As a Computer Science graduate, the concept of hackers and cyber security has always fascinated me. It’s one of those fields where I appreciate the work of white-hat and black-hat hackers, but I could never engage in that field myself. I buckle under pressure, and I know that successful hacks on major corporations and institutions are enough to cause weeks of sleepless nights for cyber-security teams.
But as we move further into an over-encompassing digital age, the idea of a group of hackers crippling an entire economy is a legitimate threat that is both fascinating and terrifying. With scams running rampant every day, we have reached a moment in history where everyone who owns a smartphone or a device hooked up to the internet, must possess some awareness of cyber-security. Even smart toilets are falling victim to hacks.
As I begin to fit this theme into my reading and writing, I felt compelled to come up with a list of cyber-security recommendations for both fiction and non-fiction readers.
Fiction Cyber Security Books
Threat Vector by Tom Clancy and Mark Greaney / Buy from Amazon UK / Buy from Amazon US
Threat Vector is a Jack Ryan techno-thriller novel. It’s part of a series, but these books are written in such a way that you can jump in with any of the novels and understand what’s going on. This story focuses on President Jack Ryan’s covert organization The Campus. In the book, America finds itself victim to a cyber-attack from a group of Chinese threats, and as The Campus makes its move to neutralize the threats, we learn that The Campus’ every move is being watched by a secret entity.
Breakpoint by Richard A. Clarke / Buy from Amazon UK / Buy from Amazon US
Breakpoint focuses on a sophisticated group of saboteurs as they launch a series of attacks designed to bring down the world’s most important technological networks. A dedicated team of experts is assembled to find out if the responsible individuals are right-wing militias, Jihadist terrorists, or representatives from enemy nation-states.
The Blue Nowhere by Jeffery Deaver / Buy from Amazon UK / Buy from Amazon US
The Blue Nowhere focuses on a single hacker threat instead of a team of hackers. And, although this is a smaller-scale story, the possibilities of what one twisted hacker can do are just as worrying. This is the story of a hacker who infiltrates people’s computers, invades their lives, and with chilling precision lures them to their deaths.
Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson / Buy from Amazon UK / Buy from Amazon US
This one is perhaps the most complicated and techy fiction book on this list. Neal Stephenson has a reputation of publishing thoughtful science-based fiction that explores wide-ranging ideas. Cryptonomicon follows the lives of a group of codebreakers with the vision of creating a global data-haven called the Vault. They want the Vault to house sensitive information that can be kept out of the hands of governments. As with many Stephenson novels, Cryptonomicon is special in the sense that the story packs in so many themes and ideas around the main plot that you’ll end up feeling a rich sense of enlightenment by the time you get to the end of this 900+ page classic. The hacker themes in this book aren’t as exaggerated as some of the other hacker stories on this list, and it’s a huge departure from Stephenson’s highly-praised cyberpunk novel Snow Crash.
Non-fiction Cyber Security Books
Ghost in the Wires by Kevin Mitnick / Buy from Amazon UK / Buy from Amazon US
Author, Kevin Mitnick, has a history of committing hacker crimes back in the 90s. Today, he owns his own cyber-security company, which makes him a perfect voice to speak on complex cyber-security issues that face our modern world. Ghost in the Wires is Mitnicks personal memoir, which showcases some of his past “work” and gives good insight into the mind of a dedicated hacker.
The Art of Invisibility by Kevin Mitnick / Buy from Amazon UK / Buy from Amazon US
This is another book from the cyber-security guru, Kevin Mitnick. But The Art of Invisibility is more of a practical look into what exactly is going on beyond the screen. Reading this book, you will learn everything from password protection and smart Wi-Fi usage to advanced techniques designed to maximize your anonymity. Kevin Mitnick knows exactly how vulnerabilities can be exploited and just what to do to prevent that from happening.
Cult of the Dead Cow by Joseph Menn / Buy from Amazon UK / Buy from Amazon US
This book tells the story of one of the world’s first hacking supergroups. Cult of the Dead Cow is the most respected, and most famous American hacking group of all time, and they influenced the world of hacktivism that has become a norm today. They are the initial creators of Tor, the tool that allows people to browse the net securely, making it difficult for anyone to be tracked. This has become a favored tool for connecting to the dark web. Cult of the Dead Cow shows how governments, corporations, and criminals came to hold immense power over individuals and how we can fight back against them.
Social Engineering: The Science of Human Hacking by Christopher Hadnagy / Buy from Amazon UK / Buy from Amazon US
This book takes a look into the psychological aspect of hacking. Many times, the victory of a hacker is caused by the human error of the victim. And that means that hackers can exercise the option of hacking at the human level. On a deeper level, Social Engineering also explores the methods of social engineering that can be exercised to manipulate large groups of people in society.
If you have any more recommendations for cyber security books, please do drop a comment below!
