Rating: 
Summary: As security books go, a good resource.
Review: I picked this book up after a trip to New Mexico. I was told it was a great book, and I bought it after a brief pass through at the local bookstore. I would suggest this book to anyone with some prior knowledge of TCP/IP and operating systems in the UNIX and Windows families, but it has some technical inaccuracies that keep it from being a great book. However, anyone with an interest in their system's security should pick up this book as it is an invaluable resource, even if there are some errors; the locations of all the tools and utilities mentioned in the book are worth the price alone.
Rating:
Summary: The Book is Good, Despite Its Faults
Review: Whatever. I think the book is good. (No doubt, there are some errors. Utilities often get grouped into the wrong categories and such, but overall, the book is very good). I bought it just for the bibiographical section at the back, which is almost 40 pages. There's also several hundred (maybe a thousand, I am not so sure) tools described. The book also shows the locations of these and that's very useful. It would take weeks to track down all that stuff. But, the reviewer from Maryland is mistaken. He's talking about 14 year olds like they're idiots and can barely spell UNIX. He needs to get a clue. In the book, the anonymous author meticulously discusses these "idiot" 14 year olds. They are the same _idiots_ that penetrated DoD computers this past month. (In fact, those kids probably bought a copy of Maximum Security. Maybe the FBI should check their bookshelf. :-) And these "14 year old idiots" consistently penetrate supposedly secure computer systems all over the world. Phreakers and Hackers have historically always been young people. So, I have this to say: if the only people buying Maximum Securityare 14 year olds, then we have a problem. Becausde, the rule used to be that a kid had to search high and low through 2600, Phrack nd a million other on-line zines to learn someting. Maximum Security has totally dipensed with that process. The book is an instant hack manual. There is no better intro to hacking, period. I think detractors are just jealous they didn't write the book.
Rating: 
Summary: More remarkable for its errors than its content
Review: Upon scanning but a few pages of this supposed masterpiece, I found an incorrect explanation of MBR viruses; a complete misunderstanding of how a "statement," a "command," and an "instruction" differ; a bold assertion that a PATH environment variable definition in UNIX is a "PATH statement"; an arrogant profession that a certain trivial shell script quoted in the text was indicative of "so-so" programming, as if the author knew the difference; evidence that the author completely misunderstands the UNIX process model, synchronous versus asynchronous processes, quotas, and sleeps; and the completely incorrect statement that all viruses can be detected by variations in file size. I refuse to continue reading this nonsense, and I brutally decry the publishers for not having located a college sophomore to review the book before publishing it. Perhaps the author has learned how to parrot a few system penetration techniques, but so what? I can cook a competent meal by following the Julia Child cookbook, but that does not make me a French chef! What is even more frustrating is that teenaged wannabes cite the book as if it were the Gospel and that good money has been spent on it.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent Resource
Review: I have 12 computer security titles on my shelf. This book has more information in it than all the other 12 combined. It is ABSOLUTELY worth the money.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic reference to Network Security
Review: This book is a wonderful reference to how others might attack your network. Through understanding the enemy, you gain a greater understanding of your own problems. In regards to the hidden message... Perhaps abydos stands for Ramses II, buried in the temple of Abydos in Egypt. Any other ideas?
Rating:
Summary: Great book, but what about the secret message.
Review: The book is great. I work as a System Admin concerned about the security of my site, but I don't have a great deal of knowledge on how to test whether my efforts are working. This book gives me that knowledge. I have also been trying to discover what the author's secret message is about the Internet. In looking at the files in the message/ directory and what he has said about it, I have come to the conclusion that his pgp private key is missing. If the author reads this, please, please publish the private key associated with root@netherworld.net. This is different than the passphrase needed to decrypt the message. Thanks.
Rating:
Summary: Required for anyone serious about computer security.
Review: If you never thought much about computer security, you will when you read this masterpiece.. The biggest book bargain in the computer security field. An outstanding must have book for the Information Technology manager and analyst. This is really an encyclopedia of information for anyone serious about computer security. Presents the most clear, concise and relevent information for the computer professional.
Rating:
Summary: Informative, a must have for anyones security library.
Review: As the way of computers go anything put into print is almost always out of date but this book is a must have for anyone's library that wants good computer security information. Some people complain that this type of information should not be released to the public and that the author has done a morally incorrect thing. Yet some of these same people complain that the freedom of information act is being comprimised by our government because it will not release information to the public. Face it, if a problem exists in the computer industry then someone will find it and share it within the computer circles. If it is not made public less people will know of it and the companies will not feel inclined to do anything about it. Buy this book, read it, and frequently refer to it. The simple fact that some people believe it should not be published is enough proof that the information inside is still good and worth learning. Though I wish the publisher would rerelease the book without the Hacker reference in the title, it was enough I almost didn't buy the book, and it is enough that I do not have the book on desk at work. No matter how the public is educated most look at the title of Hacker as something to feared or punished.
Rating:
Summary: Prepare to JACK-IN!!!
Review: This book is not only excellent for beginers, but also for the more intermediate type looking to move on to the next level... Anyone can go out and purchase 5 or 10 of those "in a nutshell" series and confuse themselves over difficult topics several times over before getting a concept right. This was written by a hacker for hackers.Its easily readable from cover to cover.. BUY THIS BOOK!
Rating:
Summary: pleasing and not obscure
Review: This book is a must for those who want to protect their employers investment in technology. It provides usefull information in a well written and insightfull way. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I have some possible clues for the passphrase: field1: 4 x 755 could relate to the dimensions of the base of the Great Pyramid in Egypt. Field2: abydos refers to an area in Ancient Egypt in which there is speculation regarding some highly questionable Heiroglyphs depicting planes and Helicopters, the real name for this area is "abtu".References may also draw to the god ptah creator of the universe.
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