Ten Cybersecurity Books for Your Late Summer Reading List
While you probably aren’t headed back to school this fall, that doesn’t mean it’s not a great time to hit the books.
August 9 is National Book Lovers Day. While there’s really no bad time for a good book, we know it’s often hard to find space in your schedule to stop and read. If this is you, we’ve put together ten compelling reasons to get back into the habit — including two that were released just this past year.
The Hacker and the State: Cyberattacks and The New Normal of Geopolitics
Ben Buchanan, 2020
In the recently released mid-year update to the 2022 SonicWall Cyber Threat Report, we outline the growing role the geopolitical environment plays in cybercrime and cybersecurity. In “The Hacker and the State: Cyberattacks and The New Normal of Geopolitics,” author Ben Buchanan explores how the world’s superpowers use cyberattacks in a relentless struggle for dominance.
Women Know Cyber: 100 Fascinating Females Fighting Cybercrime
Steve Morgan, 2019
Women are still underrepresented in cybersecurity, but their numbers — as well as their mark on the industry — is growing. This book outlines the contributions of 100 women from every corner of cybersecurity, including government digital forensics, corporate risk assessment, law and more, and argues that encouraging and recruiting women will be key to closing the cybersecurity skills gap.
American Kingpin: The Epic Hunt for the Criminal Mastermind Behind the Silk Road
Nick Bilton, 2018
Detailing the saga of the notorious Dark Web destination for hacking tools, drugs, forged passports and more, “American Kingpin: The Epic Hunt for the Criminal Mastermind Behind the Silk Road” is endlessly compelling. It follows founder Ross Ulbricht on his journey from boy-next-door programmer, to head of a sprawling illegal empire, to fugitive and captive, and tracks the growth and legacy of the Silk Road.
The Wires of War: Technology and the Global Struggle for Power (Oct 12 2021)
Jacob Helberg, October 2021
There’s a high-stakes global cyberwar brewing between Western democracies and authoritarian regimes — and the latter have a major advantage. Author Jacob Helberg headed efforts to combat misinformation and foreign influence at Google from 2016 to 2020, and “The Wires of War” draws upon this experience to expose the various means used to destabilize nations. In it, he explains why we’re fighting enemies of freedom both over the information we receive and how we receive it, as well as what’s at stake if democratic nations lose this war.
Click Here to Kill Everybody: Security and Survival in a Hyperconnected World
Bruce Schneier, 2018
As we’ve detailed numerous times before, smart devices aren’t necessarily, well, smart. As the world increases its reliance on internet-connected devices, author Bruce Schneier argues, the risks from bad actors will continue to increase in tandem — and if cybersecurity measures don’t keep up, the results could be fatal.
This Is How They Tell Me The World Ends
Nicole Perlroth, 2021
For years, the U.S. government became a major collector of zero-days. But when that cache was compromised, these vulnerabilities fell into the hands of cybercriminals and hostile nations. In her book, “This Is How They Tell Me the World Ends,” author Nicole Perlroth gives a journalistic account of how these vulnerabilities could endanger our democracy, our infrastructure and our lives.
Inside Jobs: Why Insider Risk Is the Biggest Cyber Threat You Can’t Ignore
Joe Payne, Jadee Hanson, Mark Wojtasiak, 2020
While greater access and collaboration are necessary for modern organizations, they bring with them greater risk — not just from cybercriminals, but also from employees and business partners. “Inside Jobs: Why Insider Risk is the Biggest Cyber Threat You Can’t Ignore” details the main types of insider risk, and provides ways to combat them without hampering productivity.
The Art of Invisibility: The World’s Most Famous Hacker Teaches You How to Be Safe in the Age of Big Brother and Big Data
Kevin Mitnick, 2019
Kevin Mitnick was once the FBI’s most wanted hacker. In his recent book, “The Art of Invisibility,” he uses what he learned through years of successfully sneaking into networks to offer readers tips on how to be invisible in a world where privacy is a vanishing commodity: everything from smart Wi-Fi usage, password protection and more. While you may already be familiar with some of the guidance offered, Mitnik’s experience, as well as his account of how we got here in the first place, make this well worth a read.
The Smartest Person in the Room: The Root Cause and New Solution for Cybersecurity
Christian Espinoza, 2021
Having the best cybersecurity tools to protect your organization is only one piece of the puzzle. In “The Smartest Person in the Room,” cybersecurity expert Christian Espinosa outlines the extent to which your cybersecurity team impacts your ability to protect your organization — and offers ways to help upskill even your most intelligent employees.
Cybersecurity Is Everybody’s Business: Solve the Security Puzzle for Your Small Business and Home
Scott N. Schober, 2019
Not all cybersecurity professionals work in a SOC or safeguard huge enterprises — many work to defend millions of small organizations or home offices. If this is you (or someone you know), you know how challenging it can be to find cybersecurity information geared to your security environment. In his most recent book, “Hacked Again” author Scott Schober explains why small businesses are becoming cybercriminals’ biggest targets, and what they can do to protect against threats like identity theft, phishing and ransomware.
Happy Book Lovers Day, and happy reading!
