Security News > 2023 > January > Publisher’s Weekly Review of A Hacker’s Mind

Publisher's Weekly reviewed A Hacker's Mind-and it's a starred review!

"Hacking is something that the rich and powerful do, something that reinforces existing power structures," contends security technologist Schneier in this excellent survey of exploitation.

Taking a broad understanding of hacking as an "Activity allowed by the system that subverts the system," Schneier draws on his background analyzing weaknesses in cybersecurity to examine how those with power take advantage of financial, legal, political, and cognitive systems.

He decries how venture capitalists "Hack" market dynamics by subverting the pressures of supply and demand, noting that venture capital has kept Uber afloat despite the company having not yet turned a profit.

Legal loopholes constitute another form of hacking, Schneier suggests, discussing how the inability of tribal courts to try non-Native individuals means that many sexual assaults of Native American women go unprosecuted because they were committed by non-Native American men.

Schneier outlines strategies used by corporations to capitalize on neural processes and "Hack our attention circuits," pointing out how Facebook's algorithms boost content that outrages users because doing so increases engagement.

News URL

https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2023/01/publishers-weekly-review-of-a-hackers-mind.html