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amn028's review against another edition
3.0
Despite being slightly dated in the technology world (published in 2015), there is enough here to make people aware of all the insidious ways our every day tech use can be used against us. There are plenty of examples here to make one want to go back to pen and paper, but there are also tips on how to protect yourself and keep your data safer. It's a worthwhile read, if only to make one aware of all the ways we leak personal information and ways to limit the information we give away for free.
debbartram's review against another edition
4.0
This is an important book for everyone to read and better understand the role of technology in our lives. Although I think the book could have been much more edited, the overall content is eye opening.
specialk136's review against another edition
4.0
Quite possibly the most terrifying book I have ever read, Future Crimes details the ways hackers are now accessing our personal information and the ways they'll do so in the future. Our cell phones, smart TVs, and laptops can record our movements without any indication that the camera is on. Google reads all our emails, knows everything we search for, and using Google maps can tell it everywhere we go. If you have a Nest thermostat, now Google knows the hours you're away from home. Those terms of service agreements no one reads? They basically grant companies unlimited and eternal rights to anything we post, and even to modify what we post for their purposes. I was shocked to discover that my iPhone was storing details of my frequently visited locations...time and date stamped. And it goes on and on...one shocking story after another. Goodman is fond of saying things like, "If you think that's far-fetched....it's already happening today." Ah, crap.
The worst part is how woefully ignorant and unprepared we are for these crimes that are happening now and will evolve in the future. If someone wants to fly a drone with a camera up to your bedroom window, it's legal for them to do so because the airspace is unregulated. Budget-strapped law enforcement agencies lack the technical skills and resources to effectively track cash-rich cyber criminals. In 2012, the Secretary of Homeland Security, who is in charge of cyber crime, admitted she doesn't even use email!
Goodman provides example after example of the ways in which criminals are exploiting our data. This book is exhaustively researched and covers every possible aspect of cyber crime. And that leads me to the reason I gave it four stars instead of five....it's so exhaustive it's exhausting. After a while you get "crime fatigue." I started to feel a bit hopeless. It's basically 350 pages of shock and despair and 40 pages of what "we" (society) can do about it. As for things you can do to protect yourself in your personal life? That's 4 pages in the appendix. The appendix!
This book is a lot to take - but the information is just so important and universally applicable. It has already changed my behavior. I have found myself spouting examples in the book to friends and family, modifying my privacy settings, and even reading a terms of service agreement! It's just such an important topic - I really think a lot of people need to read this book.
The worst part is how woefully ignorant and unprepared we are for these crimes that are happening now and will evolve in the future. If someone wants to fly a drone with a camera up to your bedroom window, it's legal for them to do so because the airspace is unregulated. Budget-strapped law enforcement agencies lack the technical skills and resources to effectively track cash-rich cyber criminals. In 2012, the Secretary of Homeland Security, who is in charge of cyber crime, admitted she doesn't even use email!
Goodman provides example after example of the ways in which criminals are exploiting our data. This book is exhaustively researched and covers every possible aspect of cyber crime. And that leads me to the reason I gave it four stars instead of five....it's so exhaustive it's exhausting. After a while you get "crime fatigue." I started to feel a bit hopeless. It's basically 350 pages of shock and despair and 40 pages of what "we" (society) can do about it. As for things you can do to protect yourself in your personal life? That's 4 pages in the appendix. The appendix!
This book is a lot to take - but the information is just so important and universally applicable. It has already changed my behavior. I have found myself spouting examples in the book to friends and family, modifying my privacy settings, and even reading a terms of service agreement! It's just such an important topic - I really think a lot of people need to read this book.
dfarhany's review against another edition
5.0
I love how insightful this book is. Sure, it made me feel threaten by our online technology. such a double edged sword, when the good that comes with it could be outdone by the bad that comes in equal magnitude.
I think it is relatable as to when cavemen found fire for the first time, the euphoria in utilizing this life supporting tool to cook or to light until the horror that came when it first uncontrollaby burn things down. But as cavemen tamed fire, we too, people of today, will eventually be able to tame technology. Right?
I think it is relatable as to when cavemen found fire for the first time, the euphoria in utilizing this life supporting tool to cook or to light until the horror that came when it first uncontrollaby burn things down. But as cavemen tamed fire, we too, people of today, will eventually be able to tame technology. Right?