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August 31, 2000
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Computer Security Institute
600 Harrison Street
San Francisco, CA 94107
415-947-6370
Internet: rrichardson@cmp.com

Critical Acclaim for
Richard Power's "Tangled Web"

Order "Tangled Web"

Richard Power's Explosive New Book, Tangled Web,
Reveals Hidden Dimensions of Cybercrime

SAN FRANCISCO -- An explosive new book by Richard Power, Editorial Director for the Computer Security Institute (CSI), discloses hitherto unrevealed details of major cybercrime investigations. Drawing on Power's in-depth interviews with investigators, prosecutors and Internet security experts as well as actual criminal affidavits and other previously unpublished court documents, "Tangled Web: Tales of Digital Crime from the Shadows of Cyberspace" (Que/Macmillan Publishing, ISBN: 0-7897-2443-X, $25) chronicles more than a dozen high-profile cases from recent years, including:

Citibank: Vladimir Levin, a Russian cybercriminal, stole $10 million dollars from Citibank. "Tangled Web" explores the twists and turns of the worldwide FBI investigation that led to the capture of Levin and his co-conspirators and dispels several misconceptions about the implications of their crime.

Phonemasters: In hacker parlance, the Phonemasters, a for-profit gang of cybercriminals, "owned" phone companies across the United States. They had a menu of illegal services. They charged $75 for personal credit reports, $100 for FBI records and $500 for a celebrity's address or phone number. "Tangled Web" tells how they did it and how a relentless FBI investigator took them down.

Tim Lloyd/Omega: Tim Lloyd, a disgruntled former network administrator for the Omega Engineering Corporation, wrote six lines of code that caused $10 million in financial losses to his former employers. In the course of detailing Lloyd's crime and the ensuing investigation, "Tangled Web" illustrates the staggering impact of insider sabotage.

"Tangled Web" explores a wide range of cybercrime and illuminates activity at all levels of law enforcement. In its case study of the Argentine hacker Jorge Ardita's spree through the internal networks of Harvard, MIT, NASA and other vital institutions, "Tangled Web" chronicles the cybersleuthing of a U.S. Navy investigator. In its case study of David Smith's launching of the "Melissa" virus (which caused at least $80 million in financial losses), "Tangled Web" follows the trail of a New Jersey State investigator.

"Tangled Web" explores what Power calls "the Digital Shadow," highlighting the negative side of the Internet revolution, calling urgently needed attention to the challenges of making cyberspace into a free, safe and reliable global commons.

"If you want to continue to reap the profits of the Internet economy and sustain its growth and opportunity beyond the initial gold rush," Power remarks, "you have to come to grips with the Digital Shadow. If you don't, your fortunes will be scattered in the wind just like the gold dust at the climax of the Hollywood classic, 'Treasure of Sierra Madre.'

"Dealing with the Digital Shadow is not as simple as installing a mix of firewalls and PKI. There are serious organizational issues, budgetary considerations and staffing decisions that are just as essential. The human factor is paramount."

"Tangled Web" delivers a comprehensive study of financial fraud, trade secret theft, computer break-ins, sabotage and other cybercrimes (including identity theft and the traffic in child pornography). Furthermore, it provides a balanced, sober look at the looming specters of information warfare and cyberterrorism.

"Tangled Web" also takes the reader inside the digital defenses of Fortune 500 companies, U.S. government agencies and international law enforcement to illustrate what really works and how best to approach the diverse threats faced in the 21st Century.

Packed with detail, seasoned with personal anecdotes and annotated with 50 tables, charts, diagrams and maps, Power's 450-page "Tangled Web" stands as the definitive statement on the 21st Century realities of cybercrime and infowar.

"Tangled Web": Tales of Digital Crime from the Shadows of Cyberspace. Que/Macmillan Publishing, ISBN: 0-7897-2443-X.
Publication date: August 31, 2000
450 Pages, Hardcover, $25.00

"Tangled Web" can be purchased in cyberspace from Amazon.Com (http://www.amazon.com), BarnesandNoble.com (http://www.barnesandnoble.com), Borders.Co (http://www.borders.com) and Fatbrain.com (http://www.fatbrain.com). It is also available at Borders, Walden's and other fine bookstores in the physical world.