Hacking the Hacker

Introduction

The intent of this book is to celebrate the world of computer security defenders by profiling some of the world’s best whitehat hackers, defenders, privacy protectors, teachers, and writers. It’s my hope that you’ll walk away with a greater appreciation of the behind‐the‐scene efforts it took to give us the fantastic world of computers we live in today. Without all the good people on our side fighting against those who would do us harm, computers, the Internet, and everything connected to them would not be possible. This book is a celebration of the defenders.

I want to encourage anyone contemplating a career in computers to consider a career in computer security. I also want to encourage any budding hackers, especially those who might be struggling with the ethics of their knowledge, to pursue a career in computer security. I’ve made a good life fighting malicious hackers and their malware creations. I’ve been able to explore every single hacking interest I’ve had in an ethical and law‐abiding way. So, too, do tens of thousands of others. Computer security is one of the hottest and best paying careers in any country. It has been very good to me, and it can be for you, too.

For most of this book, I provide a chapter that summarizes how a particular style of hacking is accomplished, and then I follow it with one or more profiles of computer security defenders lauded in that field. I’ve tried to pick a variety of representative industry legends, luminaries, and even ...