His clients know that he is good at finding it. What they don't know is that after he exposes a culprit he quietly takes over the security loophole for his own use. Since most of the characters in the book are not computer sophisticates, most of the explanations are given in simple terms, but McNeil does not talk down to the reader, and does not spout technical nonsense. He manages, in quite a readable way, to present many of the basic precautions against computer fraud, and explain both why they are necessary and why they are not sufficient. Anyone familiar with the state of the art ten years ago should spot some reasons why the precise fiddle described in the book would not have succeeded.
Computer networks have information and code sloshing around in ways that are much harder to audit.
It is steadily easier to turn bits into cash. And the technology of security for information systems doesn't seem to be keeping up. This is a good book to give your manager or vice-president when you want to dampen unwarranted optimism about the safety of data in an existing or planned information system. Brian Randell had told me about it some time ago, but I was unable to find it in any local bookstores. I am grateful to him for mailing me a copy from England.