Book Description
The book covers a decade of work with some of the largest commercial and government agencies around the world in addressing cyber security related to malicious insiders (trusted employees, contractors, and partners). It explores organized crime, terrorist threats, and hackers. It addresses the steps organizations must take to address insider threats at a people, process, and technology level.
Todays headlines are littered with news of identity thieves, organized cyber criminals, corporate espionage, nation-state threats, and terrorists. They represent the next wave of security threats but still possess nowhere near the devastating potential of the most insidious threat: the insider. This is not the bored 16-year-old hacker. We are talking about insiders like you and me, trusted employees with access to information - consultants, contractors, partners, visitors, vendors, and cleaning crews. Anyone in an organizations building or networks that possesses some level of trust.
* Full coverage of this hot topic for virtually every global 5000 organization, government agency, and individual interested in security.
* Brian Contos is the Chief Security Officer for one of the most well known, profitable and respected security software companies in the U.S.ArcSight.
Customer Reviews:
Real Life Security Stories.......2007-04-13
'Enemy at the Water Cooler: Real-Life Stories of Insider Threats and Enterprise Security Management Countermeasures' by Brian Contos is an interesting look at some real-life situations that have occurred where nasties have gotten into systems and wrecked the havoc that they are looking to cause. While some reviewers have argued that this book is just a sales pitch to go out and buy anti-hacker software and hardware to combat these criminals, they are probably right!!! Security is always a matter of finding the right balance but certainly erring on the side of caution certainly is the safer way to go in most cases!!
Good book for IT people and specifically security whizzes to take a look at.
**** RECOMMENDED
"If the only tool you have is a hammer, then every problem is a nail." .......2007-01-09
Ignore the main title - look at the subtitle. This book is little more than a sales pitch for Enterprise Security Management systems, or more specifically the ESM sold by the author's company, with a random assortment of largely unattributed and barely analyzed anecdotes on information security incidents mostly relating to ESM. The link to "insider threats' is tenuous at best and in the most part is merely used as an excuse to hype the wonders of ESM.
If you are seriously interested in ESM, you probably wrote the gushing "review notes" on the cover or the foreword (written by Hugh Njemanze, CTO of - you guessed it - the same ESM company). I'm far from convinced that anyone else (except perhaps from the ESM company and its customers who may be happy with an extremely biased view of the value of ESM) would benefit from this book, even if it is "vendor neutral" (page xxii). If you are looking for some meaningful insight into and analysis of the "insider threat", and perhaps some practical and worthwhile countermeasures apart from ESM, look elsewhere.
Explores an important often neglected topic.......2006-12-01
Even though hacker Kevin Mitnick's notorious exploits are more than a decade old, the media, and even some security professionals, continue to be obsessed with him. In early October 2006 alone, his name came up a few dozen times in a search of the prior month of Google News. Those obsessed with hackers are missing the far greater threat: trusted insiders.
The insider threat shouldn't be a surprise: employee theft takes a bigger bite out of retailers than does shoplifting, and company personnel give away more secrets than are stolen by spies.
On average, authorized network users gain access to 10 to 20 times more resources than they need to perform their jobs, and this extra access leads to most network security breaches. With that as its starting point, Enemy at the Water Cooler looks at the problem of the trusted insider and how to reduce both the threat and the vulnerability. Author Brian Contos astutely notes that insider attacks are the hardest ones to defend against, detect, and manage.
The first part of the book sketches the risks that insiders pose to an organization. It also details mechanisms that can be used to control these risks.
One such solution is ESM (Enterprise Security Management) software. (Full disclosure: the author is the CSO for a leading ESM vendor and some of the illustrations in the book are screenshots from this vendor's product.) ESM software centrally collects and analyzes log data from various entities within a network. When correctly deployed, ESM can be used to discover internal risks, in addition to correlating security information and performing other valuable tasks.
The final chapters of the book run through real-life case studies in which Contos shows how ESM mitigated, or could have mitigated, the risk.
Although the book has a lot of information, at $49.95 for fewer than 250 pages, the book is overpriced. Even though it can come across as self-serving, the book should be commended for tackling a vital and often neglected topic.
Great information and case studies - great book.......2006-11-15
This book was extremely easy to read and enjoyable. The case studies made complex concepts such as collaborative attacks and advanced intruder discovery/remediation techniques understandable. I've even shared the case studies with my management as examples of risk to help push our insider threat program forward. I found that sharing key case studies that are relevant to our business helped to make my point about why we need to pay more attention to threats from the inside. And the way the book is written, I don't need to translate tech talk to business talk.
In addition to the insider threat information, the initial chapter that gives an overview of computer-based threats from organized crime, nation-states and terrorist was an eyeopener. The author does an excellent job explaining how these groups use insiders (employees mostly) to help carryout their agendas.
Since reading the book I've also listened to several webcasts and podcasts from the author. I found these to be informative and in several instances, the case studies from the book are explored in even more detail as the author discusses subtitle points that aren't necessarily covered in the book.
I've read a few books on insider threat now, and this is by far one of my favorites, and more so, it has shown great utility at work. Engineers like it, and so does my senior management.
too relevant for today's security world.......2006-11-15
great problem statement and introduction to the overall issues and background surrounding insider threat. Insider threat is one of the hardest problems to understand and address in today's fast moving technology rich organizations. The author seems to have real world experience in dealing with these types of issues and I really enjoyed the insights especially in the use case examples. A nice read.
thanks
Book Description
Dan Reingold was one of the top analysts on Wall Street. Specializing in telecom companies like WorldCom and Qwest, Reingold believed in Wall Street, and was a part of it. But in this insiders memoir, Reingold describes how his enthusiasm gradually gave way to disgust when he saw how deeply corrupt Wall Street really was. Because big investors had the advantage of inside information, which companies shared with more accomodating analysts, Reingold saw how a straight arrow like himself was doomed to fail.
Reingold is like an incredulous minister who mistakenly finds himself in a whore house. He struggles with temptation: for example, his employer, Credit Suisse First Boston, wants him to sign a contract that would give him huge incentives in return for essentially selling out his clients. He seethes with resentment at being continually trumped by his nemesis, Jack Grubman, who was viewed as a superstar and only later, fined and thrown out of the industry.
Ultimately, Reingold comes to terms with the corrupted, insiders game that was his profession. In the tradition of Liar's Poker, this is a lively, insiders account of how things really work on Wall Street that will teach even Eliot Spitzer a few things. To complete his tale, Reingold even sat through the 2005 trial of one of the most spectacular losers of the 1990s, fallen WorldCom CEO Bernie Ebbers, who Reingold knew in his heyday.
Customer Reviews:
Good read on the inner workings of Wall Street but..........2007-08-10
..but each time I felt that I liked the author, he kept bringing up instances to support his extreme dislike of Grubman. This really took away from the content and message of the book. I think it would have been enough to state how different he was from Grubman and then let his own example of hard, clean work be benchmark for the reader to compare the 2 analysts. In the end, no one can say Grubman was as honest a man as Reingold.
Interesting read.......2007-07-30
Interesting read for anyone interested in learning more about the stock analyst profession and the conflicts of interest that occurred during the dot com bubble during the late 90s.
Not Since "Den of Thieves...".......2007-07-29
Not Since the book "Den of Thieves" has a Wall Street expose been created that details the lurid "behind the scenes" events and actions affecting a major part of our nation's financial industry.
Author Dan Reingold, a former Wall Street telecom analyst, takes the reader on an intimate journey through the telecom stock "boom" and subsequent "bust" in the 1990's.
I found this book to be very insightful with particular interest to those of us who specialize in "day-trading" and dabbling in trading of stocks and options (at any level). Author Reingold warns:
"Of all the lessons I've learned in my time on the Street, the most difficult one to swallow is that I no longer believe in the transparency of the American financial system. When I came to the Street, I saw it as a place where there were plenty of sharks, but also as a place where American capitalism reigned supreme, a place where everyone has a chance to do well if they were smart, hardworking, and a little bit lucky. It was a game I enjoyed playing--at least until how I realized how corrupted the game had become.
But I also came to realize that for people who don't have access to this inner sanctum, Wall Street is not a game at all. It's deadly serious, and it's rigged against most of its participants--everyone but the few with a seat at Wall Street's special tables. If you take anything away from this book, I hope it is this unfortunate truth (pp 314-15)."
Well done and rated at five stars for taking the uncomfortable position of trying to sound the alarm while uncovering the truth.
JP
Inside scoop on the telecomm industry.......2007-07-15
The author gives all the dirt on what it was like to work on wall street during the telecomm craze of the eary 1990's. all the players are named and the best part that he concludes and proves how slimy it all is with concrete examples. Good book.
Good story about the job of a Research Analyst.......2007-03-09
This is a good description of what research analyst's job entails. However, one has to read this book with a grain of salt as the author may not have been forthcoming about the activities that he has been involved in that are in a gray area. Otherwise, though, it makes for interesting reading. I wonder if it becomes fuel for more regulatory changes on Wall Street.
Also, the salaries spoken about in this book are shocking. Read it to find out what they earn on Wall Street :-).
Book Description
Every morning, hundreds of thousands of women around the globe open their e-mail inboxes and indulge in the day's first treat: DailyCandy. What's DailyCandy? It's the Web site that quickly became the ultimate source for the latest need-to-know information about fashion, food, and fun. It's like getting an e-mail from your clever, unpredictable, and totally in-the-know best friend who always has the scoop on everything -- from new designers, handbags, and jeans to hot restaurants, travel destinations, books, and beauty treatments. As useful as it is entertaining, DailyCandy is beloved for its writing style (insider and inclusive, witty but never pretentious) and for its beautiful watercolor illustrations. Now, for the first time ever, advice, atmosphere, and attitude will be available in book form. DailyCandy A-Z offers insider advice on 26 topics: Appearance, Brain Candy, Charm, Do-Gooding, Edibles, Fundamentals, Grand Dames, Home, Intimacy, and more. DailyCandy A-Z covers everything you need to know about living a stylish life. The book will appeal not only to the site's large and loyal fan base, but to countless other readers who have yet to discover DailyCandy.
Customer Reviews:
daily candy on my time.......2006-07-26
Loved being able to dip into this book at any time and read a little more. It takes all my favourite things about Daily Candy and crams them into one book!.
Daily Candy A to Z: An Insider's Guide to the Sweet Life.......2006-07-23
I think this book is a must-have for all women! It is full of useful insight, funny anecdotes and real-life know-how...
love love love.......2006-04-21
i absolutely love this book...quirky cute topics...gives you advice on daily things from money to being a good date or hotess...if you love their e-mails than you'll def want to buy this book...i can def see myself using this book as a reference in the future :)
Book Description
Malliavin calculus provides an infinite-dimensional differential calculus in the context of continuous paths stochastic processes. The calculus includes formulae of integration by parts and Sobolev spaces of differentiable functions defined on a probability space. This new book, demonstrating the relevance of Malliavin calculus for Mathematical Finance, starts with an exposition from scratch of this theory. Greeks (price sensitivities) are reinterpreted in terms of Malliavin calculus. Integration by parts formulae provide stable Monte Carlo schemes for numerical valuation of digital options. Finite-dimensional projections of infinite-dimensional Sobolev spaces lead to Monte Carlo computations of conditional expectations useful for computing American options. The discretization error of the Euler scheme for a stochastic differential equation is expressed as a generalized Watanabe distribution on the Wiener space. Insider information is expressed as an infinite-dimensional drift. The last chapter gives an introduction to the same objects in the context of jump processes where incomplete markets appear.
Average customer rating:
- Excellent tips and information!
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How to Get a Job in Denver and Central CO (The Insider's Guide Series)
Christopher Ott , and
Robert Sanborn
Manufacturer: Surrey Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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Similar Items:
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The Colorado Jobbank (Jobbank Series)
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The Denver JobBank (Adams JobBank)
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Insiders' Guide to Denver, 7th (Insiders' Guide Series)
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Colorado: A Manual for Newcomers and Residents
ASIN: 1572840242 |
Book Description
An easy-to- follow 10-step strategy helps job hunters land rewarding work in the mile-high city.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent tips and information!.......2001-10-24
I found this book to be an excellent resource! It has helped me find many companies in the Denver area that I would like to work for. I also really like the extra details that were provided with most of the companies' description -- like the types of positions they have, and common desired qualifications. It helped me narrow down my list of potential employers.
My only wish is that they update this book soon and release a new Edition! Yet, information from 1999 is still relevant today, for the most part.
Customer Reviews:
Picture Autism.......2007-06-10
This is an excellent book for parents, educators and other professionals who teach/live/work with people who have autism.
The "jumbled jigsaw" is what is so sadly misunderstood and mislabelled by many; sadly, many such "experts" apply the Procrustean Bed tactics to the autistic population. This helps none and hurts all.
Raun Kaufman, the child for whom "Son-Rise" and "Son-Rise II: The Miracle Continues" was written, said in "Son-Rise II" that "expert" is the biggest misnomer for that very reason above. He was diagnosed with severe autism in infancy and for the first nearly three years of his life displayed behavior suggestive of Kanner's Autism. Early intervention turned the tide for Raun; now an adult, he has no residual behaviors or tendencies of this neurobiological condition. He is also currently the CEO of a company.
Raun rightfully points out that had many people listened to these so called "experts" who recommended institutionalizing people with autism, many rays of light and hope would never shine. Raun Kaufman; Walker Stacey; Gunilla Gerland; Sean Barron; Tony Randazzo; Ben Levinson; Jeremy Kephart; Ryan Hamilton; Georgiana Thomas; Donna Williams and countless others whose stories we don't know have provided the Voice of Hope for many. Each of these above people had or still have autism to varying degrees; each have either written or have been the subject of biographies about living with autism. Each one of these people and countless others have lent their voices; their experiences and their explanations of autism so as to help encourage tolerance. Donna Williams and her scholarly books, this included have certainly helped move that process along. Had the so called experts' advice been followed, think of the loss we would all be suffering today. Just read Annabelle Stehli's books about people who have been successfully treated with Auditory Integration Therapy and who are no longer autistic; Karyn Seroussi's and Lynn Hamilton's sons were successfully treated with a special diet as was Tony Randazzo, who had an allergy to milk. Patricia Stacey's son Walker Stacey and two of Catherine Maurice's children were eased of the autism spectrum with ABA and Floor Time. Jane McDonnell's son Paul ("News From the Border") offers his own insights into living with autism; he was helped by general acceptance from others and his own desire to adapt to the neurotypical world. Paul was informally treated with ABA; he was able to see what constituted acceptable behavior, yet at the same time recognize his autistic tendencies and keep them in check. This is still another valuable book that the world at large needs.
The point is, autism is as varied as there are individuals who have it and so the approaches have to be tailored to meet each individual's needs. Instead of dismissing people with autism as their label, Ms. Williams has once again brilliantly demonstrated how important it is to encourage talents and interests. She is married; an artist and author as well as having a plethora of credentials. Her works are valuable and needed; this book deserves a place of honor.
At present the count is 1 in every 150 births...autism is on the rise. There is a real need for literature like this and the sensible approaches that Ms. Williams has written about here and in her other works. Autism does effect everybody on Planet Earth - whether or not you have autism, there is a 100% chance that you are related to someone who does or work with someone who does or just know somebody on the spectrum. Autism is an in-your-face condition that is all the more prominent due to the increase in statistics.
Institutionalizing people creates a silent underclass. It appears to do no good and is not an effective method in "treating" autism. Autism is not a mental illness; it is a sensory neurobiological condition that affects sensory responses and language. I've beaten on the Different Drum for years to get that message across and Donnna Williams brilliantly accomplishes that in her books.
Be sure to read this and buy some extra copies to give to others. We all need it.
Packed With Insight.......2007-03-29
It took me well over a year to read Jumbled Jigsaw, not because there is anything wrong with the book, but because there is so much right with it. Williams is original in her perspective (I've read shelves full of books on autism, none like this) and incredibly insightful. If you have a child on the autism spectrum with one or more co-occurring diagnosis, you are likely to find each page dense with provocative information and ideas. Such a book cannot be breezed through quickly, it takes time to really go through it in bite size, digestable pieces. It also need not be read cover-to-cover but instead by picking and choosing chapters relevant to your situation.
Autism and Personality.......2006-07-18
This fascinating and insightful book can only be described as a guide and "wake up call" for everyone.
Despite the "experts" imposing severity labels on Autism that are then used by the education community to direct intervention and expectation as well as outcomes, their lack of understanding of the "jumbled jigsaw" and the personality and individuality of the Autistic person has doomed their system to failure.
For example if one simply provided one of these "experts" the diagnostic presentation of the author, Donna Williams at various points in her life, without them being aware of her "outcome", the current diagnostic criteria who have resulted in low expectations and a life relegated to an "institutionalized" existence.
Instead, Ms Williams is married and is a successful author, sculptor, artist etc. Ms. Williams serves as the symbol of what really is possible and she took the time to write down what worked and what did not so many mistakes can be avoided : With appropriate assistance, the autistic person has the best chance to become all they would have been if the symptoms of what others call the persons "autism" were minimized.
The truth being ,the symptoms have multiple treatable etiologies ,that vary from day to day and an "inside out approach" offers the best chance these individuals have.at leading a "normal" (whatever that is) life..
1 in 166 births.
The failure of the education and support systems/institutions to foster TRUE INDEPENDENCE in this population will result in not just a moral and ethical crisis in the very near future but an economic one as well. If changes in the current thinking about Autism do not occur, more institutions at public expense will have to be created to care for this ever-increasing population.
Autism affects everyone directly or indirectly and the confusion over what part of what society calls "Autism" is the gift and what part of autism is the difference/personality inherent in the individual has resulted in many inappropriate ineffective treatments and wasted opportunity for thousands of individuals.
Read it and learn then pass it on
Monica in California
Customer Reviews:
The Heart of the Internet by Vallee PhD.......2005-03-31
This work describes the history of the computer and the evolution
of computer systems from the Arpanet to the Internet. The
world wide web (www)protocol was invented in Geneva Switzerland (CERN).
The Geodesia org ties together random segments for collective
decision-making. Poor communication is a considerable problem
for internet users. Current challenges deal with bandwidth allocation and entry points for a multiplicity of users. This book is perfect for a student project on the evolution of the computer. For this reason alone, it is worth the price of admission.
A very good read... a very smart man........2003-09-14
Dr. Vallee is well respected in other fields besides the computer world, but this book detailing his experience as part of the evolution and creation of what became the internet is sure to acquire a good audience of its own. The book is written partly like an autobiography, partly like a discerning review of the subject. It is a nice mix, with enough personal insight and interest to make it compelling, and enough factual detail to make it a worthy reference book on its own. As is common for this author, he has a keen insight into not just the technical and factual aspects of a subject, but the human perspectives as well, and it is this which makes the book not just another list of facts (as many about computers are), but an intriguing narrative of human history and how the present came to be--as well as what the future may hold. I highly recommend it.
A compelling warning! Read this & take nothing for granted.......2003-07-17
From Paul Saffo, Institute for the Future: Based on a deep understanding of the Internet and its origins, this book presents a compelling warning. It is a welcome antidote to both the naive utopianism of the Internet bubble and to oppressive liberty-quenching actions by global corporations and governments alike. Read this and take nothing for granted - the Internet will only remain a force for freedom if you help protect it.
Obligatory reading.......2003-07-17
From Stephens F. Millard, advisory board member, the Wharton School and the Kellogg school: Obligatory reading for anybody interested in the history, evolution and future of this epoch-making technology, whose full promise has yet to be realized. Dr. Jacques Vallee, an eminent computer scientist who was present at the creation of the Internet, brings both knowledge and understanding to this important debate.
Unusual merit.......2003-07-17
From Paul Baran, inventor of packet switching: Among the many books written about the Internet, this one has unusual merit because Jacques Vallee was there during the infancy of the network. It is fun to read his recollections as a key hands-on pioneer. His aspirations and visions, and those of his colleagues at SRI and the Institute for the Future, led to the first Network Information Center and to revolutionary ways of conducting group communications. This work made possible the large simultaneous interactions of today.
Average customer rating:
- A glimpse into the psychology and culture of Microsoft
- Insiders Insights to Microsoft
- Absorbing, entertaining look at Microsoft from the trenches
- I couldn't Put it Down
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Microsoft in the Mirror: Nineteen Insiders Reflect on the Experience
Karin Carter
Manufacturer: Pennington Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 097252990X |
Book Description
In this new book, an untold story emerges as Microsoft insiders talk: for the first time, insiders tell their stories in their own words. Karin Carter, 14-year veteran of the company, shares her view of life at Microsoft along with first-person stories from 18 co-workers. Meet the real people behind the hype through their thoughtful essays, funny stories, and surprising anecdotes. Current and former employees from the trenches, not the executive suites, give their perspectives on their own experiences, the industry, competitors, and the Department of Justice pursuit of Microsoft. Detail by detail, they paint a picture of their slice of Microsoft. Their stories range from serious to surprising. Read about the programmer who married a woman he met in a bar and eleven months later was cleaned out, the woman who walked away from a fortune, the secretary who worked her way into management and retired at 34, and tales from the card counting team that played blackjack in Las Vegas. Carter says, "Microsoft was my head-spinning world for fourteen years. I landed there by chance and I stayed there because it was an adventure—incredible and hard and frustrating and exciting. I moved to Seattle with very little: my clothes and a tiny old blue car with one orange door. I had to puff up my résumé with every extra skill I could think of. I had one friend in Seattle. Now, when I look in the mirror, I see a person shaped by Microsoft. And Microsoft was shaped by us."
Customer Reviews:
A glimpse into the psychology and culture of Microsoft.......2005-06-10
While Microsoft enjoys a great reputation as an industry leader in its field, and while its business success has never been in question, there are all kinds of stories about what it is like to work there. This book gives the reader an inside look at what is was like as the company was getting started. This is important to note because most of these depictions are centered on the early days of the company, long before it became the large organization it is today.
The book broken into chapters centered on each of the 19 people. Each chapter introduces the particular individual and provides a bit of information on their background. The individuals themselves have each written an essay on their time at the company, and particular insights they have.
What is fascinating is that the perspectives are all different, and even though some common themes emerge, each person was impacted in a different way by their experiences. As a result the essays themselves are a joy to read, and are more like a conversation or a series of relatable observations, than a detailed analysis.
Some are quite funny. One individual in particular had me laughing so hard with his dry humor than I nearly fell off the exercise equipment I was working on while reading. Some are sad, some a bit bitter, and one or two actually seem to regard the experience as life changing in a much broader sense than merely a career.
The most common theme is money, in particular how the stock options made them rich, or didn't. It is profound to read about the impact this had on their lives. Some seem grateful, others give a feeling of entitlement, and others seem genuinely haunted by what could have been. So powerful was the wealth that was created, that most who did well discuss in equal balance the security and flexibility it gives them in their lives, and the isolation that is created with family and friends due to their wealth. It seems most have some difficulty in reconciling the wealth they amassed with the correlated effort and career opportunity.
Overall, while I'm sure the culture of the company is really not captured perfectly by any of them, the reader is nonetheless able to see some transcending themes emerge from all of the stories. This is a fascinating book from a psychology standpoint, as well as a brief, but powerful, inside look into a legendary company culture.
Insiders Insights to Microsoft.......2003-07-26
As an ex-Microsoft employee I have read almost every book published about the company by both Microsoft people and external observers. This is the one I recommend to others who want to understand what it was like at Microsoft in the early years. This book is unique in that it does not try to "teach" you how Microsoft works, but rather it allows individuals who were there tell their unique stories to illustrate what it was like inside one of the fastest growing high-tech companies. Common experiences like how strange it was not having to beg for supplies or even ask permission to do something you thought needed to be done ("just exercise good judgement") ring true, as do the experiences of coming to grips with a growing company and balancing one's work and family time. Microsoft may not be like this today, but it accurately portrays the experiences in the early years through the first successful launch of Windows and Windows becoming a product that most of us use today. Remember these are the tales of people who had to explain to others that they worked for a small company in the Pacific Northwest that wrote software -- for Microsoft was not always the brand it is today.
Absorbing, entertaining look at Microsoft from the trenches.......2003-05-09
I read this book because a friend of a friend of a friend is one of the "insiders," and I thought it would be fun to see if I could recognize his story. I didn't have any specific expectations about the book as a whole - and I was surprised to find myself riveted from early on. These people tell their stories in a variety of ways, and they all had different experiences at Microsoft and came away with different perspectives - but they all tell the same very human tale of making hard choices, recognizing opportunity, dealing with disappointment, growing up, clarifying values, etc. The fact that the context is Microsoft definitely adds an interesting dimension to the stories, but this is more of a generic character study of smart young people struggling with the big questions of life (like money - lots and lots of money) than anything really specific to Microsoft. Also, I have to say that they're not all (at least from their stories here) likeable people - but that just adds to the realism of the book as a whole. This is a fascinating book!
I couldn't Put it Down.......2003-05-02
Everyone knows that the culture and success of Microsoft is the stuff legends are made of. This book does an excellent job of looking under the surface of this technology giant to learn what really goes on behind the scenes. There are many books about Bill Gates out there, but this one focuses on the individuals who went for a roller coaster ride that not only changed their lives, but the world. For some it was like winning the lottery, and it's interesting to see how different people viewed and managed their sudden fortune. Everybody has a different experience, some are bitter and some enamored but I found all the stories very interesting and even entertaining. Carter did a great job of pulling in a mix of people and capturing the real story behind the success of Microsoft.
Customer Reviews:
Good introduciton to insider threats.......2006-11-15
I purchased this book along with a few others on insiders. This was a good general overview and introduction to what insider threats are. While it doesn't offer some of the technical bits that others did, it is worth reading if you are not familiar with the concept.
Extremely Important Topic.......2005-10-30
Dan Verton's book on insider threat is easily the most important book on information security I've read in over a year. Weighing in at slightly over 160 pages, it is full of real-world horror stories about "insiders" who have exploited their positions to steal intellectual property. These "insiders" range from government spies (Ames, Hanson, Pollard, etc), to well-known and not so well-known individuals from the banking and finance industry. The book drives home the point that perimeter defenses simply cannot protect your network. What I particularly liked about the book is that it is not just a compendium of stories, but it seems to also capture why people are driven to steal IP. For example, it addresses outsourcing and the affect it has had on the American worker. It was also startling to see at how much important and proprietary information was non-maliciously sent over the internet from some of the corporations high-lighted in the story. Based in-part on technology developed by Reconnex corporation and their ability to monitor high volume network traffic, the book raises the issue that most companies and government organizations do not have a clue as to what their employees are sending over the internet. I rarely purchase books at full price, but I can tell you that this book was well worth it. Everyone should read this...it is probably the most important issue in information security today.
Book Description
Working from the premise that human spiritual development is intricately linked with power places on the Earth, Richard Leviton offers a unique blueprint for understanding world mythology. Exploring mythical tales from 21 cultures around the world including Greek, Irish, and Native American, Leviton reveals the hidden clues about the Earth's "spiritual landscape" these stories convey.
Customer Reviews:
Encyclopedia of Earth Myths.......2007-07-16
Encyclopedia of Earth Myths is an A to Z listing of various characters and events associated with a multitude of different earth myths. The author has done a really good job of bringing together a large amount of information in this subject. Not only does the author include well researched descriptions of each entry, including comparisons between various inter and cross cultural versions, but he also includes an explanation of the greater or symbolic meaning behind the character or event described.
Encyclopedia of Earth Myths includes all of the earth myth entries that one would expect including a lot of the Greek, Celtic, Hebrew, and Saxon myths that have interested us all since childhood. However, this book goes beyond these common myths recalling the not so well known Native America, Mesoamerican, Hawaiian, Hindi, Buddhist, and Tibetan accounts as well. That the author also often compares common and not so well known characters and events makes the work that much more valuable.
Exploring Earth Myths and Mysteries.......2006-01-11
Anyone interested in myth and the meaning of ancient and often mysterious symbols found in regions of the earth will find this book quite fascinating. Drawing from many traditions, including ancient Greek, Celtic, Native American, Irish, Egyptian, Hindu and other world cultures, author Leviton explores the lore surrounding such mythic figures as Pan, Kokopelli, Hanuman and the Trickster as he appears in various guises.
Leviton also reveals the stories behind earth's sacred sites--from the "ley lines" that crisscross the globe known as dragon paths, songlines, Holy Trails or light pathways to the paradise of Shambala or the geomantic Tower of Babel.
Not as well-written as it might be, and sometimes a little carelessly repetitive, the book nevertheless explores over 150 mythic topics on humankind's attempt to understand the planet on which we live and our relationship to it. Tad C.
Connections of myth to the Earth.......2005-12-22
Encyclopedia of Earth Myths
by Richard Leviton
To quote Mr. Leviton, "One of the rich discoveries . . . . is to see that many, if not all, of the world's myths, culled from a variety of different cultures, say something profound about Earth.. . . .They are clues to a secret about our planet, and they are portals into that secret realm."
The author looks at over 150 items " from the myths of 21 different cultures and interprets them in terms of what they reveal about Earth's visionary geography." Each "myth" entered has three parts. First the myth in its entirety, second a description of the myth and thirdly an explanation. He uses academic research and clairvoyance to arrive at the understanding of the myth.
Discussing Kokopelli Leviton calls him the Native American perception of Pan, the chief of nature spirits. the second part of this entry details various southwestern native tribes, their names and descriptions for him, the places where he is found and the meanings for his presence. The third part or "Explanation" one of the points made is that Kokopelli-Pan is the carrier of spiritual life force. That he injects the spirit of focused
consciousness into matter. This entry goes on to define and evaluate the meanings attributed to him.
Each entry is throughly described and analyzed connecting its meaning to Earth's visionary geography. It is very readable despite its vast subject matter which is often unknown outside metaphysical sources and historical references.
Mr. Leviton encourages us to visit sacred sites, to help maintain the Earth spiritually. He gives light to areas most have never considered.
The writing is clear as well as his opinions about the messages from the past. It is an informative as well as a thought provoking book.
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Insider Threat: Protecting the Enterprise from Sabotage, Spying, and Theft
Hack the Stack: Using Snort and Ethereal to Master the 8 Layers of an Insecure Network
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