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America the Vulnerable: Inside the New Threat Matrix of Digital Espionage, Crime, and Warfare
Now available in a new edition entitled GLASS HOUSES: Privacy, Secrecy, and Cyber Insecurity in a Transparent World.
A former top-level National Security Agency insider goes behind the headlines to explore America's next great battleground: digital security. An urgent wake-up call that identifies our foes; unveils their methods; and charts the dire consequences for government, business, and individuals.Shortly after 9/11, Joel Brenner entered the inner sanctum of American espionage, first as the inspector general of the National Security Agency, then as the head of counterintelligence for the director of national intelligence. He saw at close range the battleground on which our adversaries are now attacking us-cyberspace. We are at the mercy of a new generation of spies who operate remotely from China, the Middle East, Russia, even France, among many other places. These operatives have already shown their ability to penetrate our power plants, steal our latest submarine technology, rob our banks, and invade the Pentagon's secret communications systems.
Incidents like the WikiLeaks posting of secret U.S. State Department cables hint at the urgency of this problem, but they hardly reveal its extent or its danger. Our government and corporations are a "glass house," all but transparent to our adversaries. Counterfeit computer chips have found their way into our fighter aircraft; the Chinese stole a new radar system that the navy spent billions to develop; our own soldiers used intentionally corrupted thumb drives to download classified intel from laptops in Iraq. And much more.
Dispatches from the corporate world are just as dire. In 2008, hackers lifted customer files from the Royal Bank of Scotland and used them to withdraw $9 million in half an hour from ATMs in the United States, Britain, and Canada. If that was a traditional heist, it would be counted as one of the largest in history. Worldwide, corporations lose on average $5 million worth of intellectual property apiece annually, and big companies lose many times that.
The structure and culture of the Internet favor spies over governments and corporations, and hackers over privacy, and we've done little to alter that balance. Brenner draws on his extraordinary background to show how to right this imbalance and bring to cyberspace the freedom, accountability, and security we expect elsewhere in our lives.
In America the Vulnerable, Brenner offers a chilling and revelatory appraisal of the new faces of war and espionage-virtual battles with dangerous implications for government, business, and all of us.
A former top-level National Security Agency insider goes behind the headlines to explore America's next great battleground: digital security. An urgent wake-up call that identifies our foes; unveils their methods; and charts the dire consequences for government, business, and individuals.Shortly after 9/11, Joel Brenner entered the inner sanctum of American espionage, first as the inspector general of the National Security Agency, then as the head of counterintelligence for the director of national intelligence. He saw at close range the battleground on which our adversaries are now attacking us-cyberspace. We are at the mercy of a new generation of spies who operate remotely from China, the Middle East, Russia, even France, among many other places. These operatives have already shown their ability to penetrate our power plants, steal our latest submarine technology, rob our banks, and invade the Pentagon's secret communications systems.
Incidents like the WikiLeaks posting of secret U.S. State Department cables hint at the urgency of this problem, but they hardly reveal its extent or its danger. Our government and corporations are a "glass house," all but transparent to our adversaries. Counterfeit computer chips have found their way into our fighter aircraft; the Chinese stole a new radar system that the navy spent billions to develop; our own soldiers used intentionally corrupted thumb drives to download classified intel from laptops in Iraq. And much more.
Dispatches from the corporate world are just as dire. In 2008, hackers lifted customer files from the Royal Bank of Scotland and used them to withdraw $9 million in half an hour from ATMs in the United States, Britain, and Canada. If that was a traditional heist, it would be counted as one of the largest in history. Worldwide, corporations lose on average $5 million worth of intellectual property apiece annually, and big companies lose many times that.
The structure and culture of the Internet favor spies over governments and corporations, and hackers over privacy, and we've done little to alter that balance. Brenner draws on his extraordinary background to show how to right this imbalance and bring to cyberspace the freedom, accountability, and security we expect elsewhere in our lives.
In America the Vulnerable, Brenner offers a chilling and revelatory appraisal of the new faces of war and espionage-virtual battles with dangerous implications for government, business, and all of us.
308 pages, Hardcover
First published September 29, 2011
40 people are currently reading
768 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
April 10, 2019
This was interesting and extremely relevant to a cybersecurity thesis that I had written last year for a U.S. foreign policy Master's course. There are two major sections in this book: (1) how the American government, businesses, and citizens are under constant cyberattacks worldwide and (2) what the future of American intelligence is in this new technological age. Personally, I've alway been fascinated by national security and cybersecurity, especially when taking the accuracy of Orwell's 1984 in our modern age into account. Orwell was scarily prophetic. Unlike most of the coursework I've read this term, I'd actually recommend this one. It was rather interesting!
May 21, 2013
A while back I read "How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It: Tactics, Techniques, and Technologies for Uncertain Times" By Rawles. I thought it was a good guide for how a person would go about building and managing a survival compound. I didn't see what the author expected to happen that would turn out society upside down. I assumed his expectations originated from eschatology.
I still don't know what Rawles expects. But "America the Vulnerable" describes and warns us of the may ways out society could be dismantled by our enemies if we don't learn to protect ourselves digitally. This is a very good and down to earth book.
I still don't know what Rawles expects. But "America the Vulnerable" describes and warns us of the may ways out society could be dismantled by our enemies if we don't learn to protect ourselves digitally. This is a very good and down to earth book.
January 24, 2012
A few years ago I received an email from my bank. At least, it looked legit to me. I opened it. It said it needed me to update some parts of my account and provided a link to the bank’s website. I clicked on the link, which took me to my bank’s website. At least, it looked exactly like my bank’s website. I entered my account number, login, and password. I made the requested changes and logged out.
Two days later, somebody in Spain cleared every penny out of my account—thousands of dollars stolen.
That email was a phishing (fishing) scam. The website had been a fake. I had willingly handed over my account number, login, and password to thieves.
Luckily, the bank insures such thefts. But the problem of information security remains. Thieves living in Spain, or Russia, or LA, or China, can rob me blind from their bedrooms in their pajamas. They can do this because our information processing nowadays is increasingly tied to the internet.
And they don’t just rob dopes like me, because it’s not just individual criminals who are in the business. Corporations and governments are in this business as well.
They steal billions of dollars of trade secrets, engineering designs, and other intellectual property from American companies through computer hacking. They steal military secrets. For example, the US Navy spent years and about $5 billion dollars to develop a quiet electric motor for submarines that would make them incredibly hard to find and track. Chinese spies stole that technology. The Navy then spent billions more to develop a new radar for their top-of-the-line Aegis Cruiser. Chinese spies stole that, too.
And they not only steal. Terrorists, crime organizations, and foreign governments can now insert malicious software into the computers that control, among other things, our electrical grid. They can use this in an attack, not just to shut the grid down for a while, but to destroy power generators. They can insert such software into our air traffic control system. Our train transportation systems. Our banks. They have already done this. They have already breached some of our most secure government systems.
It sounds too far-fetched to be true, but it’s reality. Joel Brenner, who has served as the former senior counsel at the National Security Agency (NSA), the national counterintelligence executive in the office of the director of National Intelligence, and as the NSA’s inspector general writes about what he’s seen in America The Vulnerable: Inside the New Threat Matrix of Digial Espionage, Crime, and Warfare. In the book, he explains the cyber threats to individuals, corporations, and the country and what we can do about it. If you want a fascinating look into the next phase of crime, espionage, and warfare, and an introduction to some of the things you need to do to protect yourself and your company, and what we need to do as a nation, you’ll want to read this book.
Two days later, somebody in Spain cleared every penny out of my account—thousands of dollars stolen.
That email was a phishing (fishing) scam. The website had been a fake. I had willingly handed over my account number, login, and password to thieves.
Luckily, the bank insures such thefts. But the problem of information security remains. Thieves living in Spain, or Russia, or LA, or China, can rob me blind from their bedrooms in their pajamas. They can do this because our information processing nowadays is increasingly tied to the internet.
And they don’t just rob dopes like me, because it’s not just individual criminals who are in the business. Corporations and governments are in this business as well.
They steal billions of dollars of trade secrets, engineering designs, and other intellectual property from American companies through computer hacking. They steal military secrets. For example, the US Navy spent years and about $5 billion dollars to develop a quiet electric motor for submarines that would make them incredibly hard to find and track. Chinese spies stole that technology. The Navy then spent billions more to develop a new radar for their top-of-the-line Aegis Cruiser. Chinese spies stole that, too.
And they not only steal. Terrorists, crime organizations, and foreign governments can now insert malicious software into the computers that control, among other things, our electrical grid. They can use this in an attack, not just to shut the grid down for a while, but to destroy power generators. They can insert such software into our air traffic control system. Our train transportation systems. Our banks. They have already done this. They have already breached some of our most secure government systems.
It sounds too far-fetched to be true, but it’s reality. Joel Brenner, who has served as the former senior counsel at the National Security Agency (NSA), the national counterintelligence executive in the office of the director of National Intelligence, and as the NSA’s inspector general writes about what he’s seen in America The Vulnerable: Inside the New Threat Matrix of Digial Espionage, Crime, and Warfare. In the book, he explains the cyber threats to individuals, corporations, and the country and what we can do about it. If you want a fascinating look into the next phase of crime, espionage, and warfare, and an introduction to some of the things you need to do to protect yourself and your company, and what we need to do as a nation, you’ll want to read this book.
February 7, 2013
Like many "cyber books" published in recent years, this book attempts to open the proverbial eyes of the American public to the dangers represented by our increasing reliance on a pervasively insecure medium, the internet. As such, it contains the usual stories about the extensive risks extant among government and commercial entities in the US. To that end, it does a good job of exposing what many in America seem to suspect, if try to forget, that we have a wide open door and not much of a guard dog to protect us. Brenner, unlike many books, even concludes with a chapter that includes a few simple (sometimes overly), easy-to-understand steps/initiatives that public and private organizations should take to improve security. Some are more realistic than others (tax incentives, for example, seem to have a way of inspiring desired behavior), while some could stand to be more robustly fleshed out (how, exactly, we could fundamentally resolve attribution problems and identification requirements on the internet is a bigger challenge than just "deciding" to do so).
What is missing from the book is the same thing that's missing from so many in this genre: a more in-depth discussion of the likelihood or probability of the attacks that he lists as possible. In other words, risk does not always equal probability and in a world where trade-offs must be constantly made, we must collectively do a much better job discussing the probability of such massive problems occurring. Without it, there tends to be a sense of what Mark Bowden calls "cybageddon," where many of the levelheaded "tribe" of technical experts are painted as so many doomsdayers. This is not necessarily their fault, as again, Mark Bowden points out that many of them have their words twisted by an over-eager media. However, a lack of in-depth discussions of probability and, even further, motivations for these sorts of attacks (especially the very dramatic ones that might be compared to end-of-world-type scenarios) allows these sorts of hype-trains to leave the station more easily.
Brenner's book, on balance, is a very enjoyable read and does a great job of simplifying and proposing several very realistic possible problems the US could face in cyberspace in the near future. Intentions in any medium are always very challenging to discern. They are even more complex and challenging to ascertain and interpret in cyberspace, where actions are nearly instantaneous and "intentions can change on a dime." (p 156) The overall message of the book is that the US must work to balance security and transparency in cyberspace. There are numerous powerful actors who are working constantly to force movement along that spectrum in pursuit of their own ends.
What is missing from the book is the same thing that's missing from so many in this genre: a more in-depth discussion of the likelihood or probability of the attacks that he lists as possible. In other words, risk does not always equal probability and in a world where trade-offs must be constantly made, we must collectively do a much better job discussing the probability of such massive problems occurring. Without it, there tends to be a sense of what Mark Bowden calls "cybageddon," where many of the levelheaded "tribe" of technical experts are painted as so many doomsdayers. This is not necessarily their fault, as again, Mark Bowden points out that many of them have their words twisted by an over-eager media. However, a lack of in-depth discussions of probability and, even further, motivations for these sorts of attacks (especially the very dramatic ones that might be compared to end-of-world-type scenarios) allows these sorts of hype-trains to leave the station more easily.
Brenner's book, on balance, is a very enjoyable read and does a great job of simplifying and proposing several very realistic possible problems the US could face in cyberspace in the near future. Intentions in any medium are always very challenging to discern. They are even more complex and challenging to ascertain and interpret in cyberspace, where actions are nearly instantaneous and "intentions can change on a dime." (p 156) The overall message of the book is that the US must work to balance security and transparency in cyberspace. There are numerous powerful actors who are working constantly to force movement along that spectrum in pursuit of their own ends.
July 1, 2012
This is one of those books where it's clear that the author, former Inspector General for the NSA, is holding back what he knows and watering down what he can share to make a book more readable for the general public. Brenner knows exactly what he's talking about, and in the parts where he can elude to specifics or drill down into matters, the book shines. These are parts like the discussion of the dangers of thumbdrives, a minute by minute retelling of a (assumed to be) Mossad hit that had everything get recorded save for the final pull of the trigger, and a wonderfully detailed forecasting of a potential war between China and the US. In this war, not a single round was fired, but the Chinese managed to cripple the US power mainframe and extend their sphere of influence 1,000 miles into the Pacific. Those parts, I liked and I liked a lot. The parts where he mumbled about the need for safety? Not as much.
In short, I think I need to find some realism-tech-warfare scifi
In short, I think I need to find some realism-tech-warfare scifi
August 2, 2017
This book was most interesting. The author was the senior counsel to the NSA. He goes into great detail on the numerous vulnerabilities the USA faces, especially with cyber attacks. It was interesting that he also mentioned about the power grid being taken down long term by a coordinated physical attack on the US power generators that are only manufactured in India and China. He went into details of scenarios that have been contemplated by the government of a massive cyber attack on the USA in the event of a war with countries like China and Russia. Working in the legal industry, I found it most interesting how he pointed out law firms that deal with intellectual property are preferred targets for cyber attacks because security is often undermined by attorneys. This allows hackers easy access important intellectual property. The book is definitely worth reading. It goes great with Ted Koppel's book Lights Out.
January 12, 2020
Reading this book taught me little I haven’t already heard or read about in the news (perhaps because everything about cybersecurity ages quickly now). The reader is treated like they don’t know anything, and much of the perspective is “the US, which has only ever hacked other countries as the good guy, could be sent into full meltdown any day by China, Russia, or Iran.” I probably would’ve stopped reading if I weren’t so averse to leaving books half-finished.
April 19, 2019
Informative and frightful. A wave top overview of our glaring vulnerabilities in cyberspace, militarily, economically, and individually.
March 20, 2021
I was surprised at the readability of this one. That the suggested interventions the book ends with haven't been implemented makes me cranky.
May 1, 2024
Very interesting.
Especially thought provoking when the author discusses very plausible scenarios about how a cyber conflict could unfold.
Especially thought provoking when the author discusses very plausible scenarios about how a cyber conflict could unfold.
August 2, 2016
Glass Houses, originally titled America the Vulnerable, outlines some of the major ways that private citizens, corporations, and the government itself are exposed to attack through digital measures, and closes with measures to strengthen defenses. While not as sweeping as Future Crimes, Brenner offers a different kind of insider perspective -- the NSA's. Brenner was formally the head of counterintelligence, and thus his work primarily concerns itself with national security. He argues that an ordinary citizen's desire for privacy, and the government's own need for secrecy, are essentially the same. (And what about a citizen's desire for privacy from the NSA?)
(*chirp*)
Brenner isn't nearly as fear-inducing as writers like Marc Goodman, but his piece stands out because of his role within the government. While arguing for better data hygiene, he also criticizes the still-disjointed approach of D.C. to cybersecurity. There are several 'cyber' organizations within the aegis of the government, but all of them have completely different priorities, and none of them truly cover civilian infrastructure that the government relies on. One of the early points Brenner makes is that not only is everyone utterly exposed to digital threats -- hacking tools are cheap, marketable, and encouraged by governments in China and Russia -- but the boundaries between public and private are increasingly gone. Corporations are now under attack by national governments, and the United States relies more and more on private services for essential functions. Brenner likens the current division of cyberdefense -- one on military security, one on collecting information about foreign states and securing the information of the government -- to that which prevailed in the armed services before World War 2. Then, the Army and Navy departments were separate, and rivals: they are both contained within the Department of Defense and officers commonly serve tours in connection to other branches.
While Brenner doesn't argue for militarization of non-military departments, he does maintain that closer cooperation is vital. The president's cybersecurity 'czar' does nothing but ineffectually urge everyone to work together, a la Gladhands in West Side Story. Brenner's specific policy recommendations don't involve creating a new Cyber Homeland Security department, though; instead, his measures are more subtle. He suggests that antitrust laws that discourage ISPs and cybersecurity firms from working more closely together be relaxed, and that the federal government use its buying power to insist on more security from the equipment and software it uses, dictating to the market a la Wal-Mart. Such a demand will filter through to the consumer market shortly enough. He also echoes the advice of other books: disconnecting the control networks of energy companies from the public Internet (Richard Clarke, Cyber War), and companies practicing deliberate and methodical digitial hygiene (various, incl. Swiped). Companies whose networks contain vital information, for instance, should forbid the use of outside flashdrives, and issue instead encrypted drives which are collected and purged periodically.
Unless the current Dear Leader candidates have savvier tech advisors than themselves, the outlook of the United States' cybersecurity remains fairly grim. Glass Houses is effective citizen awareness -- not technical, not long, and with quasi-fictional 'scenarios' to illustrate how a cyberattack might look, and how the mere threat of it might alter foreign policy -- that stands out especially for the look into the American intelligence community. It's unusual to read a book from the NSA's perspective,given their secrecy and recurring roles as uber-villain in other books about data security, but aside from the unapologetically hostile attitude toward Julian Assange, there's nothing too partisan. I appreciated Brenner's prudent recommendations, which are more about incentives and pressure and less about outright coercion.
Related:
Future Crimes: Everything is Connected, Everyone is Vulnerable, and What We Can Do About It, Marc Goodman.
Cyber War, Richard Clarke. Another book written about national security, this one from a general's perspective.
Lights Out, Ted Koppel. A bit of investigative journalism about the potential effects of cyber war on the American electric grid.
(*chirp*)
Brenner isn't nearly as fear-inducing as writers like Marc Goodman, but his piece stands out because of his role within the government. While arguing for better data hygiene, he also criticizes the still-disjointed approach of D.C. to cybersecurity. There are several 'cyber' organizations within the aegis of the government, but all of them have completely different priorities, and none of them truly cover civilian infrastructure that the government relies on. One of the early points Brenner makes is that not only is everyone utterly exposed to digital threats -- hacking tools are cheap, marketable, and encouraged by governments in China and Russia -- but the boundaries between public and private are increasingly gone. Corporations are now under attack by national governments, and the United States relies more and more on private services for essential functions. Brenner likens the current division of cyberdefense -- one on military security, one on collecting information about foreign states and securing the information of the government -- to that which prevailed in the armed services before World War 2. Then, the Army and Navy departments were separate, and rivals: they are both contained within the Department of Defense and officers commonly serve tours in connection to other branches.
While Brenner doesn't argue for militarization of non-military departments, he does maintain that closer cooperation is vital. The president's cybersecurity 'czar' does nothing but ineffectually urge everyone to work together, a la Gladhands in West Side Story. Brenner's specific policy recommendations don't involve creating a new Cyber Homeland Security department, though; instead, his measures are more subtle. He suggests that antitrust laws that discourage ISPs and cybersecurity firms from working more closely together be relaxed, and that the federal government use its buying power to insist on more security from the equipment and software it uses, dictating to the market a la Wal-Mart. Such a demand will filter through to the consumer market shortly enough. He also echoes the advice of other books: disconnecting the control networks of energy companies from the public Internet (Richard Clarke, Cyber War), and companies practicing deliberate and methodical digitial hygiene (various, incl. Swiped). Companies whose networks contain vital information, for instance, should forbid the use of outside flashdrives, and issue instead encrypted drives which are collected and purged periodically.
Unless the current Dear Leader candidates have savvier tech advisors than themselves, the outlook of the United States' cybersecurity remains fairly grim. Glass Houses is effective citizen awareness -- not technical, not long, and with quasi-fictional 'scenarios' to illustrate how a cyberattack might look, and how the mere threat of it might alter foreign policy -- that stands out especially for the look into the American intelligence community. It's unusual to read a book from the NSA's perspective,given their secrecy and recurring roles as uber-villain in other books about data security, but aside from the unapologetically hostile attitude toward Julian Assange, there's nothing too partisan. I appreciated Brenner's prudent recommendations, which are more about incentives and pressure and less about outright coercion.
Related:
Future Crimes: Everything is Connected, Everyone is Vulnerable, and What We Can Do About It, Marc Goodman.
Cyber War, Richard Clarke. Another book written about national security, this one from a general's perspective.
Lights Out, Ted Koppel. A bit of investigative journalism about the potential effects of cyber war on the American electric grid.
February 6, 2013
Brenner writes a book that is designed to kick the American public in the butt to get them to take cyber security seriously. By delivering said kick, it is hoped that this will apply the pressure to the government in order to spur them into the action needed to improve the protection of America's secrets (private, corporate, and national) from those that would seek to use them for nefarious purposes.
To realise this, Brenner does paint a dark, though not unwarranted, picture of the current state of play, and what the future may hold. That said, he does take it a bit too far at times making statements that seem to serve no purpose at all towards the thesis of the book. Who cares that the pilot who rammed the USN EP-3 near Hainan had a history of being reckless (132), what does this have to do with America being vulnerable. So what is the East Asian currencies were overvalued and that Soros's actions merely put them back where they should have been (126). These are examples that read a justification for events that do not need to be justified to meet the books aim, and therefore detract from it as a whole.
This is a pity as Brenner makes a very valid and important point, "organizations must learn to live in a world where less and less information can be kept secret, and where information will remain secret for less and less time.” (83) The propensity to over classiy information places an unnecessary burden on the system and detracts from efforts to secure that which truly needs to be handled with the utmost secrecy and discretion. He states:
These are important points that need to be the basis from which a new holistic approach to information management and security is developed.
In summ: Despite some obvious errors (Yom Kippur War was not in 2003) which detract from the book's attention to detail, Brenner does provide some interesting insights and useful advice.
To realise this, Brenner does paint a dark, though not unwarranted, picture of the current state of play, and what the future may hold. That said, he does take it a bit too far at times making statements that seem to serve no purpose at all towards the thesis of the book. Who cares that the pilot who rammed the USN EP-3 near Hainan had a history of being reckless (132), what does this have to do with America being vulnerable. So what is the East Asian currencies were overvalued and that Soros's actions merely put them back where they should have been (126). These are examples that read a justification for events that do not need to be justified to meet the books aim, and therefore detract from it as a whole.
This is a pity as Brenner makes a very valid and important point, "organizations must learn to live in a world where less and less information can be kept secret, and where information will remain secret for less and less time.” (83) The propensity to over classiy information places an unnecessary burden on the system and detracts from efforts to secure that which truly needs to be handled with the utmost secrecy and discretion. He states:
In a world where secrets, if you can keep them at all, don’t stay secret for long, the best way to run an intelligence agency is to focus tightly on the parts of the business that are really secret and separate them from the rest. (209)
Transparency and network anarchy have disorientated us. Now it’s time to regain our balance and manage this predicament. (211)
These are important points that need to be the basis from which a new holistic approach to information management and security is developed.
In summ: Despite some obvious errors (Yom Kippur War was not in 2003) which detract from the book's attention to detail, Brenner does provide some interesting insights and useful advice.
June 19, 2012
Joel Brenner has plenty of credibility when it comes to this topic. Just read the back of the dust jacket to see his background.
I found the book to be written in a manner ideal for a wide variety of audiences. Too many books of this nature get bogged down in lengthy explanations of how different protocols work, the architecture of Internet and other fairly arcane topics.
Brenner does an admirable job of sticking to the facts and calling it like he sees it. The old adage of "discover your world...and wish you hadn't" is quite appropriate here. While a few of his case studies border on hyperbole (comparing the ORCL v. SAP lawsuit to Chinese espionage) the facts are sound. And there is reason to be alarmed.
In my day to day work as an IT professional I have a focus on security and I found myself nodding violently at several of his positions. He is dead on.
If you've ever wondered about what harm could come about from making any aspect of your Facebook profile (as an example) open to the public, this is a thought-provoking book.
Quick to read as well.
I found the book to be written in a manner ideal for a wide variety of audiences. Too many books of this nature get bogged down in lengthy explanations of how different protocols work, the architecture of Internet and other fairly arcane topics.
Brenner does an admirable job of sticking to the facts and calling it like he sees it. The old adage of "discover your world...and wish you hadn't" is quite appropriate here. While a few of his case studies border on hyperbole (comparing the ORCL v. SAP lawsuit to Chinese espionage) the facts are sound. And there is reason to be alarmed.
In my day to day work as an IT professional I have a focus on security and I found myself nodding violently at several of his positions. He is dead on.
If you've ever wondered about what harm could come about from making any aspect of your Facebook profile (as an example) open to the public, this is a thought-provoking book.
Quick to read as well.
November 12, 2011
At first, seeing this was written by a national security “insider,” I was leery. Fortunately, I read on. Joel Brenner tells us why we need to be more worried about China, the Russian mafia, and international drug smugglers, among others, conducting cyberespionage and other things.
China stands No. 1, because “war” and “peace” aren’t polar opposites there. Brenner adds that many of these attacks are against private business, not just defense contractors, but financial agencies and also non-defense contractors for the federal government. Add in the amount of products these companies had that are at least partially made in China, and we have a problem indeed, he says.
Brenner recommends solutions while also looking at some possible bad-case scenarios of Chinese blackmail a decade or two ahead.
A bit of hyperbole here and there about some of the possible threats, but, given that both major political parties don't want to address this, maybe some hyperbole is needed.
China stands No. 1, because “war” and “peace” aren’t polar opposites there. Brenner adds that many of these attacks are against private business, not just defense contractors, but financial agencies and also non-defense contractors for the federal government. Add in the amount of products these companies had that are at least partially made in China, and we have a problem indeed, he says.
Brenner recommends solutions while also looking at some possible bad-case scenarios of Chinese blackmail a decade or two ahead.
A bit of hyperbole here and there about some of the possible threats, but, given that both major political parties don't want to address this, maybe some hyperbole is needed.
June 19, 2015
This book would have been eye-opening and fascinating even if it had stopped at the halfway point, after outlining the myriad ways that the American government, businesses, and citizens are under constant, devastating cyber-attacks by unknown assailants around the world. But in the second half, the author takes a thoughtful, philosophical turn and discusses the future of American Intelligence and Counter-intelligence. The world is changing fast, and how well and quickly the government (as well as private corporations) can adapt will really decide whether or not we end up with some sort of electronic catastrophe. Unfortunately, based on what the author says, it appears that change will probably not come.....at least until American citizens are clamoring for it, which will probably only happen in the wake of such a catastrophe.
September 30, 2014
Great book bringing together real events to show how we are not only at risk, but have already been hit with significant events. Some of the details when correlated brought new light into many small news events over the last few years, and demonstrate how badly exposed we really are. It also shows how complacent our government and business managers can be in protecting sensitive data.
This is a must read to help understand things like the Snowden fiasco, Chinese industrial espionage, data breaches and why banks typically cover fraudulent charges on your bank or credit cards. Many interesting details, and delivered in a readable manner.
This is a must read to help understand things like the Snowden fiasco, Chinese industrial espionage, data breaches and why banks typically cover fraudulent charges on your bank or credit cards. Many interesting details, and delivered in a readable manner.
August 26, 2019
Giving 3 instead of 4 star because some of the information is likely to be outdated by now. I kept questioning myself why I continue reading this book when the information presented may no longer be relevant given how fast the world has advanced/change. The only reason is probably because the author shared quite abit of information that is not really openly known, even up till today.
The perspective of America being the victim of hackings by other countries, esp. China, also made me questioned if the reverse is also happening, which the author did not touch on at all (i totally understand why given his background, but it made the book somewhat biased towards US)
The perspective of America being the victim of hackings by other countries, esp. China, also made me questioned if the reverse is also happening, which the author did not touch on at all (i totally understand why given his background, but it made the book somewhat biased towards US)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 13, 2012
Incredibly good book. It's written by the former counterintelligence executive for the NSA and he worked extensively on computer network issues. The book looks at cyber security from many sides. He talks about how the internet has changed culture, how it affects business, politics, intelligence agencies, national security. He gives concrete examples of vulnerabilities in the system and how they can be addressed and does a very good job of explaining how the lack of cyber security in private companies and industry is a critical threat to overall national security. I highly recommend this.
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February 7, 2016The author is the former senior counsel at the NSA. This book is his attempt to raise awareness of cyber threat. Most of the book is stories and examples of different, mostly well-known incidents. Not very interesting if you have followed the scene, but could be an eye-opener for some readers. The problems USA has in its attempts to prepare itself against cyber threat are discussed at the end of the book. The author also has some recommendations to fix those problems. If you are familiar with "cyber" it's enough to read last 50 pages or so.
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January 20, 2016A scare-the-pants-off-you look at America's self-inflicted vulnerbility caused by our dependence on insecure software and computer systems written by a former NSA Inspector General and former National Counterintelligence Executive. If you want to feel scared everytime you go online, read this book. If you prefer to remain blissfully ignorant and continue enjoying your onlune experience - stay away from this book - at least until you suffer some undesirable consequence from your online activities ...:-)
September 1, 2013
This book scared the crap out of me. It is only a matter if time before another 9/11 happens but this time it won't be planes flying into buildings, instead it will be state sponsored super hackers coordinating to take down critical infrastructure across the US. Imagine no power, no water, no cell service, no Internet ...then imagine that happening across the US, all at the same time. If you think that is an impossible scenario then read this book and tell me you still think that way.
September 11, 2013
Listened to the audio book. The reader sucked. Made it all choppy, every sentence seemed like a new paragraph. Although I'm not sure it was all the readers fault as it seemed like the book repeated itself a lot. It was interesting enough and effectively made a case for how screwed this country is in terms of how we treat our technology. I am glad I read it, but I'm interested in the subject. I would recommend this book if you have a special interest in cyber security.
September 15, 2014
Some very interessting points to think about. I definitely recommend reading this book if you are interested in current challenges to national security. It is very inspiring and offers many new aspects to think about. I have though only given it four stars as I do not agree with all conclusions and also do find that some aspects of the book are not presented objectively. But nevertheless, if reading with a critical mind, this is a great introduction into current cyber challenges.
March 8, 2014
Excellent book that provides N accessible overview of cybersecurity issues, including privacy and security. Little known facts about the extent to which US networks and firms are constantly under cyber attack by the Chinese and often by non-state actors, the extent to which Us proprietary business and government secrets are also discussed. If you want to wake up to the undermining of privacy and security out there, start with book,
October 14, 2011
This is very, very good. It's an unsettling look into a world where most only have a marginal understanding. This ties together things you know well with realities that few imagine. It weaves a web of technology, cyber-crime, cyber-espionage, cyber-war, contemporary spycraft, corporate security and counterintelligence. You will never look at a thumb drive the same way again.
December 31, 2012
A fascinating, eye opening look into the cyber crime and threats to our national security, commerce, energy grid, etc. Proved insight into the various organizations ( and governments ) that are behind the attacks and their motivations. This is the way of the future and could be how future terror attacks/wars are fought.
August 5, 2014
As an IT professional, I was fascinated by the various social engineering methods used to conduct "digital" espionage. It was not all phishing schemes and network attacks. The book does a great job of showing you the specific nature of various threats and underscores the need for an educated and aware user base to prevent your systems from being compromised.
July 25, 2013
I gave this book 4 stars not because I liked it, but because I think it's a VERY important book and well-written. I almost didn't have the "stomach" to finish it. Read it ONLY if you use a computer, a smart phone, a credit card, a debit card, do any type of business online, use electricity, or have been to a doctor in the last 30 years, etc. I think it's a must-read for every American!
January 11, 2014
After reading this book I'm ready to go back to manually writing out checks to pay bills and paying for items with cash instead of credit/debit cards. Too bad I hadn't done that earlier...then my debit card would not have been hacked when shopping at Target. This book also gave me a greater appreciation of the games nation-states play and that things are rarely what they seem...
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