Reviews
In our digital age, the issues of cybersecurity are no longer just for the technology crowd; they matter to us all. Whether you work in business or politics, the military or the media—or are simply an ordinary citizen—this is an essential read.
Eric Schmidt, Executive Chairman of Google
This is the most approachable and readable book ever written on the cyber world. The authors have distilled the key facts and policy, provided sensible recommendations, and opened the debate generally to any informed citizen: a singular achievement. A must read for practitioners and scholars alike.
Admiral James Stavridis, US Navy (Ret), former Supreme Allied Commander at NATO; Dean, The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy Tufts University
I loved the book. Wow. Until I read this astonishing and important book, I didn’t know how much I didn’t know about the hidden world of Cybersecurity and Cyberwar. Singer and Friedman make comprehensible an impossibly complex subject, and expose the frightening truth. Understanding these often-invisible threats to our personal and national security is a necessary first step toward defending ourselves against them. This is an essential read.
Howard Gordon, Writer and Executive Producer of “Homeland” and “24″
In confronting the cybersecurity problem, it’s important for all of us to become knowledgeable and involved. This book makes that possible — and also fascinating. It’s everything you need to know about cybersecurity, wonderfully presented in a clear and smart way.
Walter Isaacson, Author of Steve Jobs; President of the Aspen Institute
If you read only one book about “all this cyberstuff,” make it this one. Singer and Friedman know how to make even the most complicated material accessible and even entertaining, while at the same time making a powerful case for why ALL of us need to know more and think harder about the (cyber) world we now live in.
Anne-Marie Slaughter, President of the New America Foundation, former Director of Policy Planning, US State Department
Singer and Friedman blend a wonderfully easy to follow FAQ format with engaging prose, weaving explanations of the elements of cybersecurity with revealing anecdotes. From the fundamentals of Internet architecture to the topical intrigue of recent security leaks, this book provides an accessible and enjoyable analysis of the current cybersecurity landscape and what it could look like in the future.
Jonathan Zittrain, Professor of Law and Computer Science at Harvard University, author of The Future of the Internet — And How to Stop It
A well written and fascinating examination of the technology that supports our society and much of the world. The authors discuss how cyberspace and security work, how they affect us, and what every individual -and Soldier -should know. If you have a computer, smartphone, or digital account, you should read this book.
US Army Professional Reading List
Very cool.
Steve Inskeep, Host of Morning Edition, NPR
Cybersecurity and Cyberwar: What Everyone Needs To Know” aims to demystify “cyber stuff” and arm readers – from the everyday Internet user to the policymaker – with the necessary tools to better understand cybersecurity and the threats that face it…Essential reading for anyone interested in national security.
Politico
More than anything else, the book is a reality check…If you’re completely ignorant about malware and cyberattacks, this is the book for you. And if you think you know a lot about these topics, this is still the book for you. It’s thorough, exhaustive, and easy to read. And it eloquently simplifies every complicated issue, challenging widespread notions about cybersecurity and cyberwar. In this extremely approachable book, Singer and Friedman may have very well told us all we need to know about cybersecurity and cyberwar. Now it’s up to us all to work together to make the Internet a better place.
Mashable
The easy-to-read style, sprinkled with colloquial language, humor, and anecdotes, will make the book particularly engaging…Perhaps most importantly, this book will be a significant contribution to building a deeper understanding and a common base of knowledge around cybersecurity issues. This, in turn, may serve as a foundation for enabling policymakers, scholars, and citizens to begin building a crucial dialogue and much-needed conversation around how to approach, understand, and deal with the important policy implications of cybersecurity and cyberwar.
E-International Relations
An impressive tour de force…a book that is as accessible as it is complete: the discussion follows a question-and-answer format—digestible bites to choose from, as you like—and the prose is as entertaining as nonfiction can be, with pop-culture references and current events sprinkled throughout…This book would be useful in a range of settings, from the classroom to coffee shops to boardrooms to the War Room. Not just technology and history, the discussion is a smooth blend of philosophy, ethics, law, policy, psychology, and other disciplines that illuminate the complexity of human society…It’s a very readable and expertly researched introduction to the subject, straightforward and compelling. In short, it’s a book I wish I had written.
The Atlantic
Great book.
David Sanger, New York Times
By far the best book on the subject of Cybersecurity and Cyber War…highly readable style makes a subject that can be very difficult accessible for everyone. Every Sailor should read this book to prepare themselves for the future.
US Navy Professional Reading List
Very Interesting and Helpful Read.
Al Jazeera America
Excellent
Armed Forces Journal
… a thought-provoking and comprehensive book that is likely to withstand the test of time and become [a] classic…
New York Journal of Books
A sobering indictment of the current US cybersecurity policy, which has so far been characterized by a dangerous mix of ignorance and shrill hysteria over oft-warned-about but not-yet-realized “cyber Pearl Harbor” catastrophes…Singer and Friedman cut through this alarmist rhetoric, demystifying technical jargon with simple questions like “How Does The Internet Actually Work?”; “What Is Hacktivism?”; and “Do We Need A Cyberspace Treaty?” The result is an honest, well-researched appraisal of the impact of cyber threats, and the potential solutions for cybersecurity.
Vice Magazine “Motherboard”
Lawyers, consider this your official warning about cybersecurity…A thorough, comprehensible, and sometimes entertaining explanation of the digital revolution, how we got here, and what lies ahead.
NC Lawyers Weekly
…An impressively comprehensive guide to one of the least understood arenas of modern life.
Popular Science
A Great Read
Washington Post.com
In writing Cybersecurity and Cyberwar: What Everyone Needs To Know, authors Peter W. Singer and Allan Friedman do what few cybersecurity and war scholars do: They tie together the history of the generative Internet, and its foundations in curiosity and experimentation, with the politico-military cyber security community housed in government. They connect the dots between technological traits and their insecurities. And they tell the stories of the people, not just the machines. In the book, Singer and Friedman break down to building blocks what Internet and the World Wide Web are made of, then use those to build back up to sophisticated concepts and information… At its core, Cybersecurity and Cyberwar makes the point that cybersecurity risk is human risk.
ThinkProgress
…Cuts through the fog of hype cloaking cyberwar…[Singer] is a thorough, meticulous researcher who writes with the flair of a journalist. A really good journalist. He shows that a scholar can explore a serious, complex issue in a manner that appeals both to experts and to ordinary folk.
Scientific American
…exposes serious ignorance and incompetence in surprisingly high places.
Australia Broadcasting Corporation
Though it’s concise, at 300 pages, the guide covers cyber issues, both personal and global, with easy-to-understand explanations and engaging stories.
The Charlotte Observer
Illuminating…really fantastic.
CNN
The pace of global digitization, and the widespread lack of understanding of related security risks, is a ticking time bomb… If you don’t know your asymmetric cryptography from your spear phishing, this is a thoughtful introduction.
Nature
In short, this book is a genuine must-read for anyone interested in cyber security issues, regardless of their background or level of expertise. Singer and Friedman present a lucid, concise and highly informative breakdown of current cyber security matters and their implications at the global, state, corporate and individual levels. Aside from the highly informative arguments and evidence featured in this book, the style in which it is written allows it to appeal to both experts and newcomers to the subject of cyber security. We can say no more than this book is essential reading in the modern world.
Monitor
The book is a brisk and fun read-and terrifying.
Medium.com
An Essential Compendium on Cyber Strategy…It’s a desk top reference on subjects as wide ranging as how the Internet works, the Stuxnet worm, Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs) to critical infrastructure, global finance dependence on security systems, and the undeclared cyber war between the United States and China.
Signals
Singer and Friedman’s book is a must read, and lucky for all of us, it is a good read, a well-written and frighteningly clear primer that ought to be required reading in every boardroom and military situation room.
“Briefings” magazine
A fantastic introductory resource that really should be picked up and read by every CEO who maintains an online presence and any politician who wishes to speak about the subject.
IO-9
Outstanding…It will educate Airmen and citizens alike on this new frontier.
General Mark Welsh, Chief of Staff of the US Air Force