Cybersecurity may be serious business, but that doesn’t have to mean dry and boring learning experiences. These books make learning about it exciting!
Clifford Stoll’s nonfiction book The Cuckoo’s Egg reads like a thriller. It recounts how one small computer error led him to discover an infiltrating hacker who penetrated US military computers and disrupted an international spy network.
The Cuckoo’s Egg
The Cuckoo’s Egg provides a fascinating look into early cybersecurity. This book chronicles LBNL’s search for an individual who breached their computer systems during the 1980s, and their eventual discovery. While this may read like an exciting spy thriller, its reality makes this an engaging read for anyone interested in cybersecurity, Unix history or early Internet developments.
This book begins by chronicling an error discovered on LBNL computers; initially just an accounting mistake but eventually leading to a year-long search for hackers who had compromised those systems’ information. What began as an innocent accounting oversight turned into an extraordinary hunt that ultimately resulted in the arrest of one cyber criminal who compromised sensitive data within them – all because of an accounting error for $0.75! In addition, techniques for tracking hackers like keystroke analysis and following computer paths are discussed as well as how the Internet emerged as commercial and cultural powerhouse during those early days before becoming such force of commerce as today!
Even though this book was first written in 1989, it’s still an excellent read for those interested in security and the evolution of the Internet. This book covers numerous components that make today’s cyber systems secure – password security, the importance of having strong networks, how worms and viruses operate and how best to defend against them as well as encryption to secure data are just a few topics this book discusses.
Noteworthy is the fact that the hunt for this hacker started long before TITAN RAIN came onto the radar screen; indeed, some government characters in the book indicate there may have been nonpublic espionage activities going back even earlier than that.
The Cuckoo’s Egg is an engaging and informative book for those interested in cybersecurity, the early Internet, Unix systems and San Francisco of the 1980s. Often suspenseful and providing an exclusive glimpse into international computer networking environments.
Sandworm
Wired senior writer Andy Greenberg’s latest offering to the Cybersecurity Canon Hall of Fame explores the discovery of an elite Russian GRU hacking unit whose malicious activities caused immense global destruction. This real story serves as another installment in an extensive body of research which sheds light on the perils associated with unchecked digital warfare.
Greenberg is renowned for his technical writing, with particular skill in communicating complex cybersecurity topics to nontechnical audiences. His books offer readers insight into dark rooms where computer sleuths search for malware matches with all the zeal of detectives. Greenberg’s ability to make attribution science accessible makes this book an important addition to cyber security literature.
Sandworm is an in-depth chronicle of Russia’s new form of warfare: Russia’s use of malware attacks against foreign economies to cripple them and the subsequent global effort to stop it. Wired senior writer and author of This Machine Kills Secrets, Greenberg explores this malicious adversary known as Sandworm (otherwise known as Black Energy, ELECTRUM, Voodoo Bear or GRU Unit 7455), who perpetrated these attacks for more than a decade and caused billions in damage.
In 2017, this group launched NotPetya, an invasive self-replicating worm that infected companies, governments, and electric utilities across Ukraine before spreading globally and causing $10 billion in damages – marking an escalation in Kremlin cyberwarfare strategies ranging from influence campaigns and ransomware attacks to crippling infrastructure attacks designed to cause massive disruption.
Although commercial cybersecurity analysts often refer to attackers with colorful names such as Sandworm, Fancy Bear, Cozy Bear, Shadow Brokers, Guccifer 2.0, X-Tester Black Energy Bad Rabbit etc. for identification, a closer inspection reveals that all that data reveals that the Russian GRU cyberunits are effectively one team; Greenberg’s forensic work links their trail of destruction back to one organization under Serebriakov’s leadership and vice versa. Even experts often frown at finger pointing but it’s hard to imagine what we would be without chronicles like Sandworm being published!
Cyber Wars: Hacks That Shocked the Business World
Cyber attacks are one of the greatest threats facing businesspeople today, costing time, money, and potentially leading to severe repercussions for both reputational damage and revenue loss. But there are ways to defend against them; reading books about cyber security is an excellent way of expanding knowledge on this topic for any professional – regardless of whether you work directly in IT or not!
Cyber Wars is an eyewitness account of some of the greatest cyberattacks ever witnessed. This book presents dramatic inside stories and provides tips to avoid similar hacks in future; for example: Sony was attacked and destroyed; hackers in TK Maxx parking lot stole 94m credit cards; 17 year old teenager leaked 157,000 TalkTalk records and Mirai botnet had an effectful on 2016 presidential election result; etc.
Kevin Mitnick’s book, “The Art of Invisibility: The World’s Most Famous Hacker Teaches You How to Stay Safe in an Era of Big Brother and Big Data”, provides useful cyber security guidance for both consumers and companies, offering advice such as leaving digital footprints behind and employing VPNs – practical tips from an author who used to be both a computer security consultant and hacker himself!
Paul Graham offers an in-depth examination of cyberspace in The Intellectual Wild West: A Guide to Hackers, Hacking, and the Technologies that Shape our Modern World. In this book readers learn how hacker culture operates as well as why its effects could be dangerous to society.
This cyber security book is ideal for beginners. It explains various techniques hackers use to invade computers and steal information – from password hacking, malware installation and phishing attacks – with easy steps provided so readers can understand how these hacks operate.
This book is essential reading for anyone interested in cybersecurity. It demonstrates how to safeguard your online identity and how to defend against cyber attacks with various hacking methods – making this book one of the best available on this topic. Furthermore, this text covers cryptography – an integral component in modern security systems.
Hacking Exposed
Since 1999, Hacking Exposed has educated millions of readers about how easy it is for hackers to penetrate systems. The book helps readers understand how hackers breach a system before offering cybersecurity solutions – making this book essential reading for anyone seeking to protect themselves against hackers, cyber criminals and advanced persistent threats.
This book covers the fundamental building blocks of privacy functionality such as encryption, how it can be cracked and how to mitigate its vulnerabilities using tools such as virtual machines, Whonix OS and Qubes OS. Furthermore, this book shows how to defend against tracking infrastructures from nation states and the Darknet and demonstrate ways of protecting yourself against tracking infrastructures from nation states or the Darknet. Designed for anyone wanting to become a cyber security specialist armed with knowledge to effectively defend against hackers, trackers, malware zero days exploit kits
Hacking Exposed stands out among technical books as an invaluable classic that truly captures an aspect of community that is accurate and genuine, which every IT professional should read and add to their library.
