The Hacker and the State [Elektronische Ressource] Cyber Attacks and the New Normal of Geopolitics

“This is a must-read book. Factual and perceptive, it reveals important truths about cyberthreats and the role they play in international relations.”―Vint Cerf, Internet pioneer “This is a great book and the best examination I have read of how increasingly dramatic developments in cyberspace are defining the ‘new normal’ of geopolitics in the digital age. No book I've read does a better job of describing what has transpired in recent years as state and non-state actors have developed ever more diabolically powerful and clever cyber capabilities. Ben Buchanan makes it clear that the future lies not just in Asia, but also in cyberspace, and he captures the dynamics of all of this truly brilliantly.”―General David Petraeus, former Director of the CIA and Commander of Coalition Forces in Iraq and Afghanistan “The Hacker and the State is one of the finest books on information security published so far in this century―easily accessible, tightly argued, superbly well-sourced, intimidatingly perceptive.”―Thomas Rid, author of Active Measures “This is a gripping book about today’s cyber threat landscape. Through riveting stories of move and counter-move among global adversaries, Buchanan explains why we are in a constant state of cyber conflict―where the stakes couldn’t be higher. From China’s attacks on our companies to Russia’s attacks on our elections, The Hacker and the State is indispensable reading for anyone who cares about our security, our prosperity, and our democracy.”―Lisa Monaco, former White House Homeland Security and Counterterrorism Advisor and Deputy National Security Advisor “More than any other book, The Hacker and the State shows how and why governments hack one another. Having lived and worked in this shadowy world for many years, I came to appreciate its fascinating nuances, fierce competition, and strategic significance. If you read this book, you will, too. Buchanan shares digital spy stories and distills geopolitical insights that you just won’t find anywhere else. Remarkably, he has made his detailed insight accessible to a non-technical audience without any loss of fidelity in the underlying narrative.”―Former senior intelligence officer, UK government “The Hacker and the State fundamentally changes the way we think about cyber operations from ‘war’ to something of significant import that is not war―what Buchanan refers to as ‘real geopolitical competition.’ He writes in a highly accessible manner, with in-depth stories that will engage the non-specialist.”―Richard Harknett, former Scholar-in-Residence at United States Cyber Command “Highly intelligent, important, and timely. Buchanan’s chronology of cases, from early espionage to devastating operations like NotPetya, makes for a great read.”―Joseph Nye, author of Do Morals Matter? “A great read, packed with insider information and great stories. But the book also makes an important argument about how cyberattacks are transforming the geopolitical playing field, changing our defense priorities and forcing us to rewrite our national security policies.”―Bruce Schneier, author of Click Here to Kill Everybody: Security and Survival in a Hyper-connected World “With an academic’s eye, Buchanan compares and contrasts the emerging tactics [of digital competition] with the traditional ways of military conflict, nuclear competition, and espionage to make some sense of the new age. The book dissects how governments use cyberattacks to fundamentally ‘change the state of play.’”―Patrick Howell O'Neill, MIT Technology Review “One of the finest books on information security published so far in this century—easily accessible, tightly argued, superbly well-sourced, intimidatingly perceptive.” —Thomas Rid, author of Active Measures “The best examination I have read of how increasingly dramatic developments in cyberspace are defining the ‘new normal’ of geopolitics in the digital age. Buchanan...captures the dynamics of all of this truly brilliantly.” —General David Petraeus, former Director of the CIA and Commander of Coalition Forces in Iraq and Afghanistan Few national-security threats are as potent—or as nebulous—as cyber attacks. Ben Buchanan reveals how hackers are transforming spycraft and statecraft, catching us all in the crossfire, whether we know it or not. Ever since WarGames , we have been bracing for the cyberwar to come, conjuring images of exploding power plants and mass panic. But while cyber attacks are now disturbingly common, they don’t look anything like we thought they would. Packed with insider information based on interviews, declassified files, and forensic analysis of company reports, The Hacker and the State sets aside fantasies of cyber-annihilation to explore the real geopolitical competition of the digital age. Tracing the conflict of wills and interests among modern nations, Ben Buchanan reveals little-known details of how China, Russia, North Korea, Britain, and the United States hack one another in a relentless struggle for dominance. His analysis moves deftly from underseas cable taps to underground nuclear sabotage, from blackouts and data breaches to billion-dollar heists and election interference. Buchanan brings to life this continuous cycle of espionage and deception, attack and counterattack, destabilization and retaliation. He explains why cyber attacks are far less destructive than we anticipated, far more pervasive, and much harder to prevent. With little fanfare and far less scrutiny, they impact our banks, our tech and health systems, our democracy, and every aspect of our lives. Quietly, insidiously, they have reshaped our national-security priorities and transformed spycraft and statecraft. The contest for geopolitical advantage has moved into cyberspace. The United States and its allies can no longer dominate the way they once did. The nation that hacks best will triumph. Political Science,Intelligence & Espionage,Security (National & International),Privacy & Surveillance “One of the finest books on information security published so far in this century—easily accessible, tightly argued, superbly well-sourced, intimidatingly perceptive.”—Thomas Rid, author of Active Measures“The best examination I have read of how increasingly dramatic developments in cyberspace are defining the ‘new normal’ of geopolitics in the digital age. Buchanan...captures the dynamics of all of this truly brilliantly.”—General David Petraeus, former Director of the CIA and Commander of Coalition Forces in Iraq and AfghanistanFew national-security threats are as potent—or as nebulous—as cyber attacks. Ben Buchanan reveals how hackers are transforming spycraft and statecraft, catching us all in the crossfire, whether we know it or not.Ever since WarGames, we have been bracing for the cyberwar to come, conjuring images of exploding power plants and mass panic. But while cyber attacks are now disturbingly common, they don’t look anything like we thought they would.Packed with insider information based on interviews, declassified files, and forensic analysis of company reports, The Hacker and the State sets aside fantasies of cyber-annihilation to explore the real geopolitical competition of the digital age. Tracing the conflict of wills and interests among modern nations, Ben Buchanan reveals little-known details of how China, Russia, North Korea, Britain, and the United States hack one another in a relentless struggle for dominance. His analysis moves deftly from underseas cable taps to underground nuclear sabotage, from blackouts and data breaches to billion-dollar heists and election interference.Buchanan brings to life this continuous cycle of espionage and deception, attack and counterattack, destabilization and retaliation. He explains why cyber attacks are far less destructive than we anticipated, far more pervasive, and much harder to prevent. With little fanfare and far less scrutiny, they impact our banks, our tech and health systems, our democracy, and every aspect of our lives. Quietly, insidiously, they have reshaped our national-security priorities and transformed spycraft and statecraft. The contest for geopolitical advantage has moved into cyberspace. The United States and its allies can no longer dominate the way they once did. The nation that hacks best will triumph. "A must-read...It reveals important truths." --Vint Cerf, Internet pioneer "One of the finest books on information security published so far in this century--easily accessible, tightly argued, superbly well-sourced, intimidatingly perceptive." --Thomas Rid, author of Active Measures Cyber attacks are less destructive than we thought they would be--but they are more pervasive, and much harder to prevent. With little fanfare and only occasional scrutiny, they target our banks, our tech and health systems, our democracy, and impact every aspect of our lives. Packed with insider information based on interviews with key players in defense and cyber security, declassified files, and forensic analysis of company reports, The Hacker and the State explores the real geopolitical competition of the digital age and reveals little-known details of how China, Russia, North Korea, Britain, and the United States hack one another in a relentless struggle for dominance. It moves deftly from underseas cable taps to underground nuclear sabotage, from blackouts and data breaches to election interference and billion-dollar heists. Ben Buchanan brings to life this continuous cycle of espionage and deception, attack and counterattack, destabilization and retaliation. Quietly, insidiously, cyber attacks have reshaped our national-security priorities and transformed spycraft and statecraft. The United States and its allies can no longer dominate the way they once did. From now on, the nation that hacks best will triumph. "A helpful reminder...of the sheer diligence and seriousness of purpose exhibited by the Russians in their mission." --Jonathan Freedland, New York Review of Books "The best examination I have read of how increasingly dramatic developments in cyberspace are defining the 'new normal' of geopolitics in the digital age." --General David Petraeus, former Director of the CIA "Fundamentally changes the way we think about cyber operations from 'war' to something of significant import that is not war--what Buchanan refers to as 'real geopolitical competition.'" --Richard Harknett, former Scholar-in-Residence at United States Cyber Command "Ever since WarGames, we have been bracing for the cyberwar to come, conjuring images of exploding power plants and mass panic. But while cyber attacks are now disturbingly common, they don't look anything like we thought they would. Packed with insider information based on interviews, declassified files, and forensic analysis of company reports, The hacker and the state sets aside fantasies of cyber-annihilation to explore the real geopolitical competition of the digital age. Tracing the conflict of wills and interests among modern nations, Ben Buchanan reveals little-known details of how China, Russia, North Korea, Britain, and the United States hack one another in a relentless struggle for dominance. His analysis moves deftly from underseas cable taps to underground nuclear sabotage, from blackouts and data breaches to billion-dollar heists and election interference. Buchanan brings to life this continuous cycle of espionage and deception, attack and counterattack, destabilization and retaliation. He explains why cyber attacks are far less destructive than we anticipated, far more pervasive, and much harder to prevent. With little fanfare and far less scrutiny, they impact our banks, our tech and health systems, our democracy, and every aspect of our lives. Quietly, insidiously, they have reshaped our national-security priorities and transformed spycraft and statecraft. The contest for geopolitical advantage has moved into cyberspace. The United States and its allies can no longer dominate the way they once did. The nation that hacks best will triumph."--Rabat de la couverture. The Threat Of Cyberwar Can Feel Like Something Out Of A Movie: Nuclear Codes Hacked, Powerplants Melting Down, Immediate Crisis. In Reality, State-sponsored Hacking Looks Nothing Like This. It's Covert, Insidious, And Constant. Ben Buchanan Reveals The Cyberwar That's Already Here, Reshaping The Global Contest For Geopolitical Advantage-- Part One. Espionage: Exploiting Home-field Advantage -- Defeating Encryption -- Building A Backdoor -- Strategic Espionage -- Counterintelligence -- Part Two. Attack: Strategic Sabotage -- Targeted Disruption -- Coercion -- Testing And Demonstration -- Part Three. Destabilization: Election Interference -- Exposure -- Theft, Ransom, And Manipulation -- Widespread Disruption. Ben Buchanan. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Introduction PART ONE ESPIONAGE 1 Exploiting Home-Field Advantage 2 Defeating Encryption 3 Building a Backdoor 4 Strategic Espionage 5 Counterintelligence PART TWO ATTACK 6 Strategic Sabotage 7 Targeted Disruption 8 Coercion 9 Testing and Demonstration PART THREE DESTABILIZATION 10 Election Interference 11 Exposure 12 Theft, Ransom, and Manipulation 13 Widespread Disruption Conclusion Notes Acknowledgments Index "The threat of cyberwar can feel like something out of a movie: nuclear codes hacked, powerplants melting down, immediate crisis. In reality, state-sponsored hacking looks nothing like this. It's covert, insidious, and constant. Ben Buchanan reveals the cyberwar that's already here, reshaping the global contest for geopolitical advantage"-- Provided by publisher The Threat Of Cyberwar Can Feel Very Hollywood: Nuclear Codes Hacked, Power Plants Melting Down, Cities Burning. In Reality, State-sponsored Hacking Is Covert, Insidious, And Constant. It Is Also Much Harder To Prevent. Ben Buchanan Reveals The Cyberwar That’s Already Here, Reshaping The Global Contest For Geopolitical Advantage.