Breaking And Entering: The Extraordinary Story of a Hacker Called "Alien"

About this book

This taut, true thriller dives into a dark world that touches us all, as seen through the brilliant, breakneck career of an extraordinary hacker—a woman known only as Alien. When she arrived at MIT in the 1990s, Alien was quickly drawn to the school’s tradition of high-risk physical trespassing: the original “hacking.” Within a year, one of her hallmates was dead and two others were arraigned. Alien’s adventures were only just beginning. After a stint at the storied, secretive Los Alamos National Laboratory, Alien was recruited by a top cybersecurity firm where she deployed her cache of virtual weapons—and the trespassing and social engineering talents she had developed while “hacking” at MIT. The company tested its clients’ security by every means possible—not just coding, but donning disguises and sneaking past guards and secretaries into the C-suite. Alien now runs a boutique hacking outfit that caters to some of the world’s biggest and most vulnerable institutions—banks, retailers, government agencies. Her work combines devilish charm, old-school deception, and next generation spycraft. In Breaking and Entering, cybersecurity finally gets the rich, character-driven, fast-paced treatment it deserves. This true story of a hacker called Alien reveals a secret world of risk, stealth, and high-tech intrigue. Social Engineering: Follow Alien as she dons disguises, charms her way past guards, and sneaks into the C-suite to test the security of the world’s biggest companies. A Woman in Tech: Discover the extraordinary true story of a woman who rose to the top of the hyper-masculine world of hacking, from MIT’s rooftops to top cybersecurity firms. Digital Forensics: Go inside the secretive Los Alamos National Laboratory and elite security firms where Alien deploys virtual weapons and next-generation spycraft. Hacker Culture: Dive into the thrilling and dangerous world of MIT’s original "hacking"—a tradition of high-risk physical trespassing through hidden tunnels and across campus rooftops.