Kingpin

Former hacker Kevin Poulsen has, over the past decade, built a reputation as one of the top investigative reporters on the cybercrime beat. In Kingpin, he pours his unmatched access and expertise into book form for the first time, delivering a gripping cat-and-mouse narrative—and an unprecedented view into the twenty-first century’s signature form of organized crime. The word spread through the hacking underground like some unstoppable new virus: Someone—some brilliant, audacious crook—had just staged a hostile takeover of an online criminal network that siphoned billions of dollars from the US economy. The FBI rushed to launch an ambitious undercover operation aimed at tracking down this new kingpin; other agencies around the world deployed dozens of moles and double agents. Together, the cybercops lured numerous unsuspecting hackers into their clutches. . . . Yet at every turn, their main quarry displayed an uncanny ability to sniff out their snitches and see through their plots. The culprit they sought was the most unlikely of criminals: a brilliant programmer with a hippie ethic and a supervillain’s double identity. As prominent “white-hat” hacker Max “Vision” Butler, he was a celebrity throughout the programming world, even serving as a consultant to the FBI. But as the black-hat “Iceman,” he found in the world of data theft an irresistible opportunity to test his outsized abilities. He infiltrated thousands of computers around the country, sucking down millions of credit card numbers at will. He effortlessly hacked his fellow hackers, stealing their ill-gotten gains from under their noses. Together with a smooth-talking con artist, he ran a massive real-world crime ring. And for years, he did it all with seeming impunity, even as countless rivals ran afoul of police. Yet as he watched the fraudsters around him squabble, their ranks riddled with infiltrators, their methods inefficient, he began to see in their dysfunction the ultimate challenge: He would stage his coup and fix what was broken, run things as they should be run—even if it meant painting a bull’s-eye on his forehead. Through the story of this criminal’s remarkable rise, and of law enforcement’s quest to track him down, Kingpin lays bare the workings of a silent crime wave still affecting millions of Americans. In these pages, we are ushered into vast online-fraud supermarkets stocked with credit card numbers, counterfeit checks, hacked bank accounts, dead drops, and fake passports. We learn the workings of the numerous hacks—browser exploits, phishing attacks, Trojan horses, and much more—these fraudsters use to ply their trade, and trace the complex routes by which they turn stolen data into millions of dollars. And thanks to Poulsen’s remarkable access to both cops and criminals, we step inside the quiet, desperate arms race that law enforcement continues to fight with these scammers today. Ultimately, Kingpin is a journey into an underworld of startling scope and power, one in which ordinary American teenagers work hand in hand with murderous Russian mobsters and where a simple Wi-Fi connection can unleash a torrent of gold worth millions.

The true story of Max Butler, the master hacker who ran a billion dollar cyber crime network. The word spread through the hacking underground like some unstoppable new virus: an audacious crook had staged a hostile takeover of an online criminal network that siphoned billions of dollars from the US economy. The culprit was a brilliant programmer with a hippie ethic and a supervillain's double identity. Max 'Vision' Butler was a white-hat hacker and a celebrity throughout the programming world, even serving as a consultant to the FBI. But there was another side to Max. As the black-hat 'Iceman', he'd seen the fraudsters around him squabble, their ranks riddled with infiltrators, their methods inefficient, and in their dysfunction was the ultimate challenge: he would stage a coup and steal their ill-gotten gains from right under their noses. Through the story of Max Butler's remarkable rise, KINGPIN lays bare the workings of a silent crime wave affecting millions worldwide. It exposes vast online-fraud supermarkets stocked with credit card numbers, counterfeit cheques, hacked bank accounts and fake passports. Thanks to Kevin Poulsen's remarkable access to both cops and criminals, we step inside the quiet,desperate battle that law enforcement fights against these scammers. And learn that the boy next door may not be all he seems.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER. The unbelievable true story of the man who built a billion-dollar online drug empire from his bedroom—and almost got away with it In 2011, a twenty-six-year-old libertarian programmer named Ross Ulbricht launched the ultimate free market: the Silk Road, a clandestine Web site hosted on the Dark Web where anyone could trade anything—drugs, hacking software, forged passports, counterfeit cash, poisons—free of the government’s watchful eye. It wasn’t long before the media got wind of the new Web site where anyone—not just teenagers and weed dealers but terrorists and black hat hackers—could buy and sell contraband detection-free. Spurred by a public outcry, the federal government launched an epic two-year manhunt for the site’s elusive proprietor, with no leads, no witnesses, and no clear jurisdiction. All the investigators knew was that whoever was running the site called himself the Dread Pirate Roberts. The Silk Road quickly ballooned into $1.2 billion enterprise, and Ross embraced his new role as kingpin. He enlisted a loyal crew of allies in high and low places, all as addicted to the danger and thrill of running an illegal marketplace as their customers were to the heroin they sold. Through his network he got wind of the target on his back and took drastic steps to protect himself—including ordering a hit on a former employee. As Ross made plans to disappear forever, the Feds raced against the clock to catch a man they weren’t sure even existed, searching for a needle in the haystack of the global Internet. Drawing on exclusive access to key players and two billion digital words and images Ross left behind, Vanity Fair correspondent and New York Times bestselling author Nick Bilton offers a tale filled with twists and turns, lucky breaks and unbelievable close calls. It’s a story of the boy next door’s ambition gone criminal, spurred on by the clash between the new world of libertarian-leaning, anonymous, decentralized Web advocates and the old world of government control, order, and the rule of law. Filled with unforgettable characters and capped by an astonishing climax, American Kingpin might be dismissed as too outrageous for fiction. But it’s all too real.

Dynasty finally found out the secret her best friend Ruthie kept hidden all these years. Not only that, but Block is aware that she is the one who murdered his cousin years ago. Still trying to come to grips with her freedom, people from the past are doing everything to force her hand. Quana wants her locked back up, and Ruthie wants to continue making her life miserable; just because. She can’t seem to catch a break, and with her and Menace getting closer, things around them are beginning to crumble. Menace is on the hunt to find his sister Taylor, but in the midst of it all, Quana is still bombarding her way in his life for different reasons. When he doesn’t give into her demands, she links up with two of his enemies in a plot to take him down. She’ll soon realize that every enemy, is not a good enemy. Joakim is still dealing with Candy’s childish behavior. That is until he’s had enough and puts a stop to it. Unfortunately, she does something that will cause him to almost take her life in public. Little does she know, someone very close to her is working with him, to make sure she suffers too. Jen and Valley are the perfect couple, and with the wedding approaching quickly, someone is trying very hard to get Jen’s attention. Valley finds out a secret she’s keeping by accident and doesn’t tell her. However, will him holding it in, hurt her in the long run?

Courtney Hernandez works hard to build a good life for herself, as far away from her kingpin’s father’s life of crime. When she’s stopped for a traffic violation, her first experience with a cop ends in an unlikely way. Instead of a ticket, she leaves with his phone number and a fluttering heart. Antoine Williams has seen his share of pretty girls while on duty, but he’s never seen anyone quite like Courtney. Unbeknownst to both, their worlds are about to collide again in another way—one that will jeopardize their budding relationship and change their life forever. Find out what happens in Secrets Of A Kingpin's Daughter! keywords: side chick, side chick romance,african american romance, urban books, urban books free, urban, urban fiction, urban street fiction, urban african american, free book, freebie, free book, free ebook, free, urban books black authors free, african american books free,mia black, mia black books,

Major and Meek are determined to take on the Gunnaz, for the sake of their lives and their family’s honor. Courtney and Antoine must find a way to defuse the conflict that lies ahead, before the strain takes its toll on her pregnancy, but it may be too late—the pressure might already be too much for her to handle. Find out what happens in the final installment of Secrets of Kingpin's Daughter!

Alisha finds herself trapped in an increasingly abusive relationship, unable to break free from her lover's controlling behavior. A chance encounter with Courtney's newly discovered half-brother Major ignites an instant, passionate attraction between them, but Alisha is still confined to her toxic relationship against her will. Major and his brother Meek start out harboring resentment toward their long-lost father Leroy; however, they must collaborate to protect their family's business. While doing so, Major begins to recognize pieces of himself in his father and cautiously begins to rebuild their bond again. Leroy seems to have found harmony, with his daughter Courtney planning her wedding and baby shower, now joyfully attended by Major, Meek and their families. But despite the newfound harmony, a sense of dread lingered in the air. All the secrets had been revealed, yet there were still foes lurking in the shadows, with plans to be uncovered. Just when the family has come together and found happiness, violence suddenly shatters the facade. Their world is turned upside down in an instant, and their skillful balancing act of power and relationships quickly wavers in jeopardy. Find out what happens in part six of Secrets of A Kingpin's Daughter!

They never meant to fall in love, but now that it’s happened, their lives are on the line. Unsure which way to turn or who to trust, they are forced into an impossible situation. As they fight to figure out which way to turn, their true colors come out and that places them in an even more dangerous situation. If they’re not careful, they could end up dead. Are they willing to sacrifice everything for love? Find out what happens in part four of Secrets Of A Kingpin's Daughter!