The book is organized around the core technologies of the Internetâemail, web sites, servers, and browsers. Chapters describe how these are used and abused and show you how information hidden in each of them can be uncovered. Short examples illustrate all the major techniques that are discussed. Two in-depth examples in Chapter 11 show how they are used in concert in real-world case studies.
Dealing with Internet fraud and abuse is not merely a technical matter and so throughout the book, I discuss the ethical and legal issues that arise in this field of work.
The contents of specific chapters are as follows:
- Chapter 1, Introduction
An overview of spam, phishing, and the other threats to todayâs Internet.
- Chapter 2, Names and Numbers
Tools and techniques to retrieve information about Internet addresses and domain names.
- Chapter 3, Email
The structure of email messages, how spammers forge message headers, and what you can uncover in spite of their efforts to hide.
- Chapter 4, Obfuscation
A review of the many ways that con artists conceal their identities and how you can see through their disguises.
- Chapter 5, Web Sites
Dissecting the operation of Internet scams by studying the pages and directories that make up a web site.
- Chapter 6, Web Servers
Ways to uncover information about web servers and their operation by looking at the headers records of standard web transactions.
- Chapter 7, Web Browsers
What you reveal about yourself every time you visit a web site and some ways in which you can protect your personal information.
- Chapter 8, File Contents
Techniques to extract information that lies hidden within PDF and Word documents.
- Chapter 9, People and Places
A collection of miscellaneous techniques.
- Chapter 10, Patterns of Activity
Ways to search for similar features across multiple files, allowing you to link together different Internet scams.
- Chapter 11, Case Studies
Two in-depth examples of Internet forensics at work. The first is a detailed study of a phishing scam. The second is a broader analysis of spam networks.
- Chapter 12, Taking Action
A discussion on combating Internet fraud and how you can play a part.
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