The Hacking of America: Who's Doing It, Why, and How

by Bernadette H. Schell, John L. Dodge

Overview

Hackers get a bad rap. Businesses, industries, and even society as a whole covet their skills, yet they are often misunderstood and frequently despised. Is their vilification justified? This is the first book to use previously validated psychological inventories to explore and profile the personalities and behavioral traits of more than 200 self-admitted hackers. Many of the profiled are at the top of their game, revered by both the good hackers (white hats) and their more malevolent peers (black hats).

While there are serious reasons to fear the darker elements of the hacker community, there is also much to admire in their nobler counterparts. Fascinating case studies on hackers who have been caught and convicted of their crimes, as well as those betrayed by their peers, offer a unique, credible understanding of what makes hackers tick. The authors examine current laws meant to control hacking and its collateral crimes—stalking and terrorism—along with other means of reining in the irresponsible scriptkiddies and vicious black hats. Moderated and balanced, this book is an easy-to-read, authoritative source information for anyone interested in who hackers are, and how much we should worry about them.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781567204605
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	11/30/2002
Series:	Praeger Security International
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	320
Product dimensions:	6.14(w) x 9.21(h) x 0.75(d)

About the Author

Bernadette H. Schell is a well-published professor in the human-computer interaction domain.

Table of Contents

Hacker Basics
Introduction: Fears about Hackers and Why This Book Was Written
Hackersom History: Highlights, Facts, and Headline Makers
A Balanced View about Hackers: The Good Side
A Balanced View about Hackers: The Bad Side
Hacker Study Findings and Related Topics
The Demographic Profile of J. Random Hacker: What the Literature Says and What Our Study Found
The Psychological Aspects of Hackers: What the Literature Says
The Psychological Aspects of Hackers: What Our Study Found
The Social Characteristics of Hackers: What the Literature Says and What Our Study Found
The Black Hat Cyberterrorists: What the Literature Says
The Black Hat Cyberstalkers: What the Literature Says and What Our Study Found
Remedies for Black Hat Hacking
Social Controls on Hackers: Court Remedies and Legislation in North America and Britain
The Ethics and Morality of Hackers: Are Present Remedies Working?
Further Reading
Index

Editorial Reviews

This informative and well-written book deals exactly with what the title states. We are afraid of computer hackers yet do not know much about who hackers are, their motivation, or personalities, and think of them in stereotypical ways. Schell and Dodge clearly present a broad picture of people in the hacker community and their activities—i.e., the Black Hat (the kind of hackers we often stereotype) and the White Hat. . . . This interesting book will appeal to both specialists and laypersons, since no one can escape hacker activities. Highly recommended. Public and academic levels; all collections.” —Choice

From the Publisher