sensational headlines in the national press about
internet-connected smart fridges delivering
malicious emails, and threats to our critical
national infrastructure from terrorist hackers,
millions from banks and controlling armies of zombie
computers, the digital realm is seen as a lawless Wild
West frontier as much as it is a brave new world of big
data and smart devices, providing help and prosperity
to individuals, communities and organisations around
the world. But how can the general reader, the school
or university student or the busy decision-maker tell
fact from fiction? How can the issues in this rising tide
of digital attack and defence within the cyberspace be
grasped?
Warren and Michael Streeter have provided a concise
handbook for anyone interested in the dark world of
cyber crime and warfare. With a journalist's eye for
a good story and an excellent grasp of the technical
essentials, this gem of a book covers a wide range of
topics succinctly and accessibly but with enough depth
to provide the reader with sufficient understanding
to form their own opinions on the issues raised. The
numerous facts are well chosen and accurate. The
boxed summaries of key concepts are very helpful. In
spite of the book being published before the publicity
concerning the extent of state surveillance, the book is a
comprehensive and up-to-date account of cyber crime.
and then moves on, chapter by chapter, to cover the
history of hacking, the rise of the Internet and the virus
threat, industrial cyber espionage, identity theft and the
curse of spam, the rise of botnets, cyber criminal profiles,
policing cyberspace, cyber crimes targeting children,
cyber warfare and future technology. The book finishes
with 100 ideas that can be used to explore the subject
in more depth: cyber crime websites, places of hacking
pilgrimage (although I'm not convinced that I shall be
carrying my stick and scallop shell on the trail that leads
to the door of Gary McKinnon!), hacking conferences,
films and books on cyber crime etc. Although the book
covers some tough topics they are handled sensitively
and I see no reason why this book could not be used in
secondary schools as well as in universities.
books several times larger that have contained only
a fraction of the information and insight provided by
Warren and Streeter. If you are looking for a short book
that shines a light on the dark side of cyberspace then
I can think of no better book to recommend than this
one.
REVIEWER NAME
BOOK TITLE
BOOK SERIES
AUTHORS
PUBLISHER
DATE OF PUBLISHING
ISBN
PRICE
Professor Tim Watson
Cyber Crime and Warfare
All That Matters
Peter Warren and Michael Streeter
Hodder & Stoughton
2013
978-1-4441-8998-8
£8.99