Breaking and Entering

October 15, 2018
A novelistic tech tale that puts readers on the front lines of cybersecurity.For all whose lives and connections depend on the internet--nearly everyone--this biography of the pseudonymous "Alien" provides a fast-paced cautionary tale. Smith (Epic Measures: One Doctor. Seven Billion Patients., 2015, etc.) has enough experience as a computer programmer to understand the technicalities of this world, but his storytelling makes it intelligible to general readers; indeed, the narrative is more character-driven than technology-driven. The book requires a few leaps of faith--not only that Alien is who the author says she is, but that she can so vividly recount events and conversations that happened years before she met the author. The story begins with Alien at MIT. Lacking focus and direction, she was drawn to a hacking community in a time when the term could extend from picking locks to taking drugs and didn't become more focused on technology until computers became more central to society. The hackers often lived more adventurous lives than many students, and Alien experienced plenty of casual sex, drug use, and a few tragic casualties along the way. She graduated from hacking computer systems to helping protect them from hackers at a time when "Corporations from Microsoft and Cisco on down had begun hiring hackers of their own to help defend themselves against other hackers." Some worked one side of the fence, some worked the other, and some straddled the line and were capable of "going rogue." Smith goes into great detail to demonstrate how Alien could penetrate the security of whomever was employing her, showing how a real criminal would do it, and makes fearfully clear that there is "no such thing as absolute security in this world, or any definitive and final fixes." Alien now runs a small hacking company that assists with security for banks, governments, and other organizations.A page-turning real-life thriller, the sort of book that may leave readers feeling both invigorated and vulnerable.

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November 15, 2018

Elizabeth Tessman adopted the user name Alien as a freshman at MIT where she became captivated by hacking. Smith (Epic Measures) serves a fascinating and entertaining account of Alien's maturity from her MIT days (1998-2002), when hacking mostly meant exploring the off-limits tunnels of campus buildings, to becoming a major player in computer security. Despite the rigors of her electrical engineering and computer science study, noncompulsory attendance in several classes allowed for free time to play practical jokes, fueled by alcohol and drugs. Stories document Alien's assessment of computer security for major institutions, including the Los Alamos National Laboratory, the U.S. Department of Defense, and state and local governments while working as a professional tester, determining how security systems were protected or how easily they could be breached. Vignettes careen from gripping to funny and show the critical need for regular testing, as security breaching in elections and corporate and personal identity theft are growing industries. VERDICT Like an espionage thriller, this account ensnares readers into the high-stakes world of computer security, told through Alien's emergence as a recognized expert in a male-dominated profession. It will reach audiences of enthusiastic hackers and general readers.--Karl Helicher, formerly with Upper Merion Twp. Lib., King of Prussia, PA

Copyright 2018 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 15, 2018
When the woman now known as Alien turned up at MIT more than 20 years ago, she took a while to figure out that what interested her was hacking. First, in the term's original meaning, came physical trespassing, but eventually she settled on computer hacking and wound up working for a company that specialized in testing business security systems. Later, she founded her own cybersecurity firm. This riveting book follows Alien as she transforms herself from a young woman up for pretty much any challenge, no matter how dangerous, to a woman who is among the best in the world at what she does. Freelance journalist Smith writes with gusto, giving Alien's story the feel of a novel (or, perhaps, a movie along the lines of 1995's Hackers). The world of hacking and cybersecurity still carries a mystique; only the privileged few are permitted to learn the secrets that lie within the close-knit hacker community. This book opens the gates and invites readers inside. It's not only a powerful story about a specific hacker; it's also a fascinating look at the hacking world, in general.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)