Author: Parmy Olson
Genre: Non-Fiction | Technology | Hackers
Release Date: June 5th, 2012
GoodReads
So this is partly about random members of
Anonymous, and those who eventually came together to form the elite crew
Lulzsec. It's a delightful insight into the world of internet activism, however
misguided the intentions behind it may be. When read from this book's
perspective, you can't help but to sympathize or feel sorry for individuals
involved in these so called hacking incidents. They're not as cool as they seem from their perceived online
personas. Lulzsec when cut and dried, aren't really noteworthy individuals
aside from the fact that they're highly skilled at computers, or skilled in
just propagating online propaganda. Topiary comes to mind as an online persona
that is bubbly, peppy and very charismatic even though in real life he's really
an introvert. It just goes to show how contradictory people are online and
offline.
If you're a fan of Lulzsec back in the day
when they were at large and breaking into servers everywhere, you'll love this
book because it lays to bare everything and puts it into perspective with all
the insider info the author managed to compile. It includes viewpoints taken
directly from the Lulzsec crew themselves, namely Topiary, and provides insight
into their activities and how they eventually got caught. You're given the play
by play of how it all went down, based on the irc chat logs and interviews. I
felt like I was there among the elite
hackers as they went through it all.
I've always wondered if the methods they
were using at the time was infallible (VPNs) seeing as how they were rampaging
around for a long time before the authorities finally clamped down on their
operation. Now I know how unreliable VPN providers really are, especially when
served with subpoenas on customer details, which most of them log to begin
with, eliminating the so called "anonymity" that VPNs claim to
provide in the first place. So it really brings to mind the fact that hackers
will always get caught, at least until a better method is found. Or maybe you
could just work for the Chinese or Russian Governments for total hacker immunity
and protection.
The fact that most Hackers can't
be trusted is drilled in even deeper with the revelations in this book. Even
the Great Kevin Mitnick himself was taken down with the help/betrayal of other
hackers (read: Ghost in the Wires). Most hackers are like thieves, as in they're not the most honorable of people. They'll
bail on their fellow hackers if they feel even remotely threatened in real life.
Overall 3.5 Stars. Great read. Recommended
for those who love hacking, technology and the internet.
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