Cyberphobia

A sobering and insightful book on the dangers of cybercrime and its potentially catastrophic consequences.

Cybercrime is increasingly in the news. Stories about weaknesses in cybersecurity like the "Heartbleed" leak, or malicious software on the cash registers at your local Target have become alarmingly common. Even more alarming is the sheer number of victims associated with these crimes—the identities and personal information of millions is stolen outright as criminals drain bank accounts and max out credit cards. The availability of stolen credit card information is now so common that it can be purchased on the black market for as little as four dollars with potentially thousands at stake for the victims. Possibly even more catastrophic are hackers at a national level that have begun stealing national security, or economic and trade secrets. The world economy and geopolitics hang in the balance.

In Cyberphobia, Edward Lucas unpacks this shadowy, but metastasizing problem confronting our security—both for individuals and nations. The uncomfortable truth is that we do not take cybersecurity seriously enough. Strong regulations on automotive safety or guidelines for the airline industry are commonplace, but weak cybersecurity on the computers and internet systems near us put everyone at risk. Lucas sounds a compelling and necessary alarm on behalf of cybersecurity and prescribes immediate and bold solutions to this grave threat.