Book Review - The Cuckoo's Egg

The Cuckoo's Egg: Tracking a Spy Through the Maze of Computer EspionageThe Cuckoo's Egg: Tracking a Spy Through the Maze of Computer Espionage by Clifford Stoll
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Great true story about computer hacking. Cliff Stoll was a reluctant systems administrator at Berkley in 1986. All university computer time was charged out to various entities and a 75 cent discrepancy is found. Tracking that down led to a year long investigation into a hacker that involved the military, NSA, NASA, CIA, FBI and other government agencies from the US and around the world.

Stoll does a nice job of explaining the computer jargon, though a non-techie might find it a little dry. He also adds a personal touch as he talks about the effect of his search on his home life and philosophical beliefs. You really get his frustration at the actions of the invader and the inactions of all of the agencies that should have reacted and supported his efforts sooner in the timeline.

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