Dawn of the Code War: America's Battle Against Russia, China, and the Rising Global Cyber Threat

by John P. Carlin, Garrett M. Graff Narrated by Kevin Stillwell

Overview

The inside story of how America's enemies launched a cyber war against us-and how we've learned to fight back

With each passing year, the internet-linked attacks on America's interests have grown in both frequency and severity. Overmatched by our military, countries like North Korea, China, Iran, and Russia have found us vulnerable in cyberspace. The "Code War" is upon us.

In this dramatic book, former Assistant Attorney General John P. Carlin takes readers to the front lines of a global but little-understood fight as the Justice Department and the FBI chases down hackers, online terrorist recruiters, and spies. Today, as our entire economy goes digital, from banking to manufacturing to transportation, the potential targets for our enemies multiply. This firsthand account is both a remarkable untold story and a warning of dangers yet to come.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

"John Carlin has written a crucial book- for practitioners and laymen alike-about the evolution, impacts, and implications of the abuses we've all witnessed, and many have personally experienced, in the cyber domain. Cyber is yet another example of the dual-edged nature of technology: huge benefit to mankind on one hand, and the potential for great harm on the other. And, unique to this book, is the historical description of how we have tried to respond to the harmful activities that occur all too frequently in the cyber domain. An interesting read, with vivid detail. John represents a superb amalgam of legal insight and great writing skill. A must read in my view."—James Clapper, New York Times bestselling author and formerDirector of National Intelligence

"This book is thrilling, important, and deeply fascinating. Cybersecurity is key to modern life: an imperative for us as a nation and each of us personally. It's about protecting our personal data, our businesses, and our democracy. John Carlin has been on the front lines, defending us against attacks from China, North Korea, Russia, Syria, and criminal gangs. The riveting stories of these secret battles for our digital safety teach us much about what America can-and must-do to protect itself."—Walter Isaacson, New York Times bestselling author of LeonardoDa Vinci

"By turns electrifying, illuminating, inspirational, and difficult to put down, [Dawn of the Code War] describes how 'criminals, terrorists, and spies' have used the Internet for their gain, and how the U.S. government along with international allies, has assessed and addressed these threats... Similar in energy to Carl Bernstein's All the Presidents Men, it informs of current cyberthreats while offering stirring success stories and cautions about the future of the code war... A deeply intriguing look into cybersecurity threats facing the United States that will fascinate anyone interested in technology and/or political intrigue." —Library Journal

"Given the threats Carlin enumerates, including election hacking and the theft of intelligence files, responses "created and refined in real-time" are increasingly necessary-but not forthcoming. Given the lack of developed policy, if you're alarmed by the thought of Russian election tampering in 2016, you're likely to be even more so come the midterms-and by this dire book."—Kirkus Reviews

Kirkus Reviews

2018-09-02

"We cannot allow Vladimir Putin to ruin the internet for the rest of us." So warns the former assistant attorney general for national security in this urgent book.

How much does cybercrime cost? "It's not like the early days of the FBI when you could just total up the cost of the nation's stolen cars or add up the amount of money that walked out the front door with bank robbers like John Dillinger," writes Carlin, in a book co-authored by Wired writer Graff (Raven Rock, 2017, etc.). Carlin adds to a recent flurry of books about hacking, cybersecurity, and related issues with this smart if sometimes seemingly overwrought examination of the battles raging behind computer screens around the world. He answers his own question: The cost is in the hundreds of billions of dollars in actual costs and lost productivity. That's just the beginning of it. After the first wave of hackers—Carlin puts Napster and file-sharing archvillains Shawn Fanning and Sean Parker in that early group—have come thousands of Chinese operatives, some masquerading as students or researchers, whose job it has been to steal advanced technology for reverse-engineering back home. Writes Carlin, indignantly, if the Chinese army had arrived at a Boeing plant and loaded trucks with carton after carton of schematics, the U.S. response would have been swift, but as it is, policy and sanctions are both poorly conceived and coordinated. The author notes that two decades into the internet era, the Obama administration "was still trying to make sense of the patchwork of roles and responsibilities that agencies had assumed as the world shifted from analog to digital." Given the threats Carlin enumerates, including election hacking and the theft of intelligence files, responses "created and refined in real-time" are increasingly necessary—but not forthcoming.

Given the lack of developed policy, if you're alarmed by the thought of Russian election tampering in 2016, you're likely to be even more so come the midterms—and by this dire book.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940169730753
Publisher:	Hachette Audio
Publication date:	10/16/2018
Edition description:	Unabridged

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