Cyberattacks and Cyberscams

August 15, 2022
Helps readers understand the threats of the cyberworld and ways to defend against them. The book opens with a chilling overview of cybercrime, including a photo of a wanted poster of three Russian cybercriminals. Additional news and (mostly) stock photos are peppered throughout the book. Each chapter explains its specific cybercrime in accessible language, with a tangible recent episode or two. For example, the chapter entitled "Ransomware Attacks" describes the infamous 2018 attack on the city of Atlanta, which paralyzed municipal government and led to a multimillion-dollar upgrade of the city's security systems. Other chapters include "Cyberscams," which breaks down multiple types of fraud, from employment fraud to romance and online shopping scams to identity theft; and "Nation-State Attacks"--the Department of Defense considers cyberspace one of the critical domains, along with land, sea, air, and space, where nations struggle for control. The closing chapters outline current strategies for proactively defending against cyberattacks and what can be done to improve protection. The author's answer to the question she poses in the book's subtitle is a definite "no," but there's reason for hope. Each chapter includes sidebars that offer further analysis. At first glance, the book might seem perfunctory, but with such a dense and complex subject, lucid economy is a wise choice. A crisp, concise, and coherent guide. (picture credits, source notes, organizations and websites, further research, index) (Nonfiction. 12-18)

COPYRIGHT(2022) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.