Microsoft KB Archive/49442

Microsoft Press: Out of the Inner Circle PSS ID Number: Q49442 Article last modified on 12-06-1989 PSS database name: PRESS

“Out of the Inner Circle” Bill Landreth

Price: $9.95 ISBN: 1-55615-223-X 248 pages Pub. Date: April 28, 1989

To order: (800) 888-3303

“Out of the Inner Circle”

&quot;If you’re interested in what makes hackers crack, and want a very useful glimpse into the subculture that makes almost everyone in the Establishment nervous, `Out of the Inner Circle’ is excellent.

“Whole Earth Review”

This month, Tempus Books re-releases “Out of the Inner Circle,” an incredible story of technological intrigue. Originally published in 1985, this book will appeal to systems professionals, computer enthusiasts, and general readers alike.

With a genius-level IQ and an insatiable curiosity about computer systems, author Bill Landreth, a.k.a. “The Cracker,” was in 1983 a 19- year-old computer wizard and leader of “the Inner Circle,” an elite group of computer whiz kids. To the FBI, he was a high-tech criminal and the target of a federal investigation. Landreth was arrested by the FBI and charged with “wire fraud.” What he had accomplished – invading the nation’s tightest computer networks – was so unheard of that wire fraud statutes were the only federal laws under which this boy genius could be prosecuted. Landreth pleaded guilty, was fined $87, and was sentenced to three years probation.

“Out of the Inner Circle” is a former insider’s look at a subculture of “hackers” who skillfully and illegally manipulate computer codes to enter “secure” computer systems. Landreth provides insight into the psychology of computer hackers and shows how dangerous they can be. Without glorifying hackers, Landreth warns government and industries not to underestimate their skill. No matter how “hacker-proof” a system is purported to be, says Landreth, few systems are more than 40 percent safe from illegal intrusion.

Landreth advises systems operators how to detect illegal invaders in their systems, how to trace the harm they’ve caused, and how to remove them from systems. For users who think their systems have already been infiltrated, Landreth describes the unmistakable signs of invasion as well as the telltale characteristics of the teenage-hacker syndrome.

This timely re-issue of “Out of the Inner Circle” includes a new preface on computer “viruses” – self-replicating software programs that, once planted by a computer intruder, can spread and wreak havoc in computer systems. Viruses have cost millions, possibly billions, of dollars in losses to government and industry. In his new preface, Landreth provides insight into the dangers of viruses and what can be done to guard against them.

“Out of the Inner Circle” is much more than one man’s incredible story of system vandalism – it is an invaluable book for all those who wish to keep their computer systems secure.

Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ “MSFT”), based in Redmond, Washington, develops, supports, and markets a wide range of software for business and professional use, including operating systems, languages, and application programs, as well as books, hardware, and CD-ROM products for the microcomputer marketplace.

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Microsoft and Tempus Books are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.

Copyright Microsoft Corporation 1989.