This book provides an in-depth exploration of the phenomenon of hacking from a multidisciplinary perspective that addresses the social and technological aspects of this unique activity as well as its impact. What defines the social world of hackers? How do individuals utilize hacking techniques against corporations, governments, and the general public? And what motivates them to do so? This book traces the origins of hacking from the 1950s to today and provides an in-depth exploration of the ways in which hackers define themselves, the application of malicious and ethical hacking techniques, and how hackers' activities are directly tied to the evolution of the technologies we use every day. Rather than presenting an overly technical discussion of the phenomenon of hacking, this work examines the culture of hackers and the technologies they exploit in an easy-to-understand format. Additionally, the book documents how hacking can be applied to engage in various forms of cybercrime, ranging from the creation of malicious software to the theft of sensitive information and fraud—acts that can have devastating effects upon our modern information society.

Table of Contents:
List of Figures and Tables Preface 1 Background and History The Growth and Adoption of the Internet from 1969 through the Present Internet Defined Gaining Authorized Access to the Internet and the Modes of Communication Email Listserv Internet Relay Chat Telnet Social Networking Websites Remote Retrieval A Closer Look at the Adoption of the Internet in Developed Nations A Closer Look at the Adoption of the Internet in Developing Nations Assessing the Present-Day Internet Economy on a Global Scale Getting Unauthorized Network Access by Black Hat Hacking or Cracking Hacker and Cracker Defined Classifying Hackers by Intentions Classifying Hackers by Skill Classifying Hackers as Insiders or Outsiders A Cautionary Note on Hacker Classification Schemes and Overgeneralizing about Hackers Various Types of Hacker Exploits Causing Harm and the Harm Inflicted Hacking Exploits in the Use of Deception and Theft of Property or Data Hacking Exploits Used in Cyberviolence The Key Elements of Criminal Liability, Conventional Crimes, and Hacking Conventional Crimes and the Four Key Elements of Criminal Liability Hacking and the Four Key Elements of Criminal Liability Hacker Predispositions: What the Literature Tells Us Hackers: Known Traits of Insiders Hackers: Known Traits of Outsider/External Attackers Conclusion References 2 Problems, Controversies, and Solutions Fundamentals of Hack Attacks and Patches as a Countermeasure The Basics of Hack Attacks Patches: An Organizational Countermeasure for Hack Attacks The Evolving Structure of the Internet: The Good News and the Bad The Good News: A New and Exciting Information Era The Bad News: The Evolution of the Internet Creates a New Playing Field for Network Attackers A Further Look at the Purpose and Function of Firewalls The Pros and Cons of Moving to "the Cloud," Network Hacks: Recent Surveys on the Frequency and the Types of Harm Caused 15th Annual Computer Crime and Security Survey (2010/2011) Respondent Sample Key Study Findings Concluding Remarks 2011 TELUS-Rotman Joint Study on Canadian IT Security Practices Respondent Sample Key Study Findings Laws Created to Keep Abreast of the Evolving Internet Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 U.S. State Data Breach Notification Law Sarbanes-Oxley Act Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Intellectual Property Rights and Copyright Infringement International Privacy and Security Laws Privacy Laws Security Laws in the United States Security Laws in Other Jurisdictions Federal Information Security Management Act Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act Payment Card Industry Payment Application Standard The Militarization of Cyberspace Industry "Best Practices" for Preventing Hack Attacks and Recovering from Them Protection Strategies For Hacktivism For Malware For Drive-by Downloads and Blackholes For Software Vulnerabilities For USB Drives and Other Mobile Devices Such as Tablets For Cloud "Insecurity," For Social Networks The Need for Security Policies and Security Policy Checklists in Businesses and Government Agencies The Importance of Intrusion Prevention, Intrusion Detection, and Intrusion Recovery Intrusion Prevention Is Important Intrusion Detection Is Important Intrusion Recovery Is Important How Well Enterprises Are Coping with Network Prevention, Intrusions, and Recovery Crystal Ball Gazing: What Might the Future Bring? Conclusion References 3 Perspectives Protecting Critical Infrastructures (Bob Radvanosky) Examining Social Dynamics and Malware Secrets to Mitigate Net-centric Attacks (Ziming Zhao and G.-J. Ahn) The Role of Nation-States in Cyberattacks (Max Kilger) The Case for Strong Data Breach Notification Legislation (Douglas E. Salane) Data Breach Noti?cation Legislation The Need for Strong, Broad-Based Consumer Protections Data Breach Costs Why Attempts at Federal Legislation Fall Short Concluding Remarks A Criminologist's Perspective on the Implications of Criminological Research for Policies and Practices Aimed at Addressing Hacking and Malware Infection (Adam M. Bossler) Implications for Parental and School Practices Policy Implications for Law Enforcement Hacking and Criminality (Nathan Fisk) The Life Cycle of a Botnet (Aditya K. Sood and Richard J. Enbody) Taking the Fun out of Playtime: Real Crime and Video Games (Rob D'Ovidio, Murugan Anandarajan, and Alex Jenkins) Looking at Crime in Video Games through the Lens of Routine Activities Theory 4 Profiles 5 Data and Documents Anti-Phishing Working Group: Phishing Activity Trends Report, Second Quarter 2012 The Malware Domain List Ponemon Institute Study: 2011 Cost of Data Breach Study: United States Symantec: Internet Security Threat Report 2011 A Closer Look at Corporate and Governmental Data Theft on a Global Basis: The 2012 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report The On-Land and Online Real-World Context The Report's Main Findings Report Conclusions References 6 Resources Print: Books Print: Magazines, White Papers, News, and Downloadable Articles Nonprint: Hacking Websites Nonprint: Hacking-Related Films and Learn How-to-Hack Videos Nonprint: Websites of Companies Offering Antivirus Software Nonprint: Websites of Companies Offering Firewalls Nonprint: Websites of Companies Offering Intrusion-Detection Systems Nonprint: U.S. Government Agencies and Independent Organizations Fighting Malicious Hacking 7 Chronology Prehistory (1800s–1969) 1815 to Mid-1800s 1920s–1950s The Elder Days (1970–1979) The Golden Age (1980–1989) The Great Hacker Wars and Hacker Activism (1990–2000) Fear of a Cyber-Apocalypse Era (2001–Present) Glossary About the Authors Index