But is cable modem hacking evil in and of itself? According to Bill Pollock, DerEngel's editor and the founder of No Starch Press, "Hacking is not evil. And hacking hardware that one owns is not and should not be illegal. Stealing service is clearly illegal, but neither DerEngel nor his book condones theft of service."
According to Pollock, No Starch Press (which also published the controversial Hacking the Xbox, by Andrew "bunnie" Huang) "chose to publish Hacking the Cable Modem because I wanted to understand how my cable modem works. I don't like black boxes and I like to play with hardware. This is a book about reverse engineering hardware—a protected right in the United States. I believe in freedom of speech and in making people smarter about things, not in sweeping information under the rug."
Pollock does not question the illegality of theft of service or the fact that users hacking their leased modems are likely violating their terms of service with their cable internet providers. But, he argues, "Hacking hardware that I own in order to better understand and control it is not about theft of service. It's about having fun and learning more about that mysterious box with flashing lights. Hacking the Cable Modem is about low-level firmware hacking, and mastering a product that you own."
And as for the book Hacking the Cable Modem? Unfortunately, due to this recent bit of news it's completely sold out, but an immediate reprint has been scheduled and the book will be available in print again in 2 weeks. The ebook is also available at http://nostarch.com/cablemodem.htm.
To schedule an interview with Bill Pollock, contact Travis Peterson (travis@nostarch.com).
Additional Resources
Chapter 17: Building a Console Cable (PDF)
by DerEngel
September 2006, 320 pp
ISBN 9781593271015, $23.95 US
order@oreilly.com
1-800-998-9938
1-707-827-7000
Available in fine bookstores everywhere, from www.oreilly.com/nostarch, or directly from No Starch Press (http://www.nostarch.com/, orders@nostarch.com, 1-800-420-7240).
About No Starch Press
Founded in 1994, No Starch Press is one of the few remaining independent computer book publishers. We publish the finest in geek entertainment—unique books on technology, with a focus on open source, security, hacking, programming, alternative operating systems, and LEGO. Our titles have personality, our authors are passionate, and our books tackle topics that people care about. Visit http://www.nostarch.com for a complete catalog.
About O’Reilly
O’Reilly Media spreads the knowledge of innovators through its books, online services, magazines, and conferences. Since 1978, O’Reilly Media has been a chronicler and catalyst of cutting-edge development, homing in on the technology trends that really matter and spurring their adoption by amplifying “faint signals” from the alpha geeks who are creating the future. An active participant in the technology community, the company has a long history of advocacy, meme-making, and evangelism.