What do you think?
Rate this book
Deciphering Intentions: A Cyber Security Short Story
In a society where you can share your social calendar with a handshake and broadcast the night’s events recorded from your eye lens, how will this father make sure the new man in his daughter’s life isn’t accessing that data for harm?
This cyber security science fiction thriller gives a glimpse of how advancing technology in Internet-of-Things, artificial intelligence, health and the home create new vulnerabilities in both digital and physical safety.
As the ramifications of data theft takes on new meaning, we’re reminded how parents will do anything to keep their loved ones safe and alive.
What Experts Say:
“As a security professional, it's usually hard for me to be shocked by anything much these days but, from the very beginning of reading this, I was emotionally immersed into this reading. I know when I’m reading or watching something great because I get so involved into the storyline that I begin to ask or tell myself, what might happen next? This is just beyond ‘wow’ for a great story and clincher at the end. As this story conveys, the personal information of ours is the new oil of the digital world. Everything runs on data. But while the businesses that collect and process consumer data have become increasingly valuable and powerful, recent events prove that even the world’s biggest technologies and companies are vulnerable. I'm glad writers like Katherine Dollar are bringing more awareness and discussion to these possibilities.”
— Dennis Dayman, Chief Privacy and Security Officer, advisor and mentor for data-driven organizations and startups
“This is a thought-provoking, modern cyber-sci-fi tale about AI, privacy and trust that is scary, disturbing, and far more likely than we dare to admit.”
— Dave Grady, Cybersecurity Evangelist and TED-talker
“I loved this story! As a hacker and cyber security expert, looking at this from a technology standpoint was really interesting. All of it, even with the future technology, does not seem outlandish or out of the realm of possibilities. It looks like a natural progression of what we already have. As a writer, I know how easy it is to make the mistake of explaining too much how the technology works. The author created the right balance so non-technical people will understand what is going on, and technical people can quickly fill in the gaps. I would not change it. I enjoyed it and think it will be appreciated by both tech and non-tech people because the story stands out by itself. It’s just cool and reminds me of a Black Mirror episode.”
— Aamir Lakhani, writer, professional hacker, current lead researcher and cyber security expert
"This is so cool and scary. It packs a lot in a short story. The cool part is the intent-based security to see through the data what someone’s intentions are. That is pretty advanced. Nice work by the author!"
— Mark Thames, Security Sales Leader with 20+ years in Information Security
This cyber security science fiction thriller gives a glimpse of how advancing technology in Internet-of-Things, artificial intelligence, health and the home create new vulnerabilities in both digital and physical safety.
As the ramifications of data theft takes on new meaning, we’re reminded how parents will do anything to keep their loved ones safe and alive.
What Experts Say:
“As a security professional, it's usually hard for me to be shocked by anything much these days but, from the very beginning of reading this, I was emotionally immersed into this reading. I know when I’m reading or watching something great because I get so involved into the storyline that I begin to ask or tell myself, what might happen next? This is just beyond ‘wow’ for a great story and clincher at the end. As this story conveys, the personal information of ours is the new oil of the digital world. Everything runs on data. But while the businesses that collect and process consumer data have become increasingly valuable and powerful, recent events prove that even the world’s biggest technologies and companies are vulnerable. I'm glad writers like Katherine Dollar are bringing more awareness and discussion to these possibilities.”
— Dennis Dayman, Chief Privacy and Security Officer, advisor and mentor for data-driven organizations and startups
“This is a thought-provoking, modern cyber-sci-fi tale about AI, privacy and trust that is scary, disturbing, and far more likely than we dare to admit.”
— Dave Grady, Cybersecurity Evangelist and TED-talker
“I loved this story! As a hacker and cyber security expert, looking at this from a technology standpoint was really interesting. All of it, even with the future technology, does not seem outlandish or out of the realm of possibilities. It looks like a natural progression of what we already have. As a writer, I know how easy it is to make the mistake of explaining too much how the technology works. The author created the right balance so non-technical people will understand what is going on, and technical people can quickly fill in the gaps. I would not change it. I enjoyed it and think it will be appreciated by both tech and non-tech people because the story stands out by itself. It’s just cool and reminds me of a Black Mirror episode.”
— Aamir Lakhani, writer, professional hacker, current lead researcher and cyber security expert
"This is so cool and scary. It packs a lot in a short story. The cool part is the intent-based security to see through the data what someone’s intentions are. That is pretty advanced. Nice work by the author!"
— Mark Thames, Security Sales Leader with 20+ years in Information Security
25 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 7, 2019
2 people are currently reading
1 person want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
January 26, 2020
What an ending!
Very original and thrilling read. Any sci-fi fan would find this story very timely. It now has me thinking, “how close are we to this being real?!”. Looking forward to more from Katherine!
Very original and thrilling read. Any sci-fi fan would find this story very timely. It now has me thinking, “how close are we to this being real?!”. Looking forward to more from Katherine!
July 13, 2025
Love this high tech -- scary but fun!
Fantastic short read with a very surprising ending. It is such a thought provoking story which I can easily relate to my faith because of this father's determination to keep life safe.
Fantastic short read with a very surprising ending. It is such a thought provoking story which I can easily relate to my faith because of this father's determination to keep life safe.
February 17, 2020
Katherine Dollar's storytelling shows the best side of sci-fi - offering a glimpse at a possible future not too far fetched from our own current reality. Being accessible, fast, and stylish, this short story will satisfy sci-fi fans and lit readers alike.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews