Simone Onofri is the author of Attacking and Exploiting Modern Web Applications we got the chance to sit down with him and find out more about his experience of writing with Packt.
Q: How did you become an author for Packt? Tell us about your journey. What was your motivation for writing this book?
Simone: I was contacted directly by Packt, writing a book was an old dream in the drawer, particularly to give something back to the community that has given so much to me.
Q: What is the name of your book?
Simone: Attacking and Exploiting Modern Web Applications.
Q: What kind of research did you do, and how long did you spend researching before beginning the book?
Simone: We looked for what topics might be interesting, considering that the topic of web attacks is widespread, and we looked for ways to make a unique book both as content and as a way of passing the topics on to readers. In fact, the book explains how we found vulnerabilities reported by us, does it in a practical way, and allows readers to re-create scenarios on their own PCs.
Q: What key takeaways do you want readers to come away with from the book?
Simone: First, an approach, a methodology and how to apply it with several examples.
Q: Can you share any blogs, websites and forums to help readers gain a holistic view of the tech they are learning?
Simone: The organization that most represents these security aspects is OWASP.
Q. Did you face any challenges during the writing process? How did you overcome them?
Simone: Yes, writing a book is challenging. From finding something interesting (for us it was vulnerabilities) to how to explain it in the best way possible and make it interesting for the reader.
Q. How would you describe your author journey with Packt? Would you recommend Packt to aspiring authors?
Simone: It is a challenging course, not to be taken lightly. Consulting with other authors, the conditions and collaboration is not bad. Already a friend has asked me to write with Packt and I think he will be an author soon.
Q. Why should readers choose this book over others already on the market? How would you differentiate your book from its competition?
Simone: We focused on providing a method on finding and exploiting web vulnerabilities. The book consists of a series of examples of how it is possible to apply this method. It is done in a practical way, following the reader step-by-step and providing insights for further study and providing all the material for repeating the workshops. We haven’t found this approach in other books, and from the feedback we’re getting it was the right choice. We also considered the story-telling aspects by including quotes from movies and books we like and contextualizing the scenarios.
Q. What is/are your specialist tech area(s)?
Simone: Web Application Security, Vulnerability Research, Project and Product Management.
Q. What advice would you give to readers jumping into this technology? Do you have any top tips?
Simone: Yes, as explained in the book, study a minimum of theory and then lots and lots and lots of practice!
Q. What’s your take on the technologies discussed in the book? Where do you see these technologies heading in the future?
Simone: The Web, since its inception, has changed the world, and despite being a technology that has several years on its shoulders, it continues to be a vector of innovation. The more it permeates into our lives, the more important it is to take security aspects into account.
Q. How did you organize, plan, and prioritize your work and write the book?
Simone: To be free from other commitments, not only in terms of time but also in terms of various thoughts that occupy the mind.
Q. What are your favorite tech journals? How do you keep yourself up to date on tech?
Simone: I use different feeds such as reddit, twitter, LinkedIn and have the platforms’ algorithms calibrated to provide me with what I am interested in.
Q. Would you like to share your social handles? If so, mention them below.
Simone: Sure. Here you go:
LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/simoneonofri/.
Q: What is that one writing tip that you found most crucial and would like to share with aspiring authors?
Simone: It’s okay to think and plan, but you have to start writing, even if you don’t really know what, as the thinking gets structured, it’s a creative process, even for technical books.
You can find Simone’s book on Amazon by following this link: Please click here
