Dissecting the Hack: The F0rb1dd3n Network, Revised Edition, deals with hackers and hacking. The book is divided into two parts. The first part, entitled “The F0rb1dd3n Network,” tells the fictional story of Bob and Leon, two kids caught up in an adventure where they learn the real-world consequence of digital actions. The second part, “Security Threats Are Real” (STAR), focuses on these real-world lessons.

The F0rb1dd3n Network can be read as a stand-alone story or as an illustration of the issues described in STAR. Throughout The F0rb1dd3n Network are “Easter eggs”—references, hints, phrases, and more that will lead readers to insights into hacker culture. Drawing on The F0rb1dd3n Network, STAR explains the various aspects of reconnaissance; the scanning phase of an attack; the attacker’s search for network weaknesses and vulnerabilities to exploit; the various angles of attack used by the characters in the story; basic methods of erasing information and obscuring an attacker’s presence on a computer system; and the underlying hacking culture.