Spies among Us or Invisible Engines

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

Author: Ira Winkler

Ira Winkler has been dubbed "A Modern Day James Bond" by CNN and other media outlets for his ability to simulate espionage attacks against many of the top companies in the world, showing how billions of dollars can disappear. This unique book is packed with the riveting, true stories and case studies of how he did it-and how people and companies can avoid falling victim to the spies among us.

American corporations now lose as much as $300 billion a year to hacking, cracking, physical security breaches, and other criminal activity. Millions of people a year have their identities stolen or fall victim to other scams. In Spies Among Us, Ira Winkler reveals his security secrets, disclosing how companies and individuals can protect themselves from even the most diabolical criminals. He goes into the mindset of everyone from small-time hackers to foreign intelligence agencies to disclose cost-effective countermeasures for all types of attacks.

In Spies Among Us, readers learn:
* Why James Bond and Sydney Bristow are terrible spies
* How a team was able to infiltrate an airport in a post-9/11 world and plant a bomb
* How Ira and his team were able to steal nuclear reactor designs in three hours
* The real risks that individuals face from the spies that they unknowingly meet on a daily basis
* Recommendations for how companies and individuals can secure themselves against the spies, criminals, and terrorists who regularly cross their path

Publishers Weekly

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. (Apr.) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

Table of Contents:

Pt. I	Espionage concepts	1
1	How to be a spy	3
2	Why you can never be secure	30
3	Death by 1,000 cuts	40
4	Spies and their friends	52
5	How the spies really get you	106
Pt. II	Case studies	153
6	Spy vs. spy	155
7	Nuclear meltdown	171
8	Fill 'er up!	180
9	The entrepreneur	189
10	The criminal face of the Internet age	200
11	Crimes against individuals	214
Pt. III	Stopping the spies	229
12	Taking control	231
13	Taking action	294

New interesting book: Blood and Marrow Transplantation or Understanding Dietary Supplements

Invisible Engines: How Software Platforms Drive Innovation and Transform Industries

Author: David S Evans

Winner of the Business, Management & Accounting category in the 2006 Professional/Scholarly Publishing Annual Awards Competition presented by the Association of American Publishers, Inc.

Software platforms are the invisible engines that have created, touched, or transformed nearly every major industry for the past quarter century. They power everything from mobile phones and automobile navigation systems to search engines and web portals. They have been the source of enormous value to consumers and helped some entrepreneurs build great fortunes. And they are likely to drive change that will dwarf the business and technology revolution we have seen to this point. Invisible Engines examines the business dynamics and strategies used by firms that recognize the transformative power unleashed by this new revolution--a revolution that will change both new and old industries.

The authors argue that in order to understand the successes of software platforms, we must first understand their role as a technological meeting ground where application developers and end users converge. Apple, Microsoft, and Google, for example, charge developers little or nothing for using their platforms and make most of their money from end users; Sony PlayStation and other game consoles, by contrast, subsidize users and make more money from developers, who pay royalties for access to the code they need to write games. More applications attract more users, and more users attract more applications. And more applications and more users lead to more profits.

Invisible Engines explores this story through the lens of the companies that have mastered this platform-balancingact. It offers detailed studies of the personal computer, video game console, personal digital assistant, smart mobile phone, and digital media software platform industries, focusing on the business decisions made by industry players to drive profits and stay a step ahead of the competition. Shorter discussions of Internet-based software platforms provide an important glimpse into a future in which the way we buy, pay, watch, listen, learn, and communicate will change forever. An electronic version of this book is available under a Creative Commons license.

What People Are Saying

"As the power behind every kind of digital device, software platforms truly are the invisible engines of the information age. In their absorbing and comprehensive account of the evolution and economics of platform technologies, Evans, Hagiu, and Schmalensee essentially map out the still-evolving history of the third industrial revolution."
--Craig Mundie, Chief Technical Officer, Microsoft

"Most high-tech markets today revolve around software and are 'two-sided'--they require end-users as well as producers of complementary products such as software applications or digital content to support one platform over another. Invisible Engines is by far the broadest study of this subject to date. The authors probe expertly into the economics and technology underlying these markets as well as what business models and pricing strategies seem most likely to work. A very impressive book."
--Michael A. Cusumano, author of The Business of Software and coauthor of Platform Leadership

" Invisible Engines describes the economics of operating systems, those fiendishly complex pieces of software that provide the nervous system for computers, cell phones, game consoles, and a host of other devices. It is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand the economic forces that drive high-tech industries."
--Hal Varian, Haas School of Business and Department of Economics, University of California, Berkeley

"Invisible Engines is a highly sophisticated yet readable exploration of how companies do, can, and should deliver great value through software platforms. By combining economics and management, the authors deliver deep insights into the multifaceted world of software." --David B. Yoffie, Max and Doris Starr Professor of International Business Administration, Harvard Business School

"Google, eBay, mobile phones, and the Xbox have a lot more in common that you might suspect. Invisible Engines builds on recent thinking about two-sided platforms, including the authors' substantial contributions to it. Evans, Hagiu and Schmalensee beautifully blend economics, history, and business analysis to shed light on how businesses and policy makers should design their strategies. This exciting book will be a key resource for practitioners and academics interested in knowing how software platforms work and where information technologies are heading."
--Jean Tirole, Institut d'Economie Industrielle, University of Toulouse