Lords of Crypto Crime


Book Description

'Reads like a thriller... These stories are amazing.' -Michael Lewis, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Big Short 'A master-class in the tactics and countertactics of financial cyberwarfare, laid out in a tense, exciting technothriller.' -Cory Doctorow, author of Little Brother 'An absorbing narrative than unfolds like a mystery' -New York Times Book Review (Editors' Choice) 'Immensely readable... a romp through some of the most infamous dark web takedowns in recent memory.' -Washington Post Dirty cops, trafficking rings, globe-spanning, nail-biting undercover detective work and the biggest takedown of the online narcotics market in the history of the internet. This is the story of how a single innovation has fuelled the world's criminal financial markets, and unleashed a cat-and mouse game like no other. Over the last decade, crime lords inhabiting lawless corners of the internet have operated more freely - whether in drug dealing, money laundering, or human trafficking - than their old school counterparts could have ever dreamed of. By transacting in currencies with anonymous ledgers, overseen by no government and beholden no bankers, they have robbed law enforcement of the primary method of cracking down on illicit finance: following the money. But what if this dark economy held a secret, fatal flaw? What if their currency wasn't so cryptic after all? Could an investigator using the right mixture of technical wizardry, financial forensics, and old-fashioned persistence uncover an entire criminal underworld? Lords of Crypto Crime is the gripping, insider story of how a brilliant group of investigators took down the biggest kingpins of the dark web. ** Published in the US as Tracers in the Dark. **




Tracers in the Dark


Book Description

From the award-winning author of Sandworm comes the propulsive story of a new breed of investigators who have cracked the Bitcoin blockchain, exposing once-anonymous realms of money, drugs, and violence. “I love the book… It reads like a thriller… These stories are amazing.” (Michael Lewis) Over the last decade, a single innovation has massively fueled digital black markets: cryptocurrency. Crime lords inhabiting lawless corners of the internet have operated more freely—whether in drug dealing, money laundering, or human trafficking—than their analog counterparts could have ever dreamed of. By transacting not in dollars or pounds but in currencies with anonymous ledgers, overseen by no government, beholden to no bankers, these black marketeers have sought to rob law enforcement of their chief method of cracking down on illicit finance: following the money. But what if the centerpiece of this dark economy held a secret, fatal flaw? What if their currency wasn’t so cryptic after all? An investigator using the right mixture of technical wizardry, financial forensics, and old-fashioned persistence could uncover an entire world of wrongdoing. Tracers in the Dark is a story of crime and pursuit unlike any other. With unprecedented access to the major players in federal law enforcement and private industry, veteran cybersecurity reporter Andy Greenberg tells an astonishing saga of criminal empires built and destroyed. He introduces an IRS agent with a defiant streak, a Bitcoin-tracing Danish entrepreneur, and a colorful ensemble of hardboiled agents and prosecutors as they delve deep into the crypto-underworld. The result is a thrilling, globe-spanning story of dirty cops, drug bazaars, trafficking rings, and the biggest takedown of an online narcotics market in the history of the Internet. Utterly of our time, Tracers in the Dark is a cat-and-mouse story and a tale of a technological one-upmanship. Filled with canny maneuvering and shocking twists, it answers a provocative question: How would some of the world’s most brazen criminals behave if they were sure they could never get caught?







Forensic Perspectives on Cybercrime


Book Description

Forensic Perspectives on Cybercrime is the first book to combine the disciplines of cyberpsychology and forensic psychology, helping to define this emergent area. It explores the psychological factors that influence the behaviour of all those involved in cybersecurity, drawing upon the research literatures in relevant areas including forensic, social, and cyberpsychology. Written by leading figures in the field, the book provides an introduction to the cybercrime ecosystem, before discussing the psychological manipulation of targets through social engineering techniques and highlighting the unique threats that this type of attack presents. The reasons why people become involved in hacking are explored, and the authors review research literature on risk factors of being a victim of cybercrime, along with the concept of resilience. Behaviour change and prevention strategies are also evaluated, as well as the role of emergent technologies such as artificial intelligence and what this may mean for the role of humans in cybersecurity. Case studies and real-world examples are woven throughout to illustrate key issues, opportunities, and challenges. This unique text is a must-read for students undertaking any degree that relates to behaviour and cybersecurity, including psychology, computing, law, and business management. It is also highly relevant to researchers, practitioners, and policymakers who work in cybersecurity and/or have an interest in empowering people to be safe online.




Investing in Cryptocurrencies and Digital Assets


Book Description

A must-read roadmap to analyzing, valuing, and investing in cryptocurrency and other digital assets In Investing in Cryptocurrencies and Digital Assets: A Guide to Understanding Technologies, Business Models, Due Diligence, and Valuation, alternative investments expert Dr. Keith Black delivers a compelling and straightforward roadmap for analyzing, valuing, and investing in crypto and other digital assets. You'll learn how to buy crypto directly — and how to keep your new digital assets safe from hacks and fraud — and how to invest indirectly, using stocks, futures, options, and exchange-traded funds. You'll also discover how to conduct extensive due diligence to reduce technology and compliance risks, as well as how to understand the business models that underlie and power these novel technologies. The book also offers: Accessible discussions of and introductions to blockchain and distributed ledger technology, stablecoins, Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other foundational concepts Ways to differentiate between investing in digital assets for the long term and risky, short-term speculation An essential new playbook for institutional, professional, and retail investors involved with digital assets and cryptocurrency, Investing in Cryptocurrencies and Digital Assets is the comprehensive and up-to-date guide to the sector that you've been waiting for.




Combating Crime on the Dark Web


Book Description

Know your enemy and counter the dark web criminality with this easy-to-follow guide, including a detailed tour of the dark web ecosystem and the tools and tactics used to mitigate cyber threats Key FeaturesGet up to speed with the ins and outs of cybercriminal activity on the dark webBecome familiar with the tools and techniques that are used to fight serious crimeGain a keen understanding of the crime ecosystem on the dark web and the best practices to keep it in checkBook Description In today's world, the crime-prevention landscape is impossible to navigate. The dark web means new frontiers of combat against bad actors that pop up daily. Everyone from narcotics dealers to human traffickers are exploiting the dark web to evade authorities. If you want to find your feet in this tricky terrain and fight crime on the dark web, take this comprehensive, easy-to-follow cyber security guide with you. Combating Crime on the Dark Web contains everything you need to be aware of when tackling the world of the dark web. Step by step, you'll gain acumen in the tactics that cybercriminals are adopting and be equipped with the arsenal of strategies that are available to you as a cybersecurity specialist. This cyber security book ensures that you are well acquainted with all the latest techniques to combat dark web criminality. After a primer on cybercrime and the history of the dark web, you'll dive right into the main domains of the dark web ecosystem, reaching a working understanding of how drug markets, child pornography, and human trafficking operate. Once well-versed with the functioning of criminal groups, you'll be briefed on the most effective tools and methods being employed by law enforcement, tech companies, and others to combat such crimes, developing both a toolkit and a mindset that can help you stay safe from such criminal activities and can be applied in any sector or domain. By the end of this book, you'll be well prepared to begin your pushback against the criminal elements of the dark web. What you will learnUnderstand the history of cybercrime, the dark web, and the use of TorDiscover the ecosystem of dark web drug marketsBecome familiar with the methods law enforcement use to stop child abusersDive deep into real-life human trafficking cases and how they were tackledExplore sting operations, honeypots, and cybercrime prevention methodologiesGain expertise in Pipl Search, MEMEX, BITCRIME, and other anti-crime toolsInvestigate open-source intelligence and intelligence-led policingSet up a framework for disrupting organized crime on the dark webWho this book is for This book is for aspiring cybercrime investigators, cybersecurity enthusiasts, and anyone else who is interested in learning about this dark side of the internet. The book mainly focuses on preventing crimes on the dark web and is written in a simple way so that you can understand it with ease.




IAS Mains Civil Services General Studies Chapterwise Solved Papers (2021-1997)


Book Description

1. Serves as a perfect exercise manual. 2. Divided into 2 sections to provide better practical knowledge 3. Previous 10 Years’ Solved Papers quick revision 4. Detailed and authentic solutions 5. 5 Mock Tests for self-assessment Presenting the first edition of “BITSAT 10 Years’ Solved Papers 5 Mock Tests” has been designed to serve as a perfect exercise manual for the exams. As the name suggests, the book is carefully comprised with questions exactly on the lines of the evolving examination pattern. Divided into 2 sections, it provides better understanding of the concepts and practical knowledge to the competitors. Previous 10 Years’ Solved Papers (2021-2012) have been given with detailed and authentic solutions for conceptual clarity and quick revision. Supported with 5 Mock Tests framed exactly on the latest pattern & trend of BITSAT, it helps the students in thorough practice and to assess their preparation level for before the examination. Going through this book will give you an exact idea of the questions asked in BITSAT. TOC Previous 10 Years’ Solved Papers [2021-2012], Mock Test [1-5]




Crypto Wars


Book Description

The crypto wars have raged for half a century. In the 1970s, digital privacy activists prophesied the emergence of an Orwellian State, made possible by computer-mediated mass surveillance. The antidote: digital encryption. The U.S. government warned encryption would not only prevent surveillance of law-abiding citizens, but of criminals, terrorists, and foreign spies, ushering in a rival dystopian future. Both parties fought to defend the citizenry from what they believed the most perilous threats. The government tried to control encryption to preserve its surveillance capabilities; privacy activists armed citizens with cryptographic tools and challenged encryption regulations in the courts. No clear victor has emerged from the crypto wars. Governments have failed to forge a framework to govern the, at times conflicting, civil liberties of privacy and security in the digital age—an age when such liberties have an outsized influence on the citizen–State power balance. Solving this problem is more urgent than ever. Digital privacy will be one of the most important factors in how we architect twenty-first century societies—its management is paramount to our stewardship of democracy for future generations. We must elevate the quality of debate on cryptography, on how we govern security and privacy in our technology-infused world. Failure to end the crypto wars will result in societies sleepwalking into a future where the citizen–State power balance is determined by a twentieth-century status quo unfit for this century, endangering both our privacy and security. This book provides a history of the crypto wars, with the hope its chronicling sets a foundation for peace.




The Spectator


Book Description

A weekly review of politics, literature, theology, and art.




Regulating the Crypto Economy


Book Description

This book focuses on the building of a crypto economy as an alternative economic space and discusses how the crypto economy should be governed. The crypto economy is examined in its productive and financialised aspects, in order to distil the need for governance in this economic space. The author argues that it is imperative for regulatory policy to develop the economic governance of the blockchain-based business model, in order to facilitate economic mobilisation and wealth creation. The regulatory framework should cater for a new and unique enterprise organisational law and the fund-raising and financing of blockchain-based development projects. Such a regulatory framework is crucially enabling in nature and consistent with the tenets of regulatory capitalism. Further, the book acknowledges the rising importance of private monetary orders in the crypto economy and native payment systems that do not rely on conventional institutions for value transfer. A regulatory blueprint is proposed for governing such monetary orders as 'commons' governance. The rise of Decentralised Finance and other financial innovations in the crypto economy are also discussed, and the book suggests a framework for regulatory consideration in this dynamic landscape in order to meet a balance of public interest objectives and private interests. By setting out a reform agenda in relation to economic and financial governance in the crypto economy, this forward-looking work argues for the extension of 'regulatory capitalism' to this perceived 'wild west' of an alternative economic space. It advances the message that an innovative regulatory agenda is needed to account for the economically disruptive and technologically transformative developments brought about by the crypto economy.