As a work of literature, this book is unsatisfying. It rides entirely on its plot, which is dramatic but uncomplicated. The characters are either forgettable or feel generated from stock materials. The language is often awkward. Schwartau attempts to encompass some broad elements, such as the interactions between government, individual politics, and public policy. Ultimately these topics are only as interesting as the individuals motivating them, and Schwartau's characters were not believable enough to make me buy into (or care about) the political maneuvering being described.

The period of denouement was exciting and fun, but I found the ultimate resolution almost entirely unbelievable. The remedy just plain wouldn't work, and at some level that's the point of the book. I think he shied away from the apocalyptic ending he had planned, and the result -- at least for me -- meant that the plot ended with a wimper, and that was most of what this book had going for it.

The real protagonist of this story is the internet, and the author definitely knows his computer vulnerabilities. This could work as a teaching story; but that just isn't interesting enough for 500+ pages of fiction. I think this work would have benefited from some aggressive editing. If you are a layman technologist, want some lightweight introduction to computer security, you might enjoy this book. In particular, for anyone unaware of the risks that accompany the benefits of our online, interconnected civilization, this book could be a very interesting read.

As for me, I found it thin and overlong.

Wow, I started reading this book with no emotions other than that I have known this author for a long time. In the beginning I kept looking for signs about the author and what I would recognize. The amazing thing about this book is that as you are reading, you are involved in the story and can not stop. Yes, it is a great story but you soon begin to realize that this could be reality and it is very scary. Scary to the degree that the adrenaline starts pumping and you realize that this is so real life you can only be scared that God forbid half of what Mr. Schwartau is saying could really happen. Yes, this is fiction but the kind of fiction that has you sitting on the edge of your seat (at home or a plane)begging for more yet fearing that this could really be the headlines of today. The most amazing fact is that this book was conceived many years before 9/11 and is by far scarier than anything you might be reading in today's headlines. This is a great read for a great thrill but if you pay attention the intention of this book will linger on for a very long time.

This book is, in every way, a winner. It is not only a gripping read and great fun, but it is a truly well-written scenario for an information warfare attack against the U.S. Economy.

Several years ago, in his bestselling novel Debt of Honor, Tom Clancy scratched the surface of economic information warfare. In Pearl Harbor.com, Winn Schwartau takes the reader through a weeks-long attack against the national information infrastructure.

However, the book is not only a thirller. It is throught-provoking in a number of ways, exploring the true psyche of the hacker community; the dependance that Western Civilization now has on Computers; and the spectre of "what if we had to live without it."

This book is must-reading for anyone who has anything to do with information security, homeland defense, or economic security.

Schwartau's latest book is not only a thriller, but is a wake-up call that clearly shows the dangers of ignoring our critical information systems.

This book is well written. It uses language kids can understand, and also points parents and teachers to additional resources. A great book for parents to read WITH their kids, with lots of discussion suggestions at the end of every chapter. It can really help parents guide their children in the Internet age.

After I saw this book on Tech tv i had to have it and its well worth it..

We have to use this book in our Information Technology course, and we were all a little hesitant at first, but from the first page this book had us laughing...and thinking. It provides you with great resources and plenty of opportunities to flex your mind muscles with hypothetical situations and challenging questions. I actually enjoy using THIS text book! Everyone who has a computer should get it, if for no other reason that to laugh and think!

Schwartau is a compelling writer, who spells out in easy-to-understand terms just what the internet REALLY means to those who live, work, and play there. He delves into security issues for the personal user, as well as for the businessman, while never treating the reader like an ignoramus. It's a riveting, enjoyable book, packed full of information that will both fascinate and unsettle everyone who logs on-line for any length of time, for any reason. Schwartau gives us a study of hackers and phreakers that doesn't treat them as heroes or villains, but as members of a different culture, as apart from the mainstream as the beats and hippies of the 50's and 60's were to Ozzie and Harriet. Buy this book, read it, make notes. And then for god's sake tell EVERYONE you know to get their own copy. This thing is more a primer for the 21st century, than a book on computers.

I thoroughly enjoyed Winn Schwartau's book. He gives the reader an insightful look of hackers and phreakers community. He doesn't berate that community, but helps the reader understand what they are about. Schwartau's book makes this dangerous issue easy to understand and is written in a way that everyone has a chance of reading this book. He also fills the book with examples of security breaks that he has encountered. His stories seem scary at first, but he also emphasizes that there are ways to deter such attacks. His idea is not to get readers to stop using computers and the Internet because of such attacks, but to get them aware of what it out there and to take countermeasures. His real life stories are what make the book interesting to read and enjoy. I think that he could have offered sort of program that would allow the reader to see an example of a security program, maybe negotiating a deal to market a program would have been nice to include.

Cybershock: Surviving Hackers, Phreakers, Identity Thieves, Internet Terrorists and Weapons of Mass Disruption by Winn Schwartau is an enlightening look at the dangers of the Internet from a consumer/ general user perspective. If I had one book to give friends and family that demonstrates the types of threats they need to be aware of in the information age, it would be Schwartau's Cybershock. Winn wrote this book for the mass market and he never strays from his target audience. He makes no apologies to those who are familiar with technology and security when he provides real-life examples of information security horror stories involving fraud or identity theft that many might label as fear mongering. Winn's stories are personal because he has been a victim and many of his friends and relatives have been targeted as well. One of Winn's major objectives in writing this book was to advance ideas on privacy and Internet rights, and many of the examples point the reader in a specific direction. However, Winn doesn't hide the fact that he is trying to be somewhat controversial to raise awareness on specific issues. The book, after all is entitled Cybershock, not Cybercalm. As an added bonus, the book also provides some interesting historical perspectives as Winn describes and interviews individuals who were visionaries offering information security services or predicted new threats before they emerged.

Very informative, a great insight as to what is possible. This should make many people more aware of the need for some sort of security on their systems.

The importance of the contents of this book cannot be overstated. It is a collection of articles written by various experts in the field, which works well as it gives the reader a balanced view. Space prohibits a thorough review, so a list of some important highlights in the book is in order: 1. The discussion on applications of biotronics: bacteria that can detect single molecules of chemical and biological agents. 2. High-power radio frequency (HERF) weapons and their effects on biological systems. 3. The use of superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDS) to measure the magnetic neural activity of the brain. 4. The discussion on "assassination politics". 5. Cognitive maps used to visualize belief systems about information warfare. 6. The afterward of the book, which is the best part actually, for the reason that the author embraces an optimistic view of the future of the information age. He lists the "Ten Commandments" of computer ethics which should be followed by all individuals.

ALOT OF WHAT SCHWARTU IS TALKING ABOUT IN THIS BOOK IS POSSIBLE. SOME OF THE COMPANIES SECURITY IN THE UNITED STATES IS SOMEWHAT WEAK, BUT IMPROVING. SOME OF THE COMPANIES I HAVE WORKED FOR WOULD FLUNK IN THEIR SECURITY MEASURES. THE AUTHOR IS CORRECT ON HOW EASY IT IS TO GET INFORMATION FROM THE USA, FOR EXAMPLE THE SITUATION WITH CHINA ON THE NUCLEAR TECH. SECRETS THAT THEY NOW POSES IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF WHAT WINN SCHWARTAU IS TALKING ABOUT. AND THE S.S.AGENTS WHOS NAMES WERE POSTED ON THE WEB IS ANOTHER EXAMPLE

This book is a lightweight in the recent flood of cyberscare publications. It presents some interesting perspectives on US-French competition in the world of industrial espionage but overall it is not very informative. Its principal failing is that it is a book about technology that butchers technical details.

The author's disconnect with technology is demonstrated in his discussion of the Clipper chip. Clipper is now installed in most stand-alone voice encryptors that are sold in the US. At the beginning of each phone call a new session key is shared between the two callers. It is not practical to find this session key by guessing but a separately encrypted version is sent along with the conversation. The session key can be discovered by government agencies through appropriate procedures. The author's discussion of this states that a NSA proposal "...would add a device called the clipper chip to every telephone or computer manufactured in the United States." For most phones that use analog transmission of voice this would clearly make no sense. Apparently the author missed the issue entirely.

In places the book becomes more of a political platform than a balanced discussion. After condemning filtering programs that block access to porn sites he states that "The fun for those who devote themselves to censorship is the daily discovery of new sites that they can condemn and prohibit"

Even commonly known security details are missed. In a discussion of phone phreaking the author states that the publication titled 2600 was named after the frequency that a quarter made when falling into a pay phone. 2600 Hertz is actually the frequency of a supervisory tone that was used to bypass toll equipment.

In an evaluation of the hacker Kevin Mitnick's his technical abilities were rated as #2 in the world. I am personally aquatinted with associates of Mitnick who state that he is a technical wannabe that excels only in dumpster diving and social engineering.

[exerpted from a review for Security Management -- all rights reserved by the author]

Jean, a nationally-respected journalist in France who has covered espionage matters for decades, is the author of one of those rare French books that make it into the U.S. marketplace. Translated into English after great reviews in Europe, it charts the migration of European and Anglo-Saxon intelligence professionals into cyber-space.

Cyberwars: Espionage on the Internet. By Jean Guisnel; published by Plenum Publishing, 800/221-9369 (phone), 212/647-1898 (fax); 296 pages; $26.95.

In the recent flood of cyberspace publications, this book at best adds a mere trickle to the literature. While the author presents some interesting perspectives on United States­French competition in industrial espionage (in fact, the book is translated into English from French), the faulty technical details present throughout ultimately sink this effort.

The author's disconnect with technology stands out in his discussion of the Clipper chip, which is now installed in most standalone voice encryptors sold in the United States--but in few other applications. The author contends that the National Security Agency proposes to add the chip to every telephone manufactured in the United States. This statement is both illogical and wrong. Analog phones, which can't take chips, continue to be widely manufactured because they are far more affordable than digital phones. Moreover, digital phones are generally hooked to analog lines and don't use encryption. Thus, installing Clipper in all phones makes no sense.

The author even confuses commonly known security details. In a discussion of phone phreaking, for example, he claims that the publication titled 2600 was named after the frequency generated by a quarter as it plunks into the slot in a pay phone. In fact, the publication's title derives from the frequency in hertz of a supervisory tone used to bypass toll equipment.

And in places the book lapses from a balanced discussion into political commentary. For example, after criticizing filtering programs that block access to pornographic and other objectionable Web sites, the author states that "The fun for those who devote themselves to censorship is the daily discovery of new sites that they can condemn and prohibit."

Instead of providing new material, this book is essentially a collection of accounts of computer intrusions previously published in newspapers. Security managers seeking a digest of hacking articles might find some value in this book, but it is not recommended for serious practitioners.

Reviewer: Gordon Mitchell, Ph.D., manages Future Focus, a Seattle-area company that gathers clues from hard disks for commercial clients. He is a member of ASIS. D&M company for scientific research