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No Tech Hacking: A Guide to Social Engineering, Dumpster Diving, and Shoulder Surfing
Johnny Long's last book sold 12,000 units worldwide. Kevin Mitnick's last book sold 40,000 units in North America.
As the cliché goes, information is power. In this age of technology, an increasing majority of the world's information is stored electronically. It makes sense then that we rely on high-tech electronic protection systems to guard that information. As professional hackers, Johnny Long and Kevin Mitnick get paid to uncover weaknesses in those systems and exploit them. Whether breaking into buildings or slipping past industrial-grade firewalls, their goal has always been the extract the information using any means necessary. After hundreds of jobs, they have discovered the secrets to bypassing every conceivable high-tech security system. This book reveals those secrets; as the title suggests, it has nothing to do with high technology.
• Dumpster Diving
Be a good sport and don’t read the two “D” words written in big bold letters above, and act surprised when I tell you hackers can accomplish this without relying on a single bit of technology (punny).
• Tailgating
Hackers and ninja both like wearing black, and they do share the ability to slip inside a building and blend with the shadows.
• Shoulder Surfing
If you like having a screen on your laptop so you can see what you’re working on, don’t read this chapter.
• Physical Security
Locks are serious business and lock technicians are true engineers, most backed with years of hands-on experience. But what happens when you take the age-old respected profession of the locksmith and sprinkle it with hacker ingenuity?
• Social Engineering with Jack Wiles
Jack has trained hundreds of federal agents, corporate attorneys, CEOs and internal auditors on computer crime and security-related topics. His unforgettable presentations are filled with three decades of personal "war stories" from the trenches of Information Security and Physical Security.
• Google Hacking
A hacker doesn’t even need his own computer to do the necessary research. If he can make it to a public library, Kinko's or Internet cafe, he can use Google to process all that data into something useful.
• P2P Hacking
Let’s assume a guy has no budget, no commercial hacking software, no support from organized crime and no fancy gear. With all those restrictions, is this guy still a threat to you? Have a look at this chapter and judge for yourself.
• People Watching
Skilled people watchers can learn a whole lot in just a few quick glances. In this chapter we’ll take a look at a few examples of the types of things that draws a no-tech hacker’s eye.
• Kiosks
What happens when a kiosk is more than a kiosk? What happens when the kiosk holds airline passenger information? What if the kiosk holds confidential patient information? What if the kiosk holds cash?
• Vehicle Surveillance
Most people don’t realize that some of the most thrilling vehicular espionage happens when the cars aren't moving at all!
As the cliché goes, information is power. In this age of technology, an increasing majority of the world's information is stored electronically. It makes sense then that we rely on high-tech electronic protection systems to guard that information. As professional hackers, Johnny Long and Kevin Mitnick get paid to uncover weaknesses in those systems and exploit them. Whether breaking into buildings or slipping past industrial-grade firewalls, their goal has always been the extract the information using any means necessary. After hundreds of jobs, they have discovered the secrets to bypassing every conceivable high-tech security system. This book reveals those secrets; as the title suggests, it has nothing to do with high technology.
• Dumpster Diving
Be a good sport and don’t read the two “D” words written in big bold letters above, and act surprised when I tell you hackers can accomplish this without relying on a single bit of technology (punny).
• Tailgating
Hackers and ninja both like wearing black, and they do share the ability to slip inside a building and blend with the shadows.
• Shoulder Surfing
If you like having a screen on your laptop so you can see what you’re working on, don’t read this chapter.
• Physical Security
Locks are serious business and lock technicians are true engineers, most backed with years of hands-on experience. But what happens when you take the age-old respected profession of the locksmith and sprinkle it with hacker ingenuity?
• Social Engineering with Jack Wiles
Jack has trained hundreds of federal agents, corporate attorneys, CEOs and internal auditors on computer crime and security-related topics. His unforgettable presentations are filled with three decades of personal "war stories" from the trenches of Information Security and Physical Security.
• Google Hacking
A hacker doesn’t even need his own computer to do the necessary research. If he can make it to a public library, Kinko's or Internet cafe, he can use Google to process all that data into something useful.
• P2P Hacking
Let’s assume a guy has no budget, no commercial hacking software, no support from organized crime and no fancy gear. With all those restrictions, is this guy still a threat to you? Have a look at this chapter and judge for yourself.
• People Watching
Skilled people watchers can learn a whole lot in just a few quick glances. In this chapter we’ll take a look at a few examples of the types of things that draws a no-tech hacker’s eye.
• Kiosks
What happens when a kiosk is more than a kiosk? What happens when the kiosk holds airline passenger information? What if the kiosk holds confidential patient information? What if the kiosk holds cash?
• Vehicle Surveillance
Most people don’t realize that some of the most thrilling vehicular espionage happens when the cars aren't moving at all!
384 pages, Paperback
First published February 21, 2007
19 people are currently reading
972 people want to read
About the author
Johnny Long
24 books13 followersJohnny Long is a Christian by grace, a professional hacker by trade, a pirate by blood, a ninja in training, a security researcher and author. He can be found lurking at his website (http://johnny.ihackstuff.com). He is the founder of Hackers For Charity(http://ihackcharities.org), an organization that provides hackers with job experience while leveraging their skills for charities that need those skills.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
January 4, 2011
I think I already wrote my review, but just in case . . .
A few takeaways:
1) there are many padlocks can be opened without bolt cutters
2) keep a low profile - I removed my business card that I had taped on my laptop, and from my bags;
3) shoulder-surfing 101 - just be more observant as to what's going on around you;
4) have fun with this book - it's a quick read and gets you to thinking about simple security.
There's more, just take a look at the sample chapter on Amazon.
A few takeaways:
1) there are many padlocks can be opened without bolt cutters
2) keep a low profile - I removed my business card that I had taped on my laptop, and from my bags;
3) shoulder-surfing 101 - just be more observant as to what's going on around you;
4) have fun with this book - it's a quick read and gets you to thinking about simple security.
There's more, just take a look at the sample chapter on Amazon.
May 13, 2014
Good idea for a book. Not so great in execution. Almost looks like one of those books for 'Dummies'. The largest chapter, on Google Hacking, is ripped directly from another book by the same author and is little more than grainy, hard to read, black and white photos. I rate it an....... Eh.
September 23, 2011
A pretty good introduction to social engineering and physical penetration testing. The mix of stories as good examples and then a list of practical steps to be more resilient to social engineering attacks was good.
October 5, 2019
There's a lot to learn from this book, and the fact it's mostly pictures makes it very easy to get through. I personally feel the formatting and presentation leave something to be desired, but this is definitely a good read for information security professionals and those who are conscious about their own security.
April 15, 2024
ʜᴇʟʟᴏ ᴇᴠᴇʀʏᴏɴᴇ?, ɪ'ʟʟ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴛᴏ ꜱʜᴀʀᴇ ᴍʏ ᴇxᴘᴇʀɪᴇɴᴄᴇ ᴡɪᴛʜ ( ᴄᴏɴʟᴇʏᴊʙᴇᴇꜱᴘʏ606@ɢᴍᴀɪʟ.ᴄᴏᴍ), ꜱᴏ ꜱᴀᴅ 😞💔 ɪ ʜᴀᴅ ꜱᴇʀɪᴏᴜꜱ ɪꜱꜱᴜᴇꜱ ᴀꜰᴛᴇʀ ɪ ɢᴏᴛ ʙᴀᴄᴋ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ꜱᴘᴀɪɴ ᴏɴ ᴀ ʙᴜꜱɪɴᴇꜱꜱ ᴛʀɪᴘ, ᴍʏ ꜰʀɪᴇɴᴅꜱ ᴀᴛ ʜᴏᴍᴇ ᴡᴇʀᴇ ʟᴏᴏᴋɪɴɢ ᴡᴏʀʀɪᴇᴅ ꜰᴏʀ ᴍᴇ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴍʏ ᴡɪꜰᴇ ʜᴀᴅ ʙᴇᴇɴ ᴅᴏɪɴɢ ꜱᴏᴍᴇ ꜱᴛᴜꜰꜰ ᴡʜɪʟᴇ ɪ ᴡᴀꜱ ᴀᴡᴀʏ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇʏ ꜰᴇʟᴛ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴡᴇ ᴡᴀꜱ ᴅᴏɴᴇ, ᴏꜰ ᴄᴏᴜʀꜱᴇ ɪ ᴅɪᴅɴ’ᴛ ʙᴇʟɪᴇᴠᴇ ᴇᴠᴇʀʏᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇʏ ꜱᴀɪᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ɪ'ᴍ ɴᴏᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛʏᴘᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴄᴏɴꜰʀᴏɴᴛ ᴀɴʏʙᴏᴅʏ ꜱᴏ ɪ ᴅɪᴅɴ’ᴛ, ɪ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ (ᴄᴏɴʟᴇʏᴊʙᴇᴇꜱᴘʏ606@ɢᴍᴀɪʟ.ᴄᴏᴍ) ᴏɴʟɪɴᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ɪ ᴄᴏɴᴛᴀᴄᴛᴇᴅ ʜɪᴍ, ʙᴇꜰᴏʀᴇ ɪ ᴛʀᴀᴠᴇʟʟᴇᴅ ʙᴀᴄᴋ ꜰᴏʀ ᴡᴏʀᴋ ɪ ꜰᴏᴜɴᴅ ᴏᴜᴛ ᴀ-ʟᴏᴛ ᴀɴᴅ ɪᴛ ʀᴇᴀʟʟʏ ʜᴜʀᴛ ᴍᴇ, ꜱʜᴇ ꜱᴛɪʟʟ ᴅᴏᴇꜱɴ’ᴛ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ɪ ᴄᴀɴ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʜᴇʀ ᴡʜᴀᴛꜱᴀᴘᴘ ᴄᴏɴᴠᴇʀꜱᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛᴇxᴛ ᴍᴇꜱꜱᴀɢᴇꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ᴏɴᴄᴇ ɪ ᴄᴏɴꜰʀᴏɴᴛ ʜᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ꜱʜᴇ ᴛᴇʟʟꜱ ᴀ ʟɪᴇ, ɪ ᴡɪʟʟ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴛʜᴀɴ ᴇɴᴏᴜɢʜ ᴇᴠɪᴅᴇɴᴄᴇ. ʏᴏᴜ ᴄᴀɴ ᴄᴏɴᴛᴀᴄᴛ ᴛʜɪꜱ ʜᴀᴄᴋᴇʀ ᴏɴ ᴛᴇʟᴇɢʀᴀᴍ +44 7456 058620 ᴏʀ ꜱᴇɴᴅ ᴀɴ ᴇᴍᴀɪʟ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇᴍ ᴛʜɪꜱ ʜᴀᴄᴋᴇʀ ᴀʟꜱᴏ ʀᴇɢɪꜱᴛᴇʀ ᴜɴᴅᴇʀ ʜᴇ ꜰʙɪ
November 4, 2017
Guaranteed to make you somewhat paranoid, still cool. Loved what the guy could accomplish with one camera -- the pictures were very enlightening. The no-tech chapters are full of seemingly obvious information I'd have ignored if the photos weren't there to prove we can all be a tad stupid when it comes to digital security. Just reading this made me look at my desktop with another set of eyes.
August 4, 2016
I think this one should be on everyone's must read list. In fact, I would recommend re-reading it at least once a year until you memorize it. Some of the technical stuff is dated, but the principles and lessons are timeless. Follow up by watching the YouTube video of Johnny giving this presentation. Seriously, do it.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews