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A hacker's mind : how the powerful bend society's rules, and how to bend them back / Bruce Schneier.

by Schneier, Bruce, 1963-

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W.W. Norton and Company, 2023.

Hacking -- Social aspects.

Hacking -- Political aspects.

Hacking -- Economic aspects.

Technology -- Sociological aspects.

9780393866667 (hc.)

Alternate title:

How the powerful bend society's rules, and how to bend them back

284 p. ; 24 cm.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 255-276) and index.

"'Hacking is something that the rich and powerful do, something that reinforces existing power structures,' contends security technologist Schneier ('Click Here to Kill Everybody') in this excellent survey of exploitation. Taking a broad understanding of hacking as an 'activity allowed by the system that subverts the... system,' Schneier draws on his background analyzing weaknesses in cybersecurity to examine how those with power take advantage of financial, legal, political, and cognitive systems. He decries how venture capitalists 'hack' market dynamics by subverting the pressures of supply and demand, noting that venture capital has kept Uber afloat despite the company having not yet turned a profit. Legal loopholes constitute another form of hacking, Schneier suggests, discussing how the inability of tribal courts to try non-Native individuals means that many sexual assaults of Native American women go unprosecuted because they were committed by non–Native American men. Schneier outlines strategies used by corporations to capitalize on neural processes and 'hack... our attention circuits,' pointing out how Facebook’s algorithms boost content that outrages users because doing so increases engagement. Elegantly probing the mechanics of exploitation, Schneier makes a persuasive case that 'we need society’s rules and laws to be as patchable as your computer.' With lessons that extend far beyond the tech world, this has much to offer."--Publishers Weekly.

Bruce Schneier is a renowned security technologist who has written over one dozen books, including the New York Times bestseller 'Data and Goliath' and 'Click Here to Kill Everybody.' He teaches at the Harvard Kennedy School and lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

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