From the authors of the best-selling Exploiting Software, Exploiting Online Games takes a frank look at controversial security issues surrounding MMORPGs, such as World of Warcraft™ and Second Life®. The book comes fully loaded with code examples, debuggers, bots, and hacks. Co-author Gary McGraw joins Phil and Scott to discuss this important topic. Of interest to gamers, developers, security professionals, Gary talks about how gamers cheat, as well as why software companies are slow to combat the problem.
Gary discusses some of the technical reasons as to why game cheating works, as well as the economic issues that allow cheaters to profit. He is particularly critical of software developers and their lack of security knowledge. Gary also reviews the kind of information that is automatically shared by the games with the software companies, making it obvious how this information can be misused. His information is both timely and stimulating, illustrating why these issues must be solved as this form of social interraction continues to grow.
Gary McGraw is the CTO of Cigital, Inc., a software security and quality consulting firm with headquarters in the Washington, D.C., area. He is a globally recognized authority on software security and the author of six best-selling books on this topic. The latest, Software Security: Building Security In, was released in 2006. His other titles include Java Security (Wiley), Building Secure Software (Addison-Wesley), and Exploiting Software (Addison-Wesley). He is the editor of the Addison-Wesley Software Security Series. Dr. McGraw has also written more than 90 peer-reviewed scientific publications, writes a monthly security column for darkreading.com, and is frequently quoted in the press. Besides serving as a strategic counselor for top business and IT executives, Gary is on the advisory boards of Fortify Software and Raven White. His dual Ph.D. is in cognitive science and computer science from Indiana University where he serves on the Dean's Advisory Council for the School of Informatics. Gary is an IEEE Computer Society Board of Governors member and produces the monthly Silver Bullet Security Podcast for IEEE Security & Privacy magazine.
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