Cyber Attack

December 15, 2014
A quick history of hacking, from the "phone phreaks" of the 1960s to today's attacks on commercial data stores large and small.Drawing solely from previously published reports and documents, the authors paint an alarming picture ("The internet has become a cyber criminal playground") as they trace the growth of increasingly sophisticated digital attacks on personal, corporate and government data systems. Though they rightly point out that many hackers, from early "phreaks" like Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak on, have been motivated more by the pleasures of creating software or high-tech gear (or, as they acknowledge in the case of Edward Snowden, idealism) than criminal intent, most of the incidents they describe involve theft or espionage. Noting that attacks can come from anywhere in the world and that malware can be secretly installed not just on computers, but on any number of gadgets, the authors project little hope of keeping our information safe from bad guys. Nor do they offer more than, at best, bare mention of firewalls, encryption, two-step verification, strong passwords and other protective countermeasures. Still, readers will at least come away more aware of the range of hazards, from phishing and ransomware to botnets and distributed denial of service, as well as the huge, rapidly increasing amounts of money and data shadowy entities are raking in. A bare-bones introduction for readers without a pre-existing interest. (source notes, bibliography, further reading, index) (Nonfiction. 12-14)

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March 1, 2015
Grades 8-12 The news is filled with cyberattackson individuals, businesses, newspapers, corporations, and governments. Hardly any U.S. citizen has escaped the impact or inconvenience of such attacks: Cyber crimes cost consumers worldwide about $113 billion in 2013. The sophisticated strategies and staggering statistics here are chilling. No security system is immune. Who are these attackers? Small cells of people who hack just for fun; groups who hack for governments (but whose governments deny their presence); and sanctioned government agencies whose hackers routinely spy on other governments (whether friend or foe). In fact, the authors cite Internet researcher Bill Woodcock, who predicts that any modern warfare will include a cyber-warfare component. Back to individuals: we may have security software on our mobile devices and laptops, but we aren't cautious and vigilant enough to keep them safe from hackers. With approachable text, appropriately placed and captioned color photos or illustrations, a full-page text box per chapter, and extensive up-to-date source notes and resources, this is a must-read.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)