Ric Vieler is a software engineer and a certified ethical hacker. He enjoys writing both technical manuals (such as Professional Rootkits) and science fiction novels (such as Spliced, Acknowledge, and A Stitch in Time). His love of the unexplored, mixed with a thorough understanding of computer internals, has culminated in a career that fully embraces both: professional hacking. When not hacking, reading, or writing, Ric spends his spare time with his wife, Lisa, and their two children, Samantha and Dylan.