// Author
William L. Simon's cybersecurity books
3 books by William L. Simon reviewed in our catalog, newest first. Honest takes, who each book is for, and what to read alongside.
01 · 2011
Ghost in the Wires
My Adventures as the World's Most Wanted Hacker
Kevin Mitnick's first-person account of his 1990s social-engineering and phone-system intrusions, foreword by Steve Wozniak. Self-promotional in tone but a primary source on a defining era.
Beginner4/5· Narrative· Social Engineering· History02 · 2005
The Art of Intrusion
The Real Stories Behind the Exploits of Hackers, Intruders and Deceivers
Mitnick and Simon's follow-up to The Art of Deception: third-party stories from working hackers — casino slot exploits, prison-network breaches, post-9/11 intelligence ops — reconstructed and annotated by Mitnick.
Beginner4/5· Narrative· Pentesting· History03 · 2002
The Art of Deception
Controlling the Human Element of Security
Kevin Mitnick and William Simon's case-study collection of social-engineering attacks: PBX scams, helpdesk impersonation, dumpster-diving, the casual lies that sound true. The technology dates the book; the human side is timeless.
Beginner4/5· Social Engineering· Narrative· Foundations