DARKMARKET Cyberthieves, Cybercops and You

Jonathan Cowley’s skillful narration employs an emphatically strong and consistently elegant British accent, but it cannot bring focused interest to this book—a meandering and tedious collection of stories and facts on cybercrime and its criminals. Glenny, a former BBC correspondent, writes cryptically about an already cryptic and complex subject. Using firsthand interviews with the criminals and those who attempt to bring them to justice, Glenny attempts illumination, but his dry writing fails as it doesn’t explain how these problems affect the layperson and doesn’t provide any flashes of lightness or humor. Alarmist tales of the lifestyle excesses of several criminal hackers and those who back them can hold interest only for a limited time. Keep your virus protection current and your firewall active, but consider passing on this audiobook unless you’re a tech insider. W.A.G. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine [Published: MARCH 2012]