In Blackhatonomics, Will Gragido, Daniel Molina, John Pirc and Nick Selby take you on a fascinating tour of the world of cyber-criminals. Delving into interesting case studies and the economics of cyber-crime, this book would likely be of interest to those intrigued by cyber-security, as well as those who seek a better understanding of the economics behind cybercrime and what drives that part of the "underground economy."
As a professional economist and computer programmer, this book caught my attention, as it covers cyber-crime from a different angle than other books on the subject. In particular it helps explain something which I always wondered about: what's in it for the cyber-criminals? Why not put their skills to use at something more productive? Well, this book does give some interesting answers to this and other questions, and shows what incentivises cyber-criminals to pursue their activities. Along the way the authors cover some interesting case studies, which provides some empirical backing for their work as well as insights into the world of cyber-criminals.