Deception in the Digital Age

Deception in the Digital Age: Exploiting and Defending Human Targets Through Computer-Mediated Communication guides readers through the fascinating history and principles of deception-and how these techniques and stratagems are now being effectively used by cyber attackers. Users will find an in-depth guide that provides valuable insights into the cognitive, sensory and narrative bases of misdirection, used to shape the targeted audience's perceptions and beliefs. The text provides a detailed analysis of the psychological, sensory, sociological, and technical precepts that reveal predictors of attacks-and conversely postmortem insight about attackers-presenting a unique resource that empowers readers to observe, understand and protect against cyber deception tactics. Written by information security experts with real-world investigative experience, the text is the most instructional book available on the subject, providing practical guidance to readers with rich literature references, diagrams and examples that enhance the learning process. - Deeply examines the psychology of deception through the lens of misdirection and other techniques used by master magicians - Explores cognitive vulnerabilities that cyber attackers use to exploit human targets - Dissects the underpinnings and elements of deception narratives - Examines group dynamics and deception factors in cyber attacker underground markets - Provides deep coverage on how cyber attackers leverage psychological influence techniques in the trajectory of deception strategies - Explores the deception strategies used in today's threat landscape-phishing, watering hole, scareware and ransomware attacks - Gives unprecedented insight into deceptive Internet video communications - Delves into the history and deception pathways of nation-state and cyber terrorism attackers - Provides unique insight into honeypot technologies and strategies - Explores the future of cyber deception

Cameron H. Malin is a Behavioral Profiler with over 20 years of experience investigating, analyzing and profiling cyber adversaries across the spectrum of criminal to national security. He is the founder of the FBI Behavioral Analysis Unit's (BAU) Cyber Behavioral Analysis Center (CBAC) and the longest serving FBI Cyber Profiler. He is a co-author of the authoritative cyber deception book, Deception in the Digital Age: Exploiting and Defending Human Targets Through Computer-Mediated Communications (published by Academic Press, an imprint of Elsevier, Inc.) and co-author of the Malware Forensics book series: Malware Forensics: Investigating and Analyzing Malicious Code, Malware Forensics Field Guide for Windows Systems, and Malware Forensics Field Guide for Linux Systems (all published by Syngress, an imprint of Elsevier, Inc.). Cameron is the creator of Digital Behavioral Criminalistics - a combined application of numerous forensic disciplines-digital forensics, criminalistics, and behavioral sciences-to meaningfully uncovering offender thoughts and actions in digital artifacts-as well as the Cyber Pathway to Intended Violence (CPIV)-a model for assessing violent offenders who have engaged computer systems, devices, and/or online resources before, during, and/or after a premeditated, violent act. These important emerging topics were published in his book chapter Digital Behavioral Criminalistics to Elucidate the Cyber Pathway to Intended Violence in the International Handbook of Threat Assessment, 2nd Edition (Oxford University Press, 2021). Prior to working for the FBI, Cameron was an Assistant State Attorney (ASA) and Special Assistant United States Attorney in Miami, Florida, where he specialized in computer crime prosecutions. During his tenure as an ASA, he was also an Assistant Professorial Lecturer in the Computer Fraud Investigations Master's Program at George Washington University.