What are the takeaways from this absorbing tour of cyberspace’s netherworld? Four things stand out. One: “Hacking is not a dark art, and those who practise it are not 400lb wizards or idiot savants.” Two: it’s not a hobby, but a business, conducted by rational people out to make a living, or a killing. Just like bankers, in fact. Three: we could do a lot to reduce our vulnerability to it, but governments will first have to make it a crime not to take precautions. And four: mass media plays a really malignant role by providing an endless loop of scare stories and zero understanding of the problem.