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Cyberpunk: Outlaws and Hackers on the Computer Frontier
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Using the exploits of three international hackers, Cyberpunk provides a fascinating tour of a bizarre subculture populated by outlaws who penetrate even the most sensitive computer networks and wreak havoc on the information they find -- everything from bank accounts to military secrets. In a book filled with as much adventure as any Ludlum novel, the authors show what
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Paperback, Revised Edition, 400 pages
Published
November 1st 1995
by Simon Schuster
(first published 1991)
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Start your review of Cyberpunk: Outlaws and Hackers on the Computer Frontier
Aug 27, 2014
Thomas Strömquist
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I find myself drifting back to this book now and again; it tells the fascinating story on how the computer hacker was born. And it is a strange tale; the 'pioneers' in this field (at least the ones pictured in this book) were obviously not interested in school or learning very much - except when it came to computers! This does not sound so odd today, when computers are all about games, movies, music, interaction and much much more.
But imagine the dedication that needs to be put into sneaking ...more
But imagine the dedication that needs to be put into sneaking ...more
Having heard the basics about these stories, I decided to read up on it, officially. I mean, as official as testimony gets, and I'll get to that in a minute.
This book is a look into a particular era of hacking, an era early enough in the game that: 1. you could hack a computer through the phone line, 2. once getting the right user name you could conceivably have access to an entire computer system, 3. everyone but the most savvy still used passwords like "guest" or "system", 4. operating systems ...more
This book is a look into a particular era of hacking, an era early enough in the game that: 1. you could hack a computer through the phone line, 2. once getting the right user name you could conceivably have access to an entire computer system, 3. everyone but the most savvy still used passwords like "guest" or "system", 4. operating systems ...more
I liked Katie's book for both its style and storytelling, as well as the subjects that she put under her microscope.
Kevin Mitnick made up the first portion and, while I enjoyed the biography and tale of "the Dark-Side Hacker", it was not my favorite of the trio. If I recall correctly, even Kevin Mitnick himself found flaws in the story although, to my knowledge, it was not determined if it was valid or simply sensationalism.
Pengo and Project Equilizer made up the second part of the trilogy and ...more
Kevin Mitnick made up the first portion and, while I enjoyed the biography and tale of "the Dark-Side Hacker", it was not my favorite of the trio. If I recall correctly, even Kevin Mitnick himself found flaws in the story although, to my knowledge, it was not determined if it was valid or simply sensationalism.
Pengo and Project Equilizer made up the second part of the trilogy and ...more
Cyberpunk takes readers back to the early days of hacking, when it was so old-school that computers weren’t involved. Using three case in the United States and western Germany, Katie Hafner’s history introduced readers in 1991 to the general idea of hacking, and her history sheds some light on what hackers were, what they did, and what they might want. It’s a fun look at early internet history, with the net as we know it developing slowly throughout the course: ARPAnet, the internet’s
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Many of the subjects profiled in this book, most-notably Kevin Mitnick, contest the conclusions drawn by the authors.
That said, it's a fascinating read about some of the earliest and most (in)famous hackers. It's a great companion to The Hacker Crackdown and The Cuckoo's Egg.
That said, it's a fascinating read about some of the earliest and most (in)famous hackers. It's a great companion to The Hacker Crackdown and The Cuckoo's Egg.
This is a decent book considering the subject matter and time written, but it's really quite dated. Kevin Mitnick's story was far from over when this book was written, and many of the characters in the Morris story (including Morris himself) went on to make big waves in the tech scene. Mitnick's own version of his story (much more complete) is probably better told in Ghost in the Wires , which is a more complete and detailed, but obviously more partisan version. My problem with books like these
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It was OK, but it was very much written from an outsiders perspective. The book comprises 3 chapters/extended stories. One covers the Cliff Stoll/Markus Hess story, which was told much better in the Cuckoo's Egg by Stoll himself. Another talks about Mitnick escapades, and the man himself has written better (Ghost in the Wires). The third chapter recalls the Bob Morris/Morris Worm story. To my knowledge there isn't a book on this, but again its written very much from an outsiders perspective.
The ...more
The ...more
If you never read a book on the history of early net hacking (1990 to 2005) this is as good as any. You don't need to read more than one.
I thought this book was a modern take on computer hacking… I was expecting to hear stories like the Myspace “sammy is my hero” bug, or Wikileaks, the story of Kim Dot Com, or more modern counter culture computer hacking rebels.
I figured the neon art deco cover and tacky music in the audiobook were just stylistic choices.
However, I quickly found out that this was a story of hackers from the 1980s. It’s actually a pretty interesting snapshot of a bygone era of hacking, computers and society in ...more
I figured the neon art deco cover and tacky music in the audiobook were just stylistic choices.
However, I quickly found out that this was a story of hackers from the 1980s. It’s actually a pretty interesting snapshot of a bygone era of hacking, computers and society in ...more
Great book. A real slice of history at the dawn of the Internet age. I highly - and I mean highly - recommend this to anyone interested in hacking. However, cyber-historians will take great delight in these tales form the early years. The book is essentially three stories: Kevin Mitnick, The Chaos Computer Club in Germany, and the Morris Worm. Don't worry, you don't need a Computer Science degree to enjoy it, either. (Full disclosure, I listened - and therefore reviewed - the audio version found
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Wow. Wow! How far have we come in 15 short years? Can I tell you how much I loved this book? I wish it were 10 times as long as it were, with 10 times as many hacker profiles. I kept on reading snippets to Cliff (husband, and a developer, and a computer engineering major in college, who obviously had his own phone line back in 1992 when he was in middle school so he could have his own BBS in Funster Munster etc. etc. etc.)
Sentences like, I paraphrase, "the 56K modem was so fast it could download ...more
Sentences like, I paraphrase, "the 56K modem was so fast it could download ...more
This is an old, but very detailed account of three different groups/individuals that were talented and (eventually) visible computer hackers. I picked it up at a library book sale. Lucky me!
If you are only interested in current technology, Denial-of-Service attacks, zero-day exploits, etc., then you may not enjoy this book. On the other hand, if you are old enough to have experienced the technology of the day, or have an abiding interest in technology, history and the evolution of the same, then ...more
If you are only interested in current technology, Denial-of-Service attacks, zero-day exploits, etc., then you may not enjoy this book. On the other hand, if you are old enough to have experienced the technology of the day, or have an abiding interest in technology, history and the evolution of the same, then ...more
Published in 1991 with epilogue in 1995, this is a classic look into the early hacking world in my opinion. It also presents the other side of "The Cuckoo's Egg" by Clifford Stoll, which I first read about 15 years ago, and keep as a piece of early networking memorabilia.
The writing style reads like very good prose with emphasis on detail to the point that it sometimes becomes difficult to keep names, dates, and actions straight in each segment. If you're not interested in the early period of ...more
The writing style reads like very good prose with emphasis on detail to the point that it sometimes becomes difficult to keep names, dates, and actions straight in each segment. If you're not interested in the early period of ...more
I read the book recently as a shot of nostalgia. I'm old enough to have followed the events in the news at that time. Reading it in 2016, I was surprised that our perspective from an era of ubiquitous portable computers (phones), pervasive surveillance & hundred-million account data breaches gives us a different perspective on these pranks from the 1980s. But the kids in the book were presented by prosecutors & the press as a new kind of criminal, harbingers of the end of democracy.
Like ...more
Like ...more
This book collects three journalist-driven stories about some of the early hackers: Kevin Mitnick, Pengo, and Robert T. Morris. The writing reads a little dated and a little narratively forced in some areas, but each of these stories is really compelling to read and covers a wide swath of hacker activity, from one of the great social engineers (Kevin Mitnick) to the creator of the first major worm/virus (rtp). A must-read if you want to better understand the hacker mindset and where it comes
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Insight into three computer criminals and their psychological backgrounds: Kevin Mintick, Pengo and a third. The details were terrific and I got a lot of precise chronology of these earlier crimes sorted out from the mix-ups in the perspective fothcoming Take-Down & The Cuckoo's Nest. Also I had a chance to see a different view of CLifford Stoll from his stance in Silicon Snake-Oil.
This book was awesome and, along with 2600, was my introduction to Kevin Mitnick (I read this a long while back) and other like minded individuals. At the time it was the best read ever for me and for anyone else that owned a computer and a modem. I am more than sure anyone reading this now will feel the same, even if only for the purpose of nostalgia.
Educational in accounting for historical aspects of 80s and early 90s hacking and phreaking. Insight into how hackers come to be, thier view of themselves, and of the world around them. An interesting non-flattering view of Mr. Mitnick's exploits.
Jun 24, 2008
Simon Magnus
rated it
liked it
Recommends it for:
Anybody interested in espionage (what hooked me) or to computer technology from 1970-90
Recommended to Simon by:
A shelf find
An interesting book. I thought it was pretty amazing, and likely would have given it a four, if I hadn't done my own research afterwards and found out that half of the stuff about Mitnick was lies. Great fiction, though dissapointing journalism ethics.
This is non-fiction about hackers in the US. It is a good read. It shows that the author has no idea about computers, but it is sourced and annotated very well bearing that in mind. I recommend it to any programmer geek who wants to read about hackers.
Interesting insight to the world of computer hacking, not too technical so can be accessed by anyone.
I read this back in high school. It has 3 stories about the early days of hacking.
It felt pretty biased, especially the stuff about Mitnick, but still a good read.
It felt pretty biased, especially the stuff about Mitnick, but still a good read.
I loved this book, it made me think. It was like Cuckoo's Egg times 3. Very intriguing to see it from the other side.
Stories from the early days...
Very interesting stories. Not bogged down by too much detail
May 20, 2007
Christine
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liked it
Recommends it for:
bluebox users
Shelves:
cyberpunk,
non-fiction
A look into some classic hacking schemes done by the most notorious hackers (i.e. Kevin Mitnick). Maybe a little outdated now but still interesting.
Jan 20, 2017
Bob
added it
I read this when it came out. It was rad! It really initiated my interest in the internet and got me into Library school.
I read this book back in high school. What a buzz it used to have then.
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Katie Hafner was on staff at The New York Times for ten years, where she remains a frequent contributor, writing on healthcare and technology. She has also worked at Newsweek and BusinessWeek, and has written for The New York Times Magazine, Esquire,Wired, The New Republic, The Huffington Post, and O The Oprah Magazine. She is the author of five previous works of nonfiction covering a diverse
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