CUCKOO'S EGG

Rating:
Summary: Excellent For the Right Audience
Review: The Cuckoo's Egg is an exciting look at how computer hackers were originally traced before the world of Windows, firewall and antivirus software, and public concern for computer privacy really came of age. Clifford Stoll recounts his work in tracking down a computer hacker that was breaking into the computer systems at the University of California - Berkeley and several other locations. The book delivers t in technical detail, but the social aspects of chasing a computer hacker are where I found the value and where I think you will too.

Clifford Stoll is the typical liberal student-turned-citizen of the Berkeley, California area. Working at the college he originally sets out to work on astronomy (a true passion of his) and ends up finding a glitch in a Unix accounting log and chasing a hacker across the world (from the safety of his desk). Cliff cannot do it alone though; he must meet and become friends with people that he at first refers to as "spooks", the NSA, FBI, and CIA. This comes as much surprise to his girlfriend and housemate, who think Cliff is going insane. Stoll also has to deal with telephone companies and military contractors, convincing big businesses that this computer hacker is causing real damage on supposedly "secure" systems. Stoll details his hunt that lasted almost a year and delivers a great true story that should be required for anyone interested in joining the world of computer security.

I would recommend this book to anyone that is interested in the Unix operating system, modern "computer geeks" using Linux or Windows, a former Berkeley student, technology enthusiast, or longs for the "old" days of computing before the World Wide Web came around. It's not the words on the page that really matter, it's what Clifford Stoll makes you think about your computer networks security that gives the book it's true value. If you fall into the recommended categories, definitely read the book.

Rating:
Summary: A classic
Review: A well-written and thoroughly engaging account. Although this book will be most interesting to computer geeks, it is written to be accessible to all readers - technical jargon is kept to a minimum, or clearly explained when necessary. Because the events occurred in the eighties, many of the specifics seem rather dated now, but the basic principles are still relevant.

But the essence of this book is not the technical aspect - it's the very human story of an individual determined to solve a mystery at all costs. Stoll wrestles with adversaries (not only the spy himself, but also unhelpful government agents, his bosses, and even awkward computer systems), finds solutions to his problems (sometimes through cleverness and ingenuity, sometimes through tedious, determined effort), celebrates his victories and comes to terms with his failures, and shows how he has grown from the experience and come to new understandings.

Though Stoll downplays his computer expertise ("I'm an astronomer, not a programmer"), he's clearly a hacker in the truest sense of the word - ingenious, determined, iconoclastic, and a bit of a mystic. Frankly, he seems like a helluva guy, possessed of intellect, integrity, and a clever sense of humor. Perhaps one of the most valuable aspects of the book is the insight it gives into the hacker mindset.

The book occasionally gets repetitive - usually to reinforce the technical concepts for the benefit of general readers - but overall, it's competently written and easy to read. Stoll isn't here to craft award-winning literature; he's here to tell a story, and he does that quite well.

I've read this book several times, and will certainly read it several more times. If you fancy yourself a hacker, or just like a good real-life adventure story, this book is essential reading.

Rating:
Summary: What is a seventy-five cents worth?
Review: Cliff Stoll was an astronomer, but he became the systems manager at Lawrence Berkeley Lab. When he took the position, he discovered a 75-cent accounting error that indicated there was either (1) a bug within the code of the accounting program, or (2) unauthorized users on his system.

Science is precise, and therefore Stoll began an investigation that ended up changing the intelligence community. His extensive testing and experiments revealed not only unauthorized access, but also the flaws of computer security. He studied the methods, the data path, and the signals (both false and true) through an electronic maze that eventually led him to "Hunter."

Early in his exploration, he discovered a six-second-time delay between transmission and receipt. It took three seconds for the data link from New York to reach Berkeley. What happened to the extra three seconds? Stoll reevaluated his findings, and eventually found the three missing seconds. It was the transmission time from Europe to New York.

The Cuckoo's Egg is Stoll's incredible story that eventually led to Hunter, a group of computer hackers and spies who were connected with the KGB and operating out of Germany. They had used our own services to piggyback onto valid signals. They jumped from system to system randomly to meet their goal. They obtained entrance to highly classified government sites.

This is the suspenseful, true story of one scientist's ingenious methods that brought down a spy ring. I read this book when it was first released and treasure my copy. Clifford Stoll had included his e-mail address, and graciously responded to my questions.

This book is not out-of-date. It opened the door to the world of computer investigations. The story is fascinating, and the writing is excellent. Five stars.

Victoria Tarrani

Rating:
Summary: Stoll hatches a good story
Review: Here's a great nerd's-eye view of Cliff Stoll's practically one-man stand to capture a 'Cracker' (aka a Malicious Hacker for the non-geeks). There's enough technical detail to get the point across without losing an audience. Mr Stoll has a great ability to write that doesn't alienate the non-computer savvy folk, yet keep us fellow geeks enthralled.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent read for tech and non-tech alike
Review: I bought this book almost 6 years ago, and I still read it today. Then, I knew very little about UNIX, but I still enjoyed the book. Stoll writes in a way that everyone can enjoy the story. Now, I am currently taking a course in UNIX/Linux, and I am reading the book again, this time rediscovering the case with a new perspective. The "Cuckoo's Egg" is an immensely enjoyable book.

Rating:
Summary: An enjoyable surprise.
Review: I bought this book at the suggestion of a friend. I did not really expect it to be entertaining since most books on the subject are tough to get through. Instead it is as compelling as any good thriller. It is one of those books that are tough to put down once started, and I found myself staying up late to make it through just "a few more pages".
Try it and you're in for a treat.

Rating:
Summary: The Cukoo's Egg
Review: I bought this book because it was refenced in a book I was using for a computer course in college. The idea of the story sparked some interest, so I purchesed it. I read the entire book in a day, and I never read. I could not put it down. The story isn't necesarilly so perfectly written that I could not pull myself from it, rather it was the fact that everything was real. It amazed me that "hackers" were up to the tricks and methods that are still used today. I say "hackers" because really they (or the media) have hijaked the term.

Anyway, I don't want to give out too much about the story, but if you think you would like this story, you will. Especially if you have knowledge of Unix or VAC systems. Ah, nostalgia. And even if you don't know about those systems, it will give you a good idea of where computers have come from.

I give it 5 stars due to its very nature: a true story that has step-by-step documentation to back everything up.

Rating:
Summary: A tell tale title, The Cuckoo's Egg!!
Review: I read this after I had finished reading Takedown by Shimomura. I found that even though the core objective was the same, i.e. tracking cyber criminals, Stoll delves much deeper into the technical aspects of hacking. A lot of net-working concepts would not be understandable by lay people. I guess non-IT guys would find it pretty boring. Once again the Unix OS has been discussed in fine detail in some chapters. Overall a very good read for the those who breath and sleep computer networks.

Thanks Gauri dear, for this neat Book.

Rating:
Summary: Dated but great
Review: I read this after reading Kevin Mitnicks books.
This is dated, but is a thriller of a book.


Rating:
Summary: Wow!!! I Couldn't Put it Down!!!
Review: I recently bought this book in a small English-language bookstore in Casablanca, Morocco, where it was erroneously filed under "fiction." I began reading it, and then realized it was a TRUE story! I literally could not put it down.

Cliff Stoll, an astronomer, writes well for the layman, explaining complicated computer terminology so that we can understand everything he is doing to catch a cyberpunk from Germany (he eventually finds out), who is breaking into his company's private computers.

This chase consumes his life for more than a year. We are led through every part, problem, and frustration of the chase. Meanwhile, we see the ups and downs of Cliff's private life, which I am glad to say, has a happy ending as well.

This is one of the most fascinating true accounts I have ever read, and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys thrillers, true stories, biographies, science, or computers.