once, but several times. You may think that just because someone is a security expert that they know the ins and outs, and that this kind of things doesn’t happen to them, but guess what?! It does. You go to bed one night with thousands and wake up the next in the hole. Where did it all go? What happened? Where did he go wrong?
Through watching and learning, Scott sets up accounts, watches, learns, and educates himself. He changes banking institutions, and even checks into their own employees, and data entry, and more. But still, the only place he feels his money is safe, is in his own hands, or even in his mattress. Scott is learning banks are not the safest place for his money.
Scott researches, he learns even more of hacks and breaches. There are several banks, (I am not going to mention them in this, for their protection, and mine.) who have issues. These banks seem to know they have issues, but yet do nothing, because they are big enough to what? (My question here? Big enough to what? Not care? It’s a write off? What?)
Banks hire employees, run credit checks, and do everything they can to make sure your money is safe. Your money is also FDIC protected, which means it is insured.
When hackers gain access to your money, and the bank has to replace it, obviously it must be quick and easy, because I personally have had it happen several times, and without question it was replaced in two days with one bank, and twenty four hours with another. The one banks fraud department was already aware of the case, that one was the case that was going on already, the twenty four hour one, saying others had already filed. The other, the two day one, I provided my info, and they claimed they had to investigate. The longest I have ever had to wait myself, for a fraud claim was a week. I have never had a fraud claim denied, ever. This to me, is sad and pathetic.
The fraud departments, which were added, because of hackers, and the dark web, were created because of these Criminals, and sure- it’s making more jobs for the unemployed. (For now, until that goes robotic.) But these things are all being added, and more things keep being added to banks because of hackers, and the internet, and crime, and criminals. So honestly- will our money ever be safe again?
Long ago I watched a movie, or maybe a TV show. I can’t remember what or which it was. But there internet, and electronic devices, and the web, everything went out, like it was back to the dark ages. Those that didn’t have their money out of the machines, were screwed. Meaning, if you had no cash in hand, you had no money- period. And a lot of people believe that. When they were promising us that the year 2000, or 2001- you know the millennium was going to cause the world to end, or some kind of problems for us, some expected the computers to stop working then. Because of issues like this, yes. There are many people who do have cash in hand, and are prepared. This is a wise suggestion, as you will see, when you read Scott’s book. It is better to be a little prepared, then not at all.
This book "Hacked Again" looks at ways to protect your monies, ways things can happen, and even explained how it did happen to Scott Schober, a professional cybersecurity expert. This book will enlighten you, make you wonder, and then make you rethink your possibilities. You will be glad that you read it, and you will want to share it with others, so they can learn, and be informed as well. It is a five star read, very educational, and informative. The book in itself, "Hacked Again" will teach you things, even if it is only one thing, I promise you it will be one thing you did not know. I am glad I read it, and this book will never be dusty, because I will always go through it, and check things out in it every so often, and share it and its info with others. You truly need to get your copy of “Hacked Again” if you haven’t already, you won’t regret it, in this day and age, trust me.
Hacked Again by Scott N Schober is a book that should be read by everyone whether a technical expert or a common user. In these times when cyber crime, fraud and attacks have become almost everyday scenario. These can happen to anyone. This book discusses the these issues in a simple language that's easy to understand. One more thing is the language is neither preachy or a lecture but an easy read with anecdotes. This book helps understand the types of cyber crimes than one can encounter like phishing, scamming, fraud and many other topics in a way that's easy to understand. Also Tips given at the end of each chapter are very handy. The book also offers some handy and easy tips to protect from being a victim of cyber fraud or crime . This book though isn't a sure shot miracle cure from being a victim but still is a topic that is need of the time. Thanks @BookTasters for this book
What I like about this book so much is it is easy to read. The author is writing to the small business community and gives them 1) real stories on what a hack looks like and the steps to go through it (also what not to do!) 2) tips on how to reduce the likelihood of being hacked 3) the importance of strong passwords 4) if an IT person is talking techie, and you don’t understand, ask them to break down what they are saying (using analogies works wonders), and 5) explanations on what went wrong in the Target, Sony, JP Morgan Chase, and other hacks.
The best quote from the book in my opinion is: “Many people ask me if I think we will ever beat the cyberhackers. With confidence, I can say that it is not about winning or losing as much as it is about not giving up.”
Hacked again is made up of small snippets which scare you and continue to do so without offering a viable solution. The start sounds very promising and I liked reading the first three chapters but after that it got repetitive and scary since the security failures kept happening. The only good thing were the quick tips at the end of those chapters giving a tiny relief. What further didn't work for me while reading the book was that lot of information given was what I already knew or is easily available elsewhere. There was nothing new or different that would make a reader gravitate towards it. Although if it's someone from older generation getting into cyber space for first time then I would definitely recommend this to them.
This book is told in a story form from the perspective of a business owner, inventor and cyber security expert. It had technical elements that felt impersonal and foreign. However, the personal nature that came across (starting from the introduction) made me want to stick with it. This world is strongly connected and its important to take precautions. The conversation style approach that this book takes makes you realize the danger of being hacked and the steps to take to avoid it. The humble, candid and vulnerability shown through the author's own journey shows the insecurity of the cyber world. Yet through it all, the author shows that there is hope for the exciting world of technology.
The book is great! It's a quick read and provides a cautionary tale. Anyone in the InfoSec community should read this. Anyone NOT in the InfoSec community should read this. There are a lot of valuable lessons to be extracted; small changes in behavior that will reduce the risk of identity theft and other intrusions.
I have my college students read the book. Unilaterally, they provide positive and energetic feedback. It's a great window into the world of cybercrime and information security.
Hacked Again by Scott N. Schober is a must read for anyone who owns a computer, smart phone or credit card. The book will benefit the novice as well as computer savvy businessmen. Mr. Schober addresses all issues related to scams, computer hacks, and compromised credit cards. He gives simple detailed steps the reader can take to ensure he/she is not the victim of scams and identity theft. I highly recommend this book for people of all ages and education levels.
It is an amazing book, with lots of insight into the dangers we now face from hackers. For those looking to know more about hackers and how they affect our digital life, this is definitely the book for you while those that are after practical or technical aspects of hacking this is not the book for you.
I have got the opportunity to read “Hacked again” by Scott N. Schober.
Hacked again with its 190 pages, is an easy to read. It shows many different aspects of the Cyber security threats for the business including examples from the business life. I am pretty sure that “Hacked again” could be a good document to hand over to the higher management in order to increase their understanding and awareness when it comes to what companies and organizations are exposed to. My recommendation would be to provide it to the decision makers and management in your company or organization.
A useful insight in the world of cyber security - the author shares excellent advice through their very knowledgeable experiences and learning. A read which has left me considering my own security and with ideas to improve my own protection levels.
A very good book. Detailed personal incident shared by author. Different types of attack and prevention from attack with depth understanding by Scott. This book will engage readers. If you are in to cybersecurity you'll like this one.
Hacked Again by Scott N. Shrober is a helpful and informative book on the dangers and pitfalls of online security. He offers sound and practical advice in easy to understand language for individuals like myself who aren’t technically savvy. All in all a good read.
Quick and easy read. Very informative and practical for the age we live in. Scott offers critical advice on how to keep you and your family safe in the digital age.
This is a great book that unveils the complexity and dangers of the online world. I would recommend it to people who don't have a technical background of what the Internet world holds. You will learn more ways on how to protect your data and privacy.
I am proud about reading this book and I love this book it's fantastic and valuable book because the author give important advice about cyberSecurity , and I say to the author and many companies don't worry after today because are many ethical hackers want to help enterprise and I am white hat, I have the honor to help many companies to be secure
A very useful and interesting book. It includes the author's own experience, the basics of cybersecurity and astonishing stories of the most famous breaches. Among these breaches are, for example, numerous attacks on Sony in which the well-known hacktivist groups Anonymous and LulzSec were engaged. Even the North Korean government was behind one of the attacks against Sony. When speaking about the breaches the author not only presents many interesting details of the hackers' activity, but also analyzes the mistakes made by victims. Among these victims were the celebrities whose nude photos from iCloud appeared in the Internet. In the book you can also find not well-known but very instructive stories from the author's own life. The author describes the case when he faced a consumer who used a fraudulent credit card. And this story is not the only one. The recomendations contained in the book are helpful for everyone. We often forget about the dangers of the cyberworld, and even the professionals are at risk. These recomendation concern such important fields as banking, personal privacy and security of corporations. At the same time the book is easy to understand, and it may serve as a step-by-step guide into cybersecurity for beginners. I need to mention that it also contains glossary where the meaning of the main terms used in this sphere is explained.
I just finished reading your book. I share your pain over the years about being "hacked again", although I have never had so much money taken as your company did. I consider myself a gray hat, and from experience you seem to be right on point with your information. I remember all the major hacks that you speak about. And I also think that you seem well versed in ways on staying safe from being hacked. There was one thing with the wireless that you didn't mention, WPS. Having this enabled on your router can lead to being compromised by the 8 digit wps pin, to acquire the password. I actually laughed in agreement several times in your explanations, such as the groundhog analogy. Overall I thought that your book was a good read, informative not only in ways to help stay safe against being hacked, but also your take on the hacker community itself. You do start to paint a picture that ALL hackers are 'Black hats', which of course is not the case. But you clarify yourself later on when you break down the color of the hats. So thank you for including that in your book. Back in 2003, they told me "gray hats don't exists, there is only white and black". Many network security administrators have since proven that wrong. Not sure if this was on purpose but on pg 62 there is a repeating line that seemed like a mistake, but maybe I just read it wrong. "specifically controlled valves and motors, resulting in strange and unexpected instructions sent to the PLC— yet would appear as normal values to the user" You say this twice back to back pretty much, but again maybe this was on purpose. As a small business owner and a 'network security analysis administrator (hacker), I can agree with your assessment and most of your opinions in the book. Though I deal in services instead of products, the same methods still apply. I am honored, especially after seeing your credentials that you allowed me free access to read your book. If there is anything else you want my opinion on that I left out, feel free to ask. Thank you again.
Anyone can be hacked. ANYONE! Banks aren't in a hurry to fix it either. They aren't really concerned about one particular account. You have to stay vigilant. It's your responsibility to keep an eye on your accounts. The scariest part for "normal" folks is that even experts can be hacked. Yes, the people who study this and are in the know can have their accounts messed up. You have to remember. Hackers get their information from you. Easy passwords are a start. Be creative with your passwords. If necessary, write them in a little book and keep it with you. It sure beats the alternative. The author says consumers are too lazy or can't justify the expense of a new computer but it can be an investment in safety.
I must confess to being one of the "lazy". Not because I can't justify the expense, I just can't afford it. I am not as vigilant as I should be with passwords either. This book made me realize just how important it is in today's world. You must be accountable. The writing is superb. It's mostly written in language you can understand, not geek-ese. *grin* I had no problem understanding and learning from Mr. Schober. It's an important issue and by showing that his company was a "victim", I really paid attention to what was said. I'd never heard a big company admit problems like this. Not until the news media pointed it out. You will learn to embrace the advice of this author and want to learn more. I was suitably impressed by Mr. Schober's honesty. We all need this book. Not just big companies or the rich and famous. We all do. Anyone who has a computer where they store important information needs this book. I know at first you will fuss. Don't. Just get a copy and read it over and over until you know what you need to do. I can't wait to read more of Mr. Schober's advice.
I didn't find any issues.
I gave this one 5 cheers out of 5 because it's one to be kept in every household and read over and over. ~Copy of book provided by author in exchange for a fair review~
Scott Schober's book Hacked Again is a solid overview of the various forms being hacked can come in, as well as steps someone can take to prevent falling victim. He provides world examples, in easy to understand and stay-interested in chapters, as well as a lessons learned from each chapter. This books is ideal for small business owners that don't have a dedicated IT security section, as well as any individual wanting to know what steps they can take to minimize their risk. Anyone putting Schober's suggestions into practice will successfully decrease their chances of falling victim of a hack. The only issue with the book I have is Schober's hackers. They are mostly using a keyboard or other digital means to commit their crimes, except in the few instances he mentions social engineering. Schober correctly points out there are many motivations for the hackers to commit their crimes. These can range from political to financial, from challenge to revenge. He never successfully paints the picture of the local hacker. The guy not behind some computer far away, but the street level guy that can subject you hacking despite any password or other security measures you take. This is the mail thief, the doper dumpster diver, skimmer installer or a shady employee. These folks gain access to your information the old fashioned way. They steal it from an actual document. An additional chapter would have been nice addressing these issues. Businesses that neglect to properly secure and dispose of files subject their customers to hacking. Failing to shred personal documents with important information prior to putting it in the government can result in your accounts being hacked. The mail thief can have access to those documents that are too sensitive to email. My point is this, people can get your digital information (email address, bank information, etc.) from analog sources (paper documents, post it notes, etc.), just as easily as they get your analog information (personal identifying info) from digital sources.
Hacked Again By Scott N. Schober 2016 Reviewed by Angie Mangino Rating: 5 stars
In our digitally connected world today, everyone faces the dangers of cyberattacks and credit fraud. If a cyber security expert can be hacked, what hope is there for any of us?
The author offers an answer to that question from his personal experience, as well as from his expertise, in this down-to-earth, easy to read and to understand book.
Divided into four parts, with a helpful glossary at the end to clarify for the non-expert reader, the book offers both information to have the necessary knowledge for awareness and practical tips for protection.
The author explains in his introduction what readers can expect.
“In Part 1, I share my candid story of how my small business was the victim of repeated cyberattacks and how I quickly learned that noting is truly secure. In Part 2, I share best practices to help you protect your identity, business, personal data, and finances by using specific measures, both preventative and remedial. Part 3 is designed to help you stay safe in the challenging and always changing digital world without losing hope or sight of what’s truly important. In par 4, I tally the major breaches that have made the headlines over the past several years and how they affect us all.”
Readers will find after finishing the book that the author delivers on his promises.
This book is unique in demystifying the professional jargon that most cybersecurity experts speak to each other. The author writes in a conversational, storytelling manner to alert readers of the vulnerabilities while letting them know what they can do to safeguard themselves.
Angie Mangino currently works as a freelance journalist and book reviewer, additionally offering authors personalized critique service and copyediting of unpublished manuscripts. http://www.angiemangino.com
Given that Schober is the CEO of a wireless security firm, it took significant courage to write a book featuring the instances where his company was the victim of computer hacking. Although all organizations and individuals are at risk, he was specifically targeted due to his public condemnation of the hacker community. In a world where so many organizational victims keep their data breaches as private as possible, Schober is to be commended for admitting the problems in order to warn others. This book is a combination of a recapitulation of the hacking experienced by the author, both personal and as an organization and a log of his public appearances and comments about major data breaches. Embedded within is some sound advice regarding how you can protect yourself from the evil hacker entities, but that is generally not a primary focus. There are two overall messages in this book. The first is that all are vulnerable to the hackers as they are relentless and very knowledgeable in the most effective ways to conduct a digital breaking and entering. The second is that in many ways your best defense is to be a tougher target in the sense that nearly all of the hackers are lazy. If you remove yourself as a target of low-hanging fruit of opportunity, they will seek victims that are easier to exploit. If you are a follower of the digital security field, then this book is light reading in the sense that there will be little that is new to you. Others will find it interesting and informative, while all will find it at least a little bit frightening.
This book was made available for free for review purposes.