Cyberphobia

A sobering and insightful book on the dangers of cybercrime and its potentially catastrophic consequences.

Cybercrime is increasingly in the news. Stories about weaknesses in cybersecurity like the "Heartbleed" leak, or malicious software on the cash registers at your local Target have become alarmingly common. Even more alarming is the sheer number of victims associated with these crimes—the identities and personal information of millions is stolen outright as criminals drain bank accounts and max out credit cards. The availability of stolen credit card information is now so common that it can be purchased on the black market for as little as four dollars with potentially thousands at stake for the victims. Possibly even more catastrophic are hackers at a national level that have begun stealing national security, or economic and trade secrets. The world economy and geopolitics hang in the balance.

In Cyberphobia, Edward Lucas unpacks this shadowy, but metastasizing problem confronting our security—both for individuals and nations. The uncomfortable truth is that we do not take cybersecurity seriously enough. Strong regulations on automotive safety or guidelines for the airline industry are commonplace, but when it comes to the internet, it might as well be the Wild West. Standards of securing our computers and other internet-connected technology are diverse, but just like the rules of the road meant to protect both individual drivers and everyone else driving alongside them, weak cybersecurity on the computers and internet systems near us put everyone at risk. Lucas sounds a compelling and necessary alarm on behalf of cybersecurity and prescribes immediate and bold solutions to this grave threat.

Edward Lucas is a senior editor at the Economist. He has been covering Eastern Europe since 1986, with postings in Berlin, Moscow, Prague, Vienna, and the Baltic states. He is married to the columnist Cristina Odone. He is the author of The New Cold War, which has been published in more than fifteen languages, and Deception: The Untold Story of East-West Espionage Today. He lives in England.