Skip navigation

The Art of Deception

Controlling the Human Element of Security

by William L. Simon and Kevin D. Mitnick

John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2002

Category: Human Resources

Get the summary
The Art of Deception
Don’t let a con artist steal from your firm by hoodwinking your people. The weakest link in your security system is probably the untrained employee — but you can fix that.

In this summary you will learn

  • How con artists use social engineering to steal your corporate information
  • What deceptive tactics information thieves use to weasel data out of your too-trusting employees
  • How to train employees to be security conscious
  • How to prevent information leaks

getAbstract rating

getAbstract rating (?)

(9)

Applicability

(10)

Innovation

(9)

Style

(8)

Level of Expertise (?)

(6)

Why you should read The Art of Deception

In The Art of Deception, Kevin D. Mitnick, a corporate security consultant who was once arrested for computer hacking, has written a fascinating book about how to control security lapses due to the "human element." With writer William L. Simon, he describes how con artists use social engineering to gain information by lying to pass themselves off as insiders. By being sensitive to human behavior and taking advantage of trust, they learn to bypass your security systems. The book teaches you how to ward off such threats and educate employees. Yet, problematically, this information could also help con artists be more sophisticated. In any case, this highly informative, engaging book includes sample conversations that open the door to information, along with tips about how various cons are used and what to do about them. getAbstract.com recommends this book to corporate officers, information managers, human resource directors and security personnel, but don’t tell anybody.

About the Authors

Kevin D. Mitnick , a security consultant to corporations worldwide, co-founded DefensiveThinking, a Los Angeles-based consulting firm. He has testified before the Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs about the need for legislation to ensure the security of the government’s information systems. His articles have been published in major news magazines and trade journals, he is a frequent keynote speaker and he has appeared on numerous TV programs, including Court TV, Good Morning America and 60 Minutes. Once known for hacking into security systems, the ex-prisoner has reformed and now helps corporations and government agencies with security protection. William L. Simon is a bestselling author and an award-winning film and TV writer.


Do you like this summary?

2

Comment on this summary

Sign in to share your opinion

  1. March 25, 2012 Trevor Seffren
    very good

Want More?

Buy the book

Customers who read this summary also read

By the same authors