Hello everyone.
Today, I’m going to talk about a book I finished some time back and read through Kindle. Its called If It’s Smart, Its Vulnerable.
The author is one who I’ve known of for some time. This blog post from September 2022 talks about where I heard of the book and the interview of a podcast I stumbled upon. I then blogged about the audio book being available later in the month.
The book starts the reader at a time where the Internet was brand new. Mikko starts the reader out describing the history of the Internet, how it became, how he started working in the field and more.
As the book progresses, he talks about how he found the people who were behind one of the first viruses to spread, through floppy disks.
As the book progresses, he starts talking about the ransomware problems, the attacks that Russia started against Ukraine and other nations and the different types of worms, trojans and viruses that accompanied us through the years and how they spread.
The book is a 2022 book and it does a great job in defing terms when applicable. Its not meant to be a technical write up of any particular issue, but more of a chronological timeline of work and development of a company which is still around today.
If you really want an overview of how the Internet started and the various issues that had to be delbt with in regards to the landscape, this might be one for you.
About the Book
“ Reimagine the future of the internet
All our devices and gadgets—from our refrigerators to our home security systems, vacuum cleaners, and stereos—are going online, just like our computers did. But once we’ve successfully connected our devices to the internet, do we have any hope of keeping them, and ourselves, safe from the dangers that lurk beneath the digital waters?
In If It’s Smart, It’s Vulnerable, veteran cybersecurity professional Mikko Hypponen delivers an eye-opening exploration of the best—and worst—things the internet has given us. From instant connectivity between any two points on the globe to organized ransomware gangs, the net truly has been a mixed blessing.
In this book, the author explores the transformative potential of the future of the internet, as well as those things that threaten its continued existence:
government surveillance, censorship, organized crime, and more.
Readers will also find: ”
- Insightful discussions of how law enforcement and intelligence agencies operate on the internet
- Fulsome treatments of how money became data and the impact of the widespread use of mobile supercomputing technology
- Explorations of how the internet has changed the world, for better and for worse
- Engaging stories from Mikko’s 30-year career in infosec
“Perfect for anyone seeking a thought-provoking presentation of some of the most pressing issues in cybersecurity and technology, If It’s Smart, It’s Vulnerable will also earn a place in the libraries of anyone interested in the future of the internet. ”
Conclusion
For Mikko’s first book, this was quite enlightening. Some of the things I could relate too, while others like the chapter on the Internet starting in the late 60s to 70s was quite interesting. Like I said, this book isn’t necessarily technical and things are explained.
Here is a link to If It’s Smart, It’s Vulnerable 1st Edition. Other formats may be available and can be chosen through the link.
The book is also available on Bookshare.
I hope that this is of value to you, thanks for reading!
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