While other books merely show how to run existing exploits, "Hacking: The Art of Exploitation" broke ground as the first book to explain how hacking and software exploits work and how readers could develop and implement their own. In the second edition, author Jon Erickson again uses practical examples to illustrate the most common computer security issues in three related fields: programming, networking and cryptography. All sections have been extensively updated and expanded, including a more thorough introduction to the complex, low-level workings of a computer. Readers can easily follow along with example code by booting the included live CD, which provides a Linux programming environment and all of its benefits without the hassle of installing a new operating system.
