Skip to main content
PBS logo
 
 

Search - The Cuckoo's Egg : Tracking a Spy through the Maze of Computer Espionage

The Cuckoo's Egg :  Tracking a Spy through the Maze of Computer Espionage
The Cuckoo's Egg Tracking a Spy through the Maze of Computer Espionage
Author: Clifford Stoll
Cliff Stoll was an astronomer turned systems manager at Lawrence Berkeley Lab when a 75-cent accounting error alerted him to the presence of an unauthorized users on his system. The hacker's code name was "Hunter"-- a mystery invader hiding inside a twisting electronic labyrinth, breaking into U.S. computer systems and stealing sen...  more »
ISBN-13: 9780671726881
ISBN-10: 0671726889
Publication Date: 11/1/1990
Pages: 356
Rating:
  • Currently 4/5 Stars.
 43

4 stars, based on 43 ratings
Publisher: Pocket
Book Type: Paperback
Other Versions: Hardcover, Audio Cassette, Audio CD
Members Wishing: 0
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review
Read All 19 Book Reviews of "The Cuckoos Egg Tracking a Spy through the Maze of Computer Espionage"

Please Log in to Rate these Book Reviews

reviewed The Cuckoo's Egg : Tracking a Spy through the Maze of Computer Espionage on
Non-fiction. A new worker at a huge central computer at a Berkeley lab was given the job of finding out why user accounts were out by 75 cents. He ended up in a hunt for a hacker who was using the Californian computer to infiltrate dozens of other systems with an aim that was very dangerous to U.S. security. This is a gripping thriller, all the better because it is true.

The author is "an astronomer by training and a computer security expert by accident."
reviewed The Cuckoo's Egg : Tracking a Spy through the Maze of Computer Espionage on
Fascinating story of Stoll's tenacious tracking down of an international hacker, years before the Web came along. It all started with a 75c discrepancy on a computer usage billing. . .
reviewed The Cuckoo's Egg : Tracking a Spy through the Maze of Computer Espionage on + 8 more book reviews
Great book about cyber security -- from the early days, but just as applicable now...
SanJoseCa avatar reviewed The Cuckoo's Egg : Tracking a Spy through the Maze of Computer Espionage on + 328 more book reviews
An odd-sounding title to be sureuntil you learn its derivation and how it relates to a book about computer espionage in the dark ages of dial-up, 1200 baud modems and DEC VAX mainframes. But, just because the book deals with events that took place twenty-two years ago, hardly makes it irrelevant. Even now, notwithstanding that technology has vastly overtaken what was high tech in 1986, Cliff Stolls exacting scientific method of tracking a spy through the maze of computer espionage is surprisingly current and most entertaining reading. The Chicago Times called it A true spy thriller . . . . the hunt is gripping. And, the Seattle Times adds: Fascinating . . . . A nonfiction account that reads like a Le Carré spy novel. I heartily agree!
reviewed The Cuckoo's Egg : Tracking a Spy through the Maze of Computer Espionage on + 7 more book reviews
Great book, well written and based on reality as opposed to technology that's dreamed up but doesn't really work :)
reviewed The Cuckoo's Egg : Tracking a Spy through the Maze of Computer Espionage on + 5 more book reviews
Totally totally out of date these days, but a fascinating account of cybercrime in the very early days of the internet. I learned alot about the internet by reading this.
Callaway avatar reviewed The Cuckoo's Egg : Tracking a Spy through the Maze of Computer Espionage on + 3 more book reviews
EXCELLENT book. Great example of how the smallest of errors, often overlooked, actually signify a great danger. very interesting book and a must read for anyone interested in IT systems security. Highly recommend. Great thirller, especially considering it is based on true facts. Enjoyed it from cover to cover.
reviewed The Cuckoo's Egg : Tracking a Spy through the Maze of Computer Espionage on + 38 more book reviews
Interesting and true. A great cyber thriller.


Genres: