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Loading... The Cuckoo's Egg: Tracking a Spy Through the Maze of Computer Espionage (original 1989; edition 2005)by Cliff Stoll TimBazzett | Jul 1, 2014 |   Very good. Even years later this book is thought provoking. In addition, it gives a historical view of computing at beginning of the widespread use of the Internet. (  ) Lewis.Noles | Mar 23, 2024 |  ) podocyte | Feb 25, 2024 |  ) gianouts | Jul 5, 2023 | But that's a minor complaint, overall this was a really cracking story. I'm really impressed by how well Stoll explained topics in computer science, networking, and security to readers who may very well have never been on a network before, and who may be hearing about hacking for the first time. He did a good job choosing what to simplify, and how, to let readers understand what was going on, while not overwhelming them or talking down to them. Even more impressive given that these intrusion detection techniques were things he invented, so he had no examples to draw from, and not many people around to give him advice. This book was all the rage in the BBS scene in the 90s, and I didn't read it then. I'm glad I finally got around to it. Maybe the longest time between putting a book on my "to read" pile and then actually reading it: about 30 years. ( ) adamhindman | Jan 12, 2023 | ) ahailes | Dec 19, 2022 |  ) Castinet | Dec 11, 2022 | The author is a true Berkeleyite, smart and a little crazy. He was an astronomer doing something like making lenses for the well known Lawrence Labs, a high-tech haven. Now, he makes bottles that don't hold anything and are of interest mainly to mathematical nerds, etc. He pretty much lived in his own world, but for a while, he was pulled out into a stint of international intrigue involving all the 3-letter agencies around then - the FBI, CIA, NSA, etc. Michael Perkins posted a link to an article about the author that was interesting and tells a bit about the book and his life: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/899323627 ( ) MartyFried | Oct 9, 2022 | Cliff Stoll from California was given a similar job back in the 1980s. 75 cents were missing from the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory accounts, and he was given the task of finding those missing pennies. It took him several years but eventually he was able to bring down one of the first cyberterrorist cells that was stealing military secrets and selling them to the Russians. While this is an old story, and computers and technology have now far surpassed what Cliff Stoll had to deal with, I still enjoy reading this for the history of the early hackers. ( ) Robloz | Sep 23, 2021 | ) royragsdale | Sep 22, 2021 | ) SharronA | Mar 13, 2021 | ) isovector | Dec 13, 2020 | ) goliathonline | Jul 7, 2020 | ) bread2u | Jul 1, 2020 | ) adam.currey | Aug 31, 2019 | Without giving the plot away, this is an excellent romp through some early hacking and counter hacking ideas and techniques. A must read if you ever use a computer. ( ) Douglas_K | Feb 16, 2018 | I wonder how dated it seems now? ( ) Kaethe | Oct 16, 2016 | The 1980s were more innocent times than ours. This is the first-person account of how Stoll, an astrophysics graduate turned sysadmin at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, spotted unauthorised access to the departmental VAX one day in 1986 and set off on a detective trail that eventually led to Cold War hacking and espionage. One has to admire his forensic attention to detail, in the face of apathy from the USA's own intelligence and security services and the constant threat of being told to get on with his day job by his bosses; but it's also extraordinary to reflect on how things have changed, in that there would be no difficulty now in getting a government agency to pay attention to hacking on this scale; there would be no legal difficulty in bringing a prosecution; the technical tools to track down hackers are much better developed; and the big international threat to cybersecurity is not in Russia but further east. Still, it's a great book. (  )1  nwhyte | Oct 7, 2016 | ) ndpmcIntosh | Mar 21, 2016 | ) Lorune | Jul 6, 2014 | Cliff Stoll seems an unlikely hero for an international spy thriller. The guy's an astronomer by training, but also a largely self-taught computer geek, a Berkley hippie sort who doesn't own a car and bikes everywhere. He enjoys cooking, sewing, and Quilting! But the thing is, the guy is cool, very cool. And he's funny too. In the course of the book you learn a little about his relationship with his partner, Martha, which is pretty laid back, unofficial and, well, cool. You also learn quite a lot about the early days of computers and the pre-internet age, when PC's were still something of a novelty and giant mainframe computers ruled. Well, they probably still do. And he also introduces you to the dangers of non-secure computers, how hackers can infiltrate and steal stuff, pretty important stuff in fact. You see how Cliff gradually eases himself from the hippy fringe into the heart of the military industrial complex, accidentally, as it were, just doing his job. Other players are folks from the FBI, CIA, NSA, and lots of DoD contractors too - the whole Beltway bunch and others scattered all over the USA. And, most important of all, Cliff Stoll is a great storyteller, a natural writer. Or, if he's not, he's got me fooled. I know I've 'discovered' this book almost twenty-five years late, but man, is it ever a terrific read! Five-PLUS stars. Highly recommended. Yeah, VERY highly! ( ) TimBazzett | Jul 1, 2014 | The copy of the book I read is traveling the world(!) Track it here: http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/6557574/ ( ) pratalife | Feb 9, 2014 | The copy of the book I read is traveling the world(!) Track it here: http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/6557574/ ( ) pratalife | Feb 9, 2014 | ) meekohi | Nov 19, 2013 | ) rachel8973 | Aug 24, 2013 | Absolutely fabulous writing...you'd expect - from the subject matter - that this would be as dry as a bone. But it's not. NOT AT ALL! Sometimes I have trouble following a whodunit. But not here -- it's all laid our it clear, concise lucid writing that Stoll also manages to make engaging through his characters. ( ) Clueless | Jul 8, 2013 | |
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Cliff Stoll seems an unlikely hero for an international spy thriller. The guy's an astronomer by training, but also a largely self-taught computer geek, a Berkley hippie sort who doesn't own a car and bikes everywhere. He enjoys cooking, sewing, and Quilting! But the thing is, the guy is cool, very cool. And he's funny too. In the course of the book you learn a little about his relationship with his partner, Martha, which is pretty laid back, unofficial and, well, cool. You also learn quite a lot about the early days of computers and the pre-internet age, when PC's were still something of a novelty and giant mainframe computers ruled. Well, they probably still do. And he also introduces you to the dangers of non-secure computers, how hackers can infiltrate and steal stuff, pretty important stuff in fact. You see how Cliff gradually eases himself from the hippy fringe into the heart of the military industrial complex, accidentally, as it were, just doing his job. Other players are folks from the FBI, CIA, NSA, and lots of DoD contractors too - the whole Beltway bunch and others scattered all over the USA.
And, most important of all, Cliff Stoll is a great storyteller, a natural writer. Or, if he's not, he's got me fooled. I know I've 'discovered' this book almost twenty-five years late, but man, is it ever a terrific read! Five-PLUS stars. Highly recommended. Yeah, VERY highly! (