The Art of Deception：Controlling the Human Element of Security

Theworld′smostinfamoushackeroffersaninsider′sviewofthelow–techthreatstohigh–techsecurityKevinMitnick′sexploitsasacyber–desperadoandfugitiveformoneofthemostexhaustiveFBImanhuntsinhistoryandhavespawneddozensofarticles,books,films,anddocumentaries.Sincehisreleasefromfederalprison,in1998,Mitnickhasturnedhislifearoundandestablishedhimselfasoneofthemostsought–aftercomputersecurityexpertsworldwide.Now,inTheArtofDeception,theworld′smostnotorioushackergivesnewmeaningtotheoldadage,"Ittakesathieftocatchathief."Focusingonthehumanfactorsinvolvedwithinformationsecurity,Mitnickexplainswhyallthefirewallsandencryptionprotocolsintheworldwillneverbeenoughtostopasavvygrifterintentonriflingacorporatedatabaseoranirateemployeedeterminedtocrashasystem.Withthehelpofmanyfascinatingtruestoriesofsuccessfulattacksonbusinessandgovernment,heillustratesjusthowsusceptibleeventhemostlocked–downinformationsystemsaretoaslickconartistimpersonatinganIRSagent.Narratingfromthepointsofviewofboththeattackerandthevictims,heexplainswhyeachattackwassosuccessfulandhowitcouldhavebeenpreventedinanengagingandhighlyreadablestylereminiscentofatrue–crimenovel.And,perhapsmostimportantly,Mitnickoffersadviceforpreventingthesetypesofsocialengineeringhacksthroughsecurityprotocols,trainingprograms,andmanualsthataddressthehumanelementofsecurity.