Spies Among Us: How to Stop the Spies, Terrorists, Hackers, and Criminals You Don't Even Know You Encounter Every Day

Those who are already paranoid about information theft, both personal and professional, should take a muscle relaxant before reading this eye-opening survey of the many holes that exist in our security and intelligence systems. Author Winkler (Corporate Espionage) began his career at the National Security Agency, and his exploits in the private sector, testing security systems by breaking into banks and high-profile companies, have earned him a place in the Information Systems Security Association Hall of Fame. Winkler's background not only lends his book an authoritative voice, but embellishes his nuts-and-bolts material with rich references to intriguing cases in which he's been involved. The book kicks off provocatively, explaining why James Bond and Sydney Bristow from the TV show Alias ""suck as spies"" and detailing what spies at various levels actually do. He then goes on to explain how spies and/or ""their friends"" (i.e., hackers, identity thieves, spammers, etc.) can get at an organization. Although the book will interest security professionals more than consumers, there's some choice bits here for readers captivated by cloak-and-dagger endeavors. Winkler's chapter on ""How to Be a Spy"" shines as a concise tutorial on how genuine spooks operate, and his case studies, which make up the middle of the book, fascinate as examples of how easy it can be to compromise the security systems of high visibility companies-even post 9/11. Overall, this is a thorough, at times absorbing, cautionary tale for any company or person who subscribes to the Boy Scout motto: Be prepared.