Hackers get a bad rap. Businesses, industries, and even society as a whole covet their skills, yet they are often misunderstood and frequently despised. Is their vilification justified? This is the first book to use previously validated psychological inventories to explore and profile the personalities and behavioral traits of more than 200 self-admitted hackers. Many of the profiled are at the top of their game, revered by both the good hackers (white hats) and their more malevolent peers (black hats).

While there are serious reasons to fear the darker elements of the hacker community, there is also much to admire in their nobler counterparts. Fascinating case studies on hackers who have been caught and convicted of their crimes, as well as those betrayed by their peers, offer a unique, credible understanding of what makes hackers tick. The authors examine current laws meant to control hacking and its collateral crimes--stalking and terrorism--along with other means of reining in the irresponsible scriptkiddies and vicious black hats. Moderated and balanced, this book is an easy-to-read, authoritative source information for anyone interested in who hackers are, and how much we should worry about them.

Bernadette H. Schell is founding dean of the new University of Ontario Institute of Technology in the Greater Toronto area. Previously, she was director of the School of Commerce and Administration, Laurentian University, Canada. President of an HR consulting firm, she lectures widely on stress management, executive stress, and stalking protection measures. She is author of A Self-Diagnostic Approach to Understanding Organizational and Personal Stressors (1977), Management in the Mirror (1999), and Stalking, Harrassment, and Murder in the Workplace (2000), all published by Quorum. She is the recipient of the Laurentian University Research Excellence Award (2000).

John L. Dodge is professor in the School of Commerce and Administration, Laurentian University, Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. As a partner in a management consulting firm, he lectures and consults widely on e-commerce and organizational strategy issues. Prior to his academic appointment, he was president and CEO of a venture capital firm, and vice-president of development for a mining and development company. He holds a Bachelor of Engineering from Dalhousie University, a Master of Business Administration from The University of Western Ontario and a PhD from the University of Bradford in the U.K. He is a Certified Management Consultant (CMC) and a Professional Engineer (PENG).