Books of April, May and mid June 2018

Kingpin: How one hacker took over a one billion dollar cybercrime underground (Kevin Poulson). The author analysis the efforts of Iceman and how he rose to become a powerful hacker leading to global nefarious activities. Eventually serving a 13-year jail sentence and will parole in Dec 2018.
https://www.amazon.com/Kingpin-Hacker-Billion-Dollar-Cybercrime-Underground/dp/B00TJ3E2MQ/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1525196020&sr=1-2&keywords=kingpin

Cyber Blockades (Alison Lawlor Russel). The first book dedicated to the capability of cyber blockades. Ms. Russel defines blockade and exclusion zones as codified in law and applies them to the attacks on Estonia and Georgia. Truly excellent book! https://www.amazon.com/Cyber-Blockades-Alison-Lawlor-Russell/dp/1626161127/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1525196173&sr=1-1&keywords=cyber+blockades

Agent in Place (Mark Greaney) This fiction book follows the activity of an intelligence operative attempting to navigate the Syrian environment. Great writer with a series of fiction pieces tied to intelligence. https://www.amazon.com/Agent-Place-Gray-Mark-Greaney-ebook/dp/B071HZSHVS/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1525196288&sr=1-1&keywords=agent+in+place+mark+greaney

Black Code: Surveillance, privacy, and the dark side of the internet (Ronald Delbert). The founder of The Citizen Lab discusses the early work of his organization out of the University of Toronto and some of the nefarious activities run by state and non-state actors that his organization has uncovered in their research.
https://www.amazon.com/Black-Code-Surveillance-Privacy-Internet/dp/0771025351/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1525196386&sr=1-1&keywords=black+code

Thinking about cybersecurity from cyber crime to cyber warfare (Professor Paul Rosenweig). Part of the Great Courses series, Professor Rosenweig presents his course that he teaches at the University of Chicago and the Naval Post Graduate School. The class is applicable for someone that has never used the internet before and well-informed cyberspace professionals. It provides historical development with defensive and offensive insights. Could be used as a prep course for cyber professionals or other Airmen needing to understand the domain.
https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_1_20?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=thinking+about+cybersecurity+from+cyber+crime+to+cyber+warfare&sprefix=thinking+about+cyber%2Cstripbooks%2C202&crid=7CXHGG0RMEFW

We are Anonymous: Inside the world of LulzSec, Anonymous, and the global cyber insurgency (Parmy Olson). Parmy Olson analyzes the development of Anonymous their takedown of Sony and others while giving rise to LulzSec and the eventual arrest of the six main members following attacks on the FBI, DoD and others. Great insight into the power of social networking and global teenagers with access to the domain.


https://www.amazon.com/We-Are-Inside-LulzSec-Insurgency/dp/0316213527/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1525196719&sr=1-1&keywords=we+are+anonymous

Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage (Alfred Lansing). This book chronicles the voyage of the Endurance as she and her crew attempted to cross Antarctica. This is a tremendous book on resilience and perseverance. https://www.amazon.com/Blackstone-Audio-Inc-Endurance-Shackletons/dp/B0018DNFY6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1529081175&sr=8-1&keywords=endurance

A River in Darkness: One Man's Escape from North Korea (Risa Kobayashi). This book is heartbreaking as it covers first the way people of Korean decent were extracted from Japan following WWII and sent to North Korea. Then Risa's story covers his life and subsequent escape from North Korea and those that did not make it.
https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_14?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=a+river+in+darkness+one+man%27s+escape+from+north+korea&sprefix=a+river+in+dar%2Cstripbooks%2C191&crid=124LJ8C8NEHX0

@War: The Rise of the Military-Internet Complex  (Shane Harris). This book articulates the growing rise in industry towards cybersecurity and cyber operations. When we aren't ready, industry tries to fill the void. https://www.amazon.com/War-Rise-Military-Internet-Complex/dp/B00P00PJII/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1529081452&sr=1-1&keywords=war+the+rise+of+the+military-internet+complex

Facts and Fears: Hard Truth from a life in intelligence (Lt Gen (ret) James Clapper). Former DNI, Jim Clapper, addresses the role of intelligence throughout his over fifty years of service to our nation. His book demonstrates the value of "speaking truth to power."  https://www.amazon.com/Facts-and-Fears/dp/B07B1M7QFN/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1529081522&sr=1-1&keywords=facts+and+fears

Political Risk (Dr. Condoleezza Rice, Dr. Amy Zegart). This book grows out of a class that Dr. Rice and Dr. Zegart teach Stanford Graduate School of Business students. As an NSAF, I was allowed to audit this class. The book and class are excellent and speak to risk management in strategic settings. https://www.amazon.com/Political-Risk/dp/B07BHVP1QL/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1529081631&sr=1-1&keywords=political+risk

The Origins of Political Order: From prehuman times to the French Revolution (Dr. Francis Fukuyama). Dr. Fukuyama chronicles how humans develop, build, tear down and relearn political order over thousands of years. https://www.amazon.com/Origins-Political-Order-Prehuman-Revolution/dp/B006QGIQ94/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1529081708&sr=1-1&keywords=origins+of+political+order

Darknet (Matthew Mather) (Fiction). This book demonstrates how machine learning and AI, which operate differently than the human mind, could cause massive disruptions in society. https://www.amazon.com/Origins-Political-Order-Prehuman-Revolution/dp/B006QGIQ94/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1529081708&sr=1-1&keywords=origins+of+political+order

Duty: Memoirs of a Secretary at War (Robert M. Gates). A deeply introspective look at Secretary Gates' time as SecDef and the issues he faced and how he tried to lead through empowerment and trust. https://www.amazon.com/Duty-Memoirs-Secretary-at-War/dp/B00HRYASL8/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1529081919&sr=1-1&keywords=duty+robert+gates

Managing Change, Creativity & Innovation (Patrick Dawson, Constantine Andriopoulos) (Doctoral Requirement). A great book that speaks to the values of teams, leadership and how innovation can help organizations. I do note that now once does this book recommend that best way to innovate is to build and organization charged with innovation. https://www.amazon.com/Managing-Change-Creativity-Innovation-Patrick/dp/1473964288/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1529081998&sr=1-3&keywords=managing+change%2C+creativity+and+innovation&dpID=413T0hMfDwL&preST=_SX218_BO1,204,203,200_QL40_&dpSrc=srch

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Books of September

September was a great month of learning. Wright Brothers , David McCullough. Deep history on the brothers that shaped the world. Interesting insight on the largest immoral technology creation of the late 1800s...the bicycle. National media at the time said the bicycle would bring down society because it enabled people to leave their local areas and travel more freely.  https://www.amazon. com/The-Wright-Brothers/dp/ B00TA5MPEU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8& qid=1505242282&sr=8-1& keywords=wright+brothers War Dogs,  Greg Bear. Fiction book that addresses how our current plans in development by Billionaires to move into space and ultimately will affect the world as to laws and government as well as wars. How will Earth feel when colonies on Mars no longer feel beholden to Earth? Will history repeat itself from American history. You have to get past the battling aliens piece. https://www.amazon.com/War- Dogs/dp/B00ODBIYQO/ref=sr_1_ 12?ie=UTF8&qid=1505242307&sr=...
Read more

Final Update -- 15 Jun 2018

Events: 1) Met with Stanford Midshipmen: discussed their futures in the USN and DoD. Stanford averages six midshipmen per year, two soldiers and this year, zero AFROTC cadets. 2) Attended book presentation on  Political Risk  by Dr. Condoleezza Rice and Dr. Amy Zegart (my boss at Hoover).  Authors discussed there book which was built from a class on the topic. 3) Trip to Idaho National Labs. Attended a three day conference discussing the cybersecurity of control systems in critical infrastructure. In short, we are owned, we must prioritize and execute. This has the power to half AF operations. 4) Meeting with Mr. Jim Baker (Director, ONA). This was the NSAFs second visit of the year with Mr. Baker. He was extremely interested in our groups insight into national security challenges. He later presented his perspectives on the "3rd Offset" to the Stanford class on Technology and National Security. His perspective is the first logical perspective I have seen ...
Read more

The books of Feb/Mar 2018

The Good Lieutenant  (Whitney Terrell). Mr. Terrell embedded with ground units in Iraq and wrote a fictional book about life in a combat support company of an INF BN. His work centers around a Lt and how the officer led her unit and the changes she underwent during that time. We discussed the book with the author in my War and Fiction class at Stanford. His perspective of deployment experiences varied differently than the other veterans in the class. https://www.amazon.com/The- Good-Lieutenant/dp/B01GOYX5X4/ ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid= 1520533883&sr=8-1&keywords= the+good+lieutenant+by+ whitney+terrell The Square and the Tower  (Dr. Niall Ferguson). Dr. Ferguson's latest work analyzes the role of personal networks and how they were more powerful than hierarchical structures. For example, is the connectivity to Dr. Kissinger more powerful than political parties. Will facebook and social networking supplant current nation states? Interesting piece would be to look...
Read more