This book has taken many years to write. It precludes all of the technology that is discussed with Netcat and begins with the motivation and perseverance to never be afraid to ask that seemingly dumb question. I posit that curiosity is the path to experience; throughout my life I have been fortunate to have such a rock solid support system that I could always afford to take calculated risks—to step out on that proverbial limb—and not be afraid to fail. I have accumulated many debts from people to which I will never be able to repay, and therefore only hope to pay it forward and be part of someone else's success.

Much of the authoring and editing of this book was done sitting in hotel rooms, far away from my family and loved ones. My time in Minnesota and Arizona was a tremendous burden on my wonderful wife and soul mate, Des. Without her support throughout this journey—taking care of our beautiful children, Sydney and Austin, and being the sounding board for my ideas, comments, and yes… sometimes complaints—this book surely would never have happened.

The quest for knowledge and the gratification of discovery is deeply seated in my psyche. I am so fortunate that I was blessed to grow up in a traditional, nuclear family, anchored by my late father, David, whom brought home an Epson HX-20 laptop and later purchased an IBM PCjr (read "PC junior") desktop computer for me to play with for hours on end back in those formative years. The courage, tenacity, kindness, and compassion that he demonstrated every day inspire me to be a good person today. He taught me the value of a handshake and the importance of living with unwavering integrity. My mother, Jean, is my biggest fan regardless of what I do in life. It is through her love and affection towards me that make me never take my successes for granted, and inspires me to take time to teach anyone that is willing to learn. My oldest brother, Mike, has been a shining example of how to succeed in the business world, and is a major influence on my passion and drive in technology. My other brother, Rich, has always been there for me when I needed him, and it is through his entrepreneurial spirit that allows me to try new programs, techniques, or endeavors, such as this book. Plus, he has a personality and laugh that one can't help but be drawn to.

Francis Bacon once said, "The worst solitude is to be destitute of sincere friendship". During the course of authoring this book, I could always count on some of my very best friends in the world to motivate me to keep going. I need not look any farther than Ed Maciejewski as an example of someone that has endured extreme hardship and continues to persevere in the face of adversity. Ed's life over the past couple of years is truly inspirational to me, and I am proud to be his friend. Along with the caring and kindness of his in-laws, Sue and Ralph Hoffman and Larry Nash, I feel I always have an extended family to call my own. I also would like to acknowledge my pastor, neighbor, and friend Kyle Thompson and his incredible wife Lora for helping me and my family during some of our more challenging times in our lives. My family is truly blessed to have such upstanding and righteous people to call friends.

Professionally, one of my favorite quotes is from Roman philosopher Seneca, who stated, "A young man respects and looks up to his teachers". With this quotation as a backdrop, I would like to acknowledge a couple of the many people that have shaped me professionally and indirectly contributed to this book's completion. Jack Wiles is chiefly responsible for inspiring me to be an information security practitioner. While it is possible that I would have a working knowledge of Netcat through my operations and development background, Jack's presentation on the magic of social engineering and no-tech hacking was the "a-ha moment" that made me want to be a security professional. Dr. Rory Lewis challenged me to continue the path of higher education, to think strategically, and to dare to innovate and share my knowledge. He is truly a mentor and a fantastic friend. I would also like to thank Fred Millet and Mike Royer for giving me my first break in my career as an intern at a manufacturing organization. I will forever be indebted to them for their instruction and guidance in my life and the doors that they helped to open in my career. Finally, I would like to thank Ed Skoudis, Brian Baskin, Thomas Wilhelm, and Michael Scherer for laying the foundations and teaching me so much about the Netcat utility. It is primarily through their contributions to the field that I am able to speak intelligently on the subject.

It is interesting to see what a collaborative effort authoring and publishing a book is. I would be remiss to not acknowledge the fine job that the editing team has played in the publishing of the book. Shraddha Bagadia, Priyanka Shah, and Jon Craton did a masterful job of keeping the intended message of this book on point and at a level that it is intended for.