Wolfgang Sützl, Geoff Cox (eds.): Creating Insecurity: Art and Culture in the Age of Security (2009)

“Today we are facing extreme and most dangerous developments in the thought of security. In the course of a gradual neutralization of politics and the progressive surrender of traditional tasks of the state, security imposes itself as the basic principle of state activity. What used to be one among several decisive measures of public administration until the first half of the twentieth century, now becomes the sole criterion of political legitimation. The thought of security entails an essential risk. A state which has security as its sole task and source of legitimacy is a fragile organism; it can always be provoked by terrorism to become itself terrorist.

Following the words of Giorgio Agamben (from his 2001 article “On Security and Terror”), security has become the basic principle of international politics after 9/11, and the “sole criterion of political legitimation.” But security — reducing plural, spontaneous and surprising phenomena to a level of calculability — also seems to operate against a political legitimacy based on possibilities of dissent, and stands in clear opposition to artistic creativity. Being uncalculable by nature, art is often incompatible with the demands of security and consequently viewed as a “risk,” leading to the arrest of artists, and a neutralization of innovative environments for the sake of security.

Yet precisely the position of art outside the calculable seems to bring about a new politicization of art, and some speak of art as “politics by other means.” Has art become the last remaining enclave of a critique of violence? Yet how “risky” can art be?”

Contributions from Giorgio Agamben, Konrad Becker, Bureau of Inverse Technology, Geoff Cox, Florian Cramer, glorious ninth, Brian Holmes, carlos katastrofsky, Martin Knahl, Norbert Koppensteiner, Daniela Ingruber, The Institute for Applied Autonomy, Naeem Mohaiemen, Mukul Patel, Luis Silva, Wolfgang Sützl, Tiziana Terranova, and McKenzie Wark.

Publisher Autonomedia/I-DAT, 2009
Creative Commons license
DATA browser series, 4
ISBN 9781570272059
208 pages

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Sumit Ghosh, Elliot Turrini (eds.): Cybercrimes: A Multidisciplinary Analysis (2010)

Designed to serve as a reference work for practitioners, academics and scholars worldwide, this book is the first of its kind to explain complex cybercrimes from the perspectives of multiple disciplines (computer science, law, economics, psychology, etc.) and scientifically analyze their impact on individuals, society, and nations holistically and comprehensively. In particular, the book shows – How multiple disciplines concurrently bring out the complex, subtle, and elusive nature of cybercrimes; – How cybercrimes will affect every human endeavor, at the level of individuals, societies, and nations; – How to legislate proactive cyberlaws, building on a fundamental grasp of computers and networking, and stop reacting to every new cyberattack; – How conventional laws and traditional thinking fall short in protecting us from cybercrimes; – How we may be able to transform the destructive potential of cybercrimes into amazing innovations in cyberspace that can lead to explosive technological growth and prosperity.

Publisher Springer, 2010
ISBN 3642135463, 9783642135460
414 pages

publisher
google books

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Johnny Long: No Tech Hacking: A Guide to Social Engineering, Dumpster Diving, and Shoulder Surfing (2008)

As the cliche reminds us, information is power. In this age of computer systems and technology, an increasing majority of the world’s information is stored electronically. It makes sense then that as an industry we rely on high-tech electronic protection systems to guard that information. As a professional hacker, I get paid to uncover weaknesses in those systems and exploit them. Whether breaking into buildings or slipping past industrial-grade firewalls, my goal has always been the same: extract the informational secrets using any means necessary. After hundreds of jobs, I discovered the secret to bypassing every conceivable high-tech security system. This book reveals those secrets, and as the title suggests, it has nothing to do with high technology. As it turns out, the secret isn’t much of a secret at all. Hackers have known about these techniques for years. Presented in a light, accessible style, you’ll get to ride shotgun with the authors on successful real-world break-ins as they share photos, videos and stories that prove how vulnerable the high-tech world is to no-tech attacks.

As you browse this book, you’ll hear old familiar terms like “dumpster diving”, “social engineering”, and “shoulder surfing”. Some of these terms have drifted into obscurity to the point of becoming industry folklore; the tactics of the pre-dawn information age. But make no mistake; these and other old-school tactics work with amazing effectiveness today. In fact, there’s a very good chance that someone in your organization will fall victim to one or more of these attacks this year. Will they be ready?

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!

Foreword by Kevin David Mitnick
Publisher Syngress, 2008
ISBN 1597492159, 9781597492157
285 pages

publisher
google books

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