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Books > Fiction > True stories > General
As the cliche reminds us, information is power. In this age of
computer systems and technology, an increasing majority of the
world's information is stored electronically. It makes sense then
that as an industry we rely on high-tech electronic protection
systems to guard that information. As a professional hacker, I get
paid to uncover weaknesses in those systems and exploit them.
Whether breaking into buildings or slipping past industrial-grade
firewalls, my goal has always been the same: extract the
informational secrets using any means necessary. After hundreds of
jobs, I discovered the secret to bypassing every conceivable
high-tech security system. This book reveals those secrets, and as
the title suggests, it has nothing to do with high technology. As
it turns out, the secret isn't much of a secret at all. Hackers
have known about these techniques for years. Presented in a light,
accessible style, you'll get to ride shotgun with the authors on
successful real-world break-ins as they share photos, videos and
stories that prove how vulnerable the high-tech world is to no-tech
attacks.
As you browse this book, you'll hear old familiar terms like
"dumpster diving," "social engineering," and "shoulder surfing."
Some of these terms have drifted into obscurity to the point of
becoming industry folklore; the tactics of the pre-dawn information
age. But make no mistake; these and other old-school tactics work
with amazing effectiveness today. In fact, there's a very good
chance that someone in your organization will fall victim to one or
more of these attacks this year. Will they be ready?
-Dumpster Diving
Be a good sport and don't read the two "D" words written in big
boldletters above, and act surprised when I tell you hackers can
accomplish this without relying on a single bit of technology
(punny).
-Tailgating
Hackers and ninja both like wearing black, and they do share the
ability to slip inside a building and blend with the shadows.
-Shoulder Surfing
If you like having a screen on your laptop so you can see what
you're working on, don't read this chapter.
-Physical Security
Locks are serious business and lock technicians are true engineers,
most backed with years of hands-on experience. But what happens
when you take the age-old respected profession of the locksmith and
sprinkle it with hacker ingenuity?
-Social Engineering with Jack Wiles
Jack has trained hundreds of federal agents, corporate attorneys,
CEOs and internal auditors on computer crime and security-related
topics. His unforgettable presentations are filled with three
decades of personal "war stories" from the trenches of Information
Security and Physical Security.
-Google Hacking
A hacker doesn't even need his own computer to do the necessary
research. If he can make it to a public library, Kinko's or
Internet cafe, he can use Google to process all that data into
something useful.
-P2P Hacking
Let's assume a guy has no budget, no commercial hacking software,
no support from organized crime and no fancy gear. With all those
restrictions, is this guy still a threat to you? Have a look at
this chapter and judge for yourself.
-People Watching
Skilled people watchers can learn a whole lot in just a few quick
glances. In this chapter we'll take a look at a few examples of the
types of things that draws a no-tech hacker's eye.
-Kiosks
Whathappens when a kiosk is more than a kiosk? What happens when
the kiosk holds airline passenger information? What if the kiosk
holds confidential patient information? What if the kiosk holds
cash?
-Vehicle Surveillance
Most people don't realize that some of the most thrilling vehicular
espionage happens when the cars aren't moving at all!
IN 12 YEARS, MICHELLE LYONS WITNESSED NEARLY 300 EXECUTIONS. As a
reporter and then spokesperson for the Texas Department of Criminal
Justice, Michelle was a frequent visitor to Huntsville's Walls
Unit, where she recorded the final moments of death row inmates'
lives before they were put to death by the state. Michelle
witnessed some of the most notorious criminals, including serial
killers, child murderers and rapists, speak their last words on
earth, while a cocktail of lethal drugs surged through their veins.
Misgivings began to set in as the execution numbers mounted. She
came to know and like some of the condemned people she saw die, and
began to query the seemingly arbitrary nature of the death penalty.
Do executions actually make victims of us all? 'Haunting, dark and
hard to put down' Houston Chronicle 'A portrait of what it's like
to be surrounded by death... a memoir of perseverance in the face
of routine tragedy' The Daily Beast
"Fishing's Greatest Misadventures" presents twenty-six true stories
which cover the spectrum from terrifying to comical to downright
bizarre. In these pages everyday fishermen, pros, and journalists
tell their stories of freak accidents, fishy attacks, pranks,
idiotic decisions, eerie or unexplained incidents, and other jaw
dropping, adrenalin-pumping calamities. The stories bring to life
the strange possibilities that await us once we cast our lines into
known and unknown waters.Inside these pages you'll meet: a sport
fisherman who gets taken on harrowing underwater ride by an angry
white shark; an adventure angler whose boat is over turned by a 200
lb Amazon-river catfish; a group of ice fishermen who lose their
cabin, gear and pride to a single sturgeon; a teenager who
sabotages a fish farm and frees 300,000 salmon; and a charter boat
operator who gets speared through the chest by a leaping marlin.
From lakes to rivers to the ocean, this book covers every form of
angling, and all that can go wrong.
History is filled with stories of the famous crashing to earth,
whether through an ill-judged statement, an overweening arrogance,
a lust for power or money, or simply a stroke of bad luck. Today,
more than ever, the world of the successful is littered with
'banana skins' lying in wait for the unwary, as film stars,
politicians, soldiers, scientists, business tycoons, royalty,
criminals, sports idols and others make that fatal decision, gaffe
or slip. It covers 220 fascinating entries. Packed in a gift size,
it is highly illustrated in colour. It is ideal travel and present
book. It tells the stories behind the stories. "The Hidden Secrets"
- this beautifully illustrated book charts the hidden secrets
behind some of the biggest 'banana skins' of all time - the
riveting stories of 200 figures who fell from grace - some for
ever, some for a while, some evoke sympathy, a great many do not.
In this book for young people who are struggling with substance
abuse, Kyle Keegan recounts his own remarkable story of drug abuse
and ruthless addiction. Keegan, now an adult who is in recovery
from his addiction, discusses his experience as a well adjusted
adolescent who fell victim to heroin and whose life was almost
destroyed by the devastating drug. Against the backdrop of these
experiences, he also provides useful information that young people
struggling with substance abuse need, such as how to recognize and
accept that there is a problem, how to find professional help, and
how to stay happy and healthy in recovery.
A detailed, almost daily, record giving an accurate and authentic
narrative of over two years in the life of a common sailor before
the mast in the American merchant service of the early 1800s. The
book is written in journal fashion in the words of an ordinary
sailor on the brig "Pilgrim" on her voyage from Boston, round Cape
Horn to the western coast of North America. Many of the earliest
books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are
now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. Home Farm Books
are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality,
modern editions, using the original text and artwork.
In April 2021, the Court of Appeal quashed the convictions of 39
former Subpostmasters and ruled their prosecutions were an affront
to the public conscience. They were just a few of the hundreds who
had been prosecuted by the Post Office using IT evidence from an
unreliable computer system called Horizon. When the Post Office
became aware that Horizon didn't work properly, it covered it up.
The Great Post Office Scandal is the story of how these innocent
people had their lives ruined by a once-loved national institution
and how, against overwhelming odds, they fought back to clear their
names. Gripping, heart-breaking and enlightening, The Great Post
Office Scandal should be read by everyone who wants to understand
how this massive miscarriage of justice was allowed to happen.
A doctor removes the normal, healthy side of a patient's brain
instead of the malignant tumor. A man whose leg is scheduled for
amputation wakes up to find his healthy leg removed. These recent
examples are part of a history of medical disasters and
embarrassments as old as the profession itself. In Medical
Blunders, Robert M. Youngson and Ian Schott have written the
definitive account of medical mishap in modern and not-so- modern
times.
Youngson and Schott cover the gamut of medical accidents, from
famous quacks to curious forms of sexual healing, from blunders
with the brain to drugs worse than the diseases they are intended
to treat. In Medical Blunders, we find shamefully dangerous
doctors, human guinea pigs, masturbation treated as a disease
requiring treatment, and the legendary surgeon who was himself a
craven morphine addict. The resulting picture is one which depicts
medical mistakes that are incredible, misguided, arrogant, cruel,
or stupendously wrong-headed.
Exploring the line between the comical and the tragic, the
honest mistake and the intentional crime, Medical Blunders
illustrates once and for all that doctors are subject to the same
political, social, historical, and personal pressures as the rest
of humanity.
DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THE KIDS WHO FOUND A FERRARI BURIED IN THEIR
GARDEN? WHAT ABOUT THE MAN WHO SUED SATAN? DO YOU KNOW THE LEGEND
OF THE BUNNY MAN? Strange happenings, unsolved mysteries and
seemingly supernatural events have gripped and shocked us for
centuries, passed from person to person in whispers in classrooms,
tales around the campfire and idle gossip among friends. Whether
they're based on a grain of truth or a complete flight of fancy,
the myths, legends and weird tales contained within this book will
take you on a fascinating journey to the outer limits of
plausibility, and dare you to believe the unbelievable.
Dit spook beslis al sedert die oertyd in Suid-Afrika, maar die skrywer begin sy hervertelling van dosyne ware spookverhale met ’n vreemde voorval in November 1653 op ’n seilskippie in Tafelbaai, die eerste opgetekende geval.
Die magdom ware stories is tematies ingedeel volgens die soort verskynsel, van verjaarspoke, saampraatspoke en tydspronge, tot spookmotors, spookdiere, voorbodes en sieners.
Die verteltrant is lig en gemaklik met skeute humor, soos net Daniël Lötter kan.
On 21 December 1988, Pan Am flight 103 departed London Heathrow for
New York. Shortly after take-off, a bomb detonated, killing all
aboard and devastating the small Scottish town of Lockerbie below.
Only one man has ever been convicted of the crime: Abdelbaset
al-Megrahi, though few believe that he acted alone.In 2009, a
request was made by Libya for al-Megrahi's release from prison on
compassionate grounds after he had been diagnosed with terminal
cancer. The decision to grant or deny that request fell squarely
and exclusively on the shoulders of one man: Kenny MacAskill,
Scotland's Justice Secretary from 2007 to 2014.Detailing the
build-up to the atrocity and the carnage left in its wake,
MacAskill narrates the international investigation that followed
and the diplomatic intrigue that saw a Scottish court convened in
the Netherlands. He describes the controversial release of
al-Megrahi, explains the international dimensions involved and lays
bare the commercial and security interests that ran in the
background throughout the investigation and trial. Finally, he
answers how and why it happened - and who was really responsible
for the worst terrorist attack to have occurred on British soil
before or since.
They did what?! That would never happen here. Yes it can, and it
certainly will if you don't become proactive in learning how to
avoid the disastrous scenarios befalling companies every day.
Written by a seasoned HR expert and employment attorney, Hard-Won
Wisdom takes you inside the messy reality of situations gone wrong,
including: * A joking comment taken as a command* An email exchange
that escalates ridiculously out of control* A request for
confidentiality that backfires in a big way* The right employee
fired the wrong way* The wrong employee fired the right wayBut this
collection of real-life war stories doesn't stop there. The
sometimes funny, but always cautionary tales are also used to
reinforce crucial lessons for managers. From failing to give
feedback and withholding key information to exercising poor
judgment and making faulty assumptions, every story highlights the
role management plays in exacerbating (or easing) trouble. Through
many unfortunate situations, other managers have learned the hard
way how to better motivate underachievers, defuse angry employees,
discipline without inviting legal action, and handle many other
employee problems. But you don't have to learn the way they did!
Learn from their hard-won wisdom before it's too late!
Prison, Inc. provides a first-hand account of life behind bars
in a controversial new type of prison facility: the private prison.
These for-profit prisons are becoming increasingly popular as state
budgets get tighter. Yet as privatization is seen as a necessary
and cost-saving measure, not much is known about how these
facilities are run and whether or not they can effectively watch
over this difficult and dangerous population. For the first time,
Prison, Inc. provides a look inside one of these private prisons as
told through the eyes of an actual inmate, K.C. Carceral who has
been in the prison system for over twenty years.
The pastor of Christmas Church, a Palestinian Lutheran
congregation, Mitri Raheb here presents a powerful collection of
compelling personal stories of desperation and hope in the midst of
lethal conflict, bringing the Palestinian/Israeli conflict up close
and personal. Raheb's lifelong commitment to his people has kept
him in the legendary birthplace of Christianity, even as Bethlehem
has become a flashpoint in the world's most volatile and
hate-filled conflict. His passionate personal testimony lifts up
the stray gesture toward friendship, the brave attempts to rebuild
life and livelihood in a destroyed land, and the unquenchable
desire for justice and peace.
"An engrossing microcosm of the internet's Wild West years" (Kirkus
Reviews), award-winning journalist David Kushner tells the
incredible battle between the founder of Match.com and the con man
who swindled him out of the website Sex.com, resulting in an
all-out war for control for what still powers the internet today:
love and sex.In 1994, visionary entrepreneur Gary Kremen used a
$2,500 loan to create the first online dating service, Match.com.
Only five percent of Americans were using the internet at the time,
and even fewer were looking online for love. He quickly bought the
Sex.com domain too, betting the combination of love and sex would
help propel the internet into the mainstream. Imagine Kremen's
surprise when he learned that someone named Stephen Michael Cohen
had stolen the rights to Sex.com and was already making millions
that Kremen would never see. Thus follows the wild true story of
Kremen's and Cohen's decade-long battle for control. In The Players
Ball, author and journalist David Kushner provides a front seat to
these must-read Wild West years online, when innovators and outlaws
battled for power and money. This cat-and-mouse game between a
genius and a con man changed the way people connect forever, and is
key to understanding the rise and future of the online world.
"Kushner delivers a fast-paced, raunchy tale of sex, drugs, and
dial-up." --Publishers Weekly
Perfect Prey relates how author Liz Cole was victimized by an
online career con artist and how she turned the tables to expose
the con man on national television. Much of this book is written as
a real time journal, taking readers inside the world of Liz Cole
and her suitor, an ex-convict and predator. About the Author and
Perfect Prey: Recently divorced, with low self-esteem, Liz Cole
turned to online dating and met a charming Irishman in reality, a
Quebec man with a criminal record who preyed on her and vanished.
Cole then set out to track him down. She found past victims and
learned of the man s lengthy periods of incarceration before
finding and publicly humiliating him in a national TV
confrontation, also featured on U.S. website www.love fraud.com
Every year across North America an average 1.1 million people
divorce. Many of these people join countless singles and also
children in turning to the Internet for friendship, love and
romance. But online con artists are finding fertile ground in
attracting unsuspecting prey. The problem is only likely to get
worse given the following statistics: 74% of single North Americans
have explored online dating (8 million people) 31% of N. American
adults (70 million) know someone who used dating websites 26% of N.
American adults (58 million) know someone who has dated online 2.2
million of us met their spouse online 2.8 million single N.
Americans pay for dating sites; multi-million-dollar industry 30%
of 18-24-year-olds worry about being stalked online for good
reason. 32% of online teenagers have been contacted by complete
strangers online. Liz Cole learned the hard way how easy it can be
to be taken in by online fraud artists and she provides valuable
advice. This is your opportunity to learn from her experience to
protect yourself and your loved ones. Her fascinating story can
save you from becoming the next online victim.
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