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@War: The Rise of the Military-Internet Complex

Shane Harris—2014—Internet

“The United States military currently views cyberspace as the ‘fifth domain’ of warfare (alongside land, air, sea, and space), and the Department of Defense, the National Security Agency, and the CIA all field teams of hackers who can, and do, launch computer virus strikes against enemy targets. As recent revelations have shown, government agencies are joining with tech giants like Google and Facebook to collect vast amounts of information, and the military has also formed a new alliance with tech and finance companies to patrol cyberspace. Shane Harris offers a more penetrating glimpse into this partnership than we have ever seen before, and he explains what the new cyber security regime means for all of us who spend our daily lives bound to the Internet — and are vulnerable to its dangers.”

Harris, Shane. @War: The Rise of the Military-Internet Complex. New York: Mariner Books, 2015.

3D Printing Will Rock the World

John Hornick—2015— 3D Printing

“In 3D Printing Will Rock the World, John Hornick takes a deep into the world of 3D printing and its potential future impact on business, manufacturing, science, crime, law, education, and, basically, life as we know it.”

Hornick, John. 3D Printing Will Rock the World. Self-Published, CreateSpace, 2015.

America The Vulnerable: Inside The New Threat Matrix Of Digital Espionage, Crime, And Warfare

Joel Brenner—2011—Threat

"A former top-level national Security Agency insider evaluates pressing threats in digital security, revealing how operatives from hostile nations have infiltrated power, banking, and military systems to steal information and sabotage defense mechanisms."

Brenner, Joel. America The Vulnerable: Inside The New Threat Matrix Of Digital Espionage, Crime, And Warfare. New York: Penguin Press, 2011

Big Data: A Revolution That Will Transform How We Live, Work, and Think

Viktor Mayer-Schönberger, Kenneth Cukier—2013—Big Data

“It seems as if 'big data' is in the news every day, as we read the latest examples of how powerful algorithms are teasing out the hidden connections between seemingly unrelated things. Whether it is used by the NSA to fight terrorism or by online retailers to predict customers' buying patterns, big data is a revolution occurring around us, in the process of forever changing economics, science, culture, and the very way we think. But it also poses new threats, from the end of privacy as we know it to the prospect of being penalized for things we haven't even done yet, based on big data's ability to predict our future behavior. Big Data is the first major book about this earthshaking subject, with two leading experts explaining what big data is, how it will change our lives, and what we can do to protect ourselves from its hazards.”

Mayer-Schönberger, Viktor, and Kenneth Cukier. Big Data: A Revolution That Will Transform How We Live, Work, and Think. New York: Mariner Books, 2014.

Countdown to Zero Day: Stuxnet and the Launch of the World's First Digital Weapon

Kim Zetter—2014—Offensive Ops

“This story of the virus that destroyed Iran's nuclear centrifuges, by top cybersecurity journalist Kim Zetter, shows that the door has been opened on a new age of warfare—one in which a digital attack can have the same destructive capability as a megaton bomb dropped from an airplane.
“Top cybersecurity journalist Kim Zetter tells the story behind the virus that sabotaged Iran's nuclear efforts and shows how its existence has ushered in a new age of warfare—one in which a digital attack can have the same destructive capability as a megaton bomb. In January 2010, inspectors with the International Atomic Energy Agency noticed that centrifuges at an Iranian uranium enrichment plant were failing at an unprecedented rate. The cause was a complete mystery—apparently as much to the technicians replacing the centrifuges as to the inspectors observing them. Then, five months later, a seemingly unrelated event occurred; a computer security firm in Belarus was called in to troubleshoot some computers in Iran that were crashing and rebooting repeatedly. At first, the firm's programmers believed the malicious code on the machines was a simple, routine piece of malware. But as they and other experts around the world investigated, they discovered a mysterious virus of unparalleled complexity. They had, they soon learned, stumbled upon the world's first digital weapon. For Stuxnet, as it came to be known, was unlike any other virus or worm built before; rather than simply hijacking targeted computers or stealing information from them, it escaped the digital realm to wreak actual, physical destruction on a nuclear facility. In these pages, Wired journalist Kim Zetter draws on her extensive sources and expertise to tell the story behind Stuxnet's planning, execution, and discovery, covering its genesis in the corridors of Bush's White House and its unleashing on systems in Iran—and telling the spectacular, unlikely tale of the security geeks who managed to unravel a sabotage campaign years in the making. But Countdown to Zero Day ranges far beyond Stuxnet itself. Here, Zetter shows us how digital warfare developed in the US. She takes us inside today's flourishing zero-day ‘grey markets,’ in which intelligence agencies and militaries pay huge sums for the malicious code they need to carry out infiltrations and attacks. She reveals just how vulnerable many of our own critical systems are to Stuxnet-like strikes, from nation-state adversaries and anonymous hackers alike—and shows us just what might happen should our infrastructure be targeted by such an attack. Propelled by Zetter's unique knowledge and access, and filled with eye-opening explanations of the technologies involved, Countdown to Zero Day is a comprehensive and prescient portrait of a world at the edge of a new kind of war.”

Zetter, Kim. Countdown to Zero Day: Stuxnet and the Launch of the World's First Digital Weapon. New York: Broadway Books, 2014.

Cyber War: The Next Threat to National Security and What to Do about It

Richard A. Clarke, Robert Knake—2012—Strategy

“Richard A. Clarke warned America once before about the havoc terrorism would weak on our national security—and he was right. Now he warns us of another threat, silent but equally dangerous. Cyber War is a powerful book about technology, government, and military strategy; about criminals, spies, soldiers, and hackers. It explains clearly and convincingly what cyber war is, how cyber weapons work, and how vulnerable we are as a nation and as individuals to the vast and looming web of cyber criminals. This is the first book about the war of the future—cyber war—and a convincing argument that we may already be in peril of losing it.”

Clarke, Richard A. Cyber War: The Next Threat to National Security and What to Do about It. New York: Ecco, 2011.

Cyberpower and National Security

Franklin D. Kramer, Stuart H. Starr, and Larry Wentz—2009—Strategy

“Cyberpower has become a fundamental facet of life in the 21st century, but so far little has been written about its strategic implications for national security. Finally, in Cyberpower and National Security, a collection of experts provides a holistic view of the complex issues that characterize the cyber domain and identifies key cyber questions that decision makers will have to address in the near future. The contributors conclude that the United States must create an effective national and international strategic framework for the development and use of cyberpower as part of an overall national security strategy.”

Kramer, Franklin D., Stuart H. Starr, and Larry Wentz, eds. Cyberpower and National Security. Washington, D.C.: Potomac Books, 2009.

Cybersecurity and Cyberwar: What Everyone Needs to Know

P.W. Singer, Allan Friedman—2014—Strategy

“Dependence on computers has had a transformative effect on human society. Cybernetics is now woven into the core functions of virtually every basic institution, including our oldest ones. War is one such institution, and the digital revolution's impact on it has been profound. The American military is almost completely reliant on high-tech computer systems. Given the Internet's potential for full-spectrum surveillance and information disruption, the marshaling of computer networks represents the next stage of cyberwar. Indeed, it is upon us already. The recent Stuxnet episode, in which Israel fed a malignant computer virus into Iran's nuclear facilities, is one such example. Penetration into U.S. government computer systems by Chinese hackers -- presumably sponsored by the Chinese government -- is another. Together, they point to a new era in the evolution of human conflict. Peter W. Singer and Allan Friedman lay out how the revolution in military cybernetics occurred and explain where it is headed. They explain what cyberspace is before moving on to discussions of how it can be exploited and why it is so hard to defend. Throughout, they discuss the latest developments in military and security technology. Singer and Friedman close with a discussion of how people and governments can protect themselves.”

Singer, P.W., and Allan Friedman. Cybersecurity and Cyberwar: What Everyone Needs to Know. New York: Oxford University Press, 2014.

Dark Territory: The Secret History of Cyber War

Fred Kaplan—2017—History

“As cyber-attacks join terrorists on the list of global threats, and as top generals warn of a coming cyber war, Slate columnist Fred Kaplan’s timely and enlightening Dark Territory: The Secret History of Cyber War chronicles, in fascinating detail, an unknown past that shines an unsettling light on our future.”

Kaplan, Fred. Dark Territory: The Secret History of Cyber War. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2016.

Data and Goliath: The Hidden Battles to Collect Your Data and Control Your World

Bruce Schneier—2015—Privacy

“Your cell phone provider knows your location; vendors record your purchasing patterns; your e-mails, texts, and social network activity are stored indefinitely; and all of this information is used by corporations and governments to manipulate, discriminate, and censor your experiences. The result is a mass-surveillance society of our own making. Security expert Bruce Schneier offers another path, showing us exactly what we can do to reform government surveillance programs, shake up surveillance-based business models, and protect our individual privacy.”

Schneier, Bruce. Data and Goliath: The Hidden Battles to Collect Your Data and Control Your World. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2015.

Delivering on Digital: The Innovators and Technologies That Are Transforming Government

William D. Eggers—2016—Innovation

“Imagine prison systems that use digital technology to return nonviolent offenders promptly and securely into society. Imagine a veterans health care system built around delivering a personalized customer experience for every Vet. We now have the digital tools (cloud computing, mobile devices, analytics) and the talent to stage a real transformation. This book provides the handbook to make it happen.”

Eggers, William D. Delivering on Digital: The Innovators and Technologies That Are Transforming Government. New York: Rosettabooks, 2016.

Future Crimes: Everything is Connected, Everyone is Vulnerable and What We Can Do About It

Marc Goodman—2016—Future

“Technological advances have benefited our world in immeasurable ways, but there is an ominous flip side. Criminals are often the earliest, and most innovative, adopters of technology, and modern times have led to modern crimes. Today's criminals are stealing identities, draining online bank accounts, and erasing computer servers. It's disturbingly easy to activate baby monitors to spy on families, to hack pacemakers to deliver a lethal jolt of electricity, and to analyze a person's social media activity to determine the best time for a home invasion. Meanwhile, 3D printers produce AK-47s, terrorists can download the recipe for the Ebola virus, and drug cartels are building drones. In Future Crimes, Marc Goodman raises tough questions about the expanding role of technology in our lives.”

Goodman, Marc. Future Crimes: Everything is Connected, Everyone is Vulnerable and What We Can Do About It. New York: Anchor Books, 2016.

Glass Houses: Privacy, Secrecy, and Cyber Insecurity in a Transparent World

Joel Brenner—2013—Espionage

"A former top-level national Security Agency insider evaluates pressing threats in digital security, revealing how operatives from hostile nations have infiltrated power, banking, and military systems to steal information and sabotage defense mechanisms."

Brenner, Joel. Glass Houses: Privacy, Secrecy, and Cyber Insecurity in a Transparent World. New York: Penguin Books, 2013.

Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution

Steven Levy—2010—Hacking

“This 25th anniversary edition of Steven Levy's classic book traces the exploits of the computer revolution's original hackers—those brilliant and eccentric nerds from the late 1950s through the early ’80s who took risks, bent the rules, and pushed the world in a radical new direction. With updated material from noteworthy hackers such as Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Richard Stallman, and Steve Wozniak, Hackers is a fascinating story that begins in early computer research labs and leads to the first home computers.

Levy profiles the imaginative brainiacs who found clever and unorthodox solutions to computer engineering problems. They had a shared sense of values, known as ‘the Hacker Ethic,’ that still thrives today. Hackers captures a seminal period in recent history when underground activities blazed a trail for today's digital world, from MIT students finagling access to clunky computer-card machines to the DIY culture that spawned the Altair and the Apple II.”

Levy, Steven. Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution. North Sebastopol, California: O'Reilly Media, 2010.

Inside Cyber Warfare: Mapping the Cyber Underworld, 2nd Edition

Jeffrey Carr—2011—Strategy

“When the Stuxnet computer worm damaged the Iranian nuclear program in 2010, the public got a small glimpse into modern cyber warfare—without truly realizing the scope of this global conflict. Inside Cyber Warfare provides fascinating and disturbing details on how nations, groups, and individuals throughout the world increasingly rely on Internet attacks to gain military, political, and economic advantages over their adversaries.

“This updated second edition takes a detailed look at the complex domain of cyberspace, and the players and strategies involved. You’ll discover how sophisticated hackers working on behalf of states or organized crime patiently play a high-stakes game that could target anyone, regardless of affiliation or nationality.”

Carr, Jeffrey. Inside Cyber Warfare: Mapping the Cyber Underworld. 2nd ed. North Sebastopol, California: O'Reilly Media, 2011.

Lights Out: A Cyberattack, A Nation Unprepared, Surviving the Aftermath

Ted Koppel—2015—Catastrophe

“‘Ted Koppel reveals that a major cyberattack on America's power grid is not only possible but likely—and that it would be devastating’ and ‘examines a threat unique to our time and evaluates potential ways to prepare for a catastrophe’”

Koppel, Ted. Lights Out: A Cyberattack, A Nation Unprepared, Surviving the Aftermath. New York: Crown Publishing Group, 2015.

Our Robots, Ourselves: Robotics and the Myths of Autonomy

David A. Mindell—2015—Robotics

“This volume offers a behind-the-scenes look at the cutting edge of robotics today, debunking commonly held myths and exploring the rapidly changing relationships between humans and machines. The author takes us to extreme environments—high atmosphere, deep ocean, and outer space—to reveal where the most advanced robotics already exist. In these environments, scientists use robots to discover new information about ancient civilizations, to map some of the world's largest geological features, and even to "commute" to Mars to conduct daily experiments. But these tools of air, sea, and space also forecast the dangers, ethical quandaries, and unintended consequences of a future in which robotics and automation suffuse our everyday lives. The author argues that the stark lines we've drawn between human and not human, manual and automated, aren't helpful for understanding our relationship with robotics.”

Mindell, David A. Our Robots, Ourselves: Robotics and the Myths of Autonomy. New York: Viking, 2015.

Society and the Internet: How Networks of Information and Communication are Changing Our Lives

Mark Graham (Ed.), William H. Dutton (Ed.), Manuel Castells (Forward)—2014—Social Media

“The book describes how society is being shaped by the diffusion and increasing centrality of the Internet in everyday life and work. It introduces students and those interested in the factors shaping the Internet and its impact on society to a core set of readings that address this question in specific social and institutional contexts.”

Graham, Mark, and William H. Dutton, eds. Society and the Internet: How Networks of Information and Communication are Changing Our Lives. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2014.

The Circle

Dave Eggers—2014—Social Media

“When Mae Holland is hired to work for the Circle, the world’s most powerful internet company, she feels she’s been given the opportunity of a lifetime—even as life beyond the campus grows distant, even as a strange encounter with a colleague leaves her shaken, even as her role at the Circle becomes increasingly public. What begins as the captivating story of one woman’s ambition and idealism soon becomes a heart-racing novel of suspense, raising questions about memory, history, privacy, democracy, and the limits of human knowledge.”

Eggers, Dave. The Circle. New York: Vintage Books, 2014.

The Future of Power

Joseph S. Nye, Jr.—2011—Smart Power

“Power evolves. At the beginning of the twenty-first century, unsurpassed in military strength and ownership of world resources, the United States was indisputably the most powerful nation in the world. But the global information age is creating new opportunities for developing countries to increase their share of world resources and security threats such as cyber terrorism that render these traditional markers of power obsolete. To remain at the pinnacle of world power, the United States must adopt a strategy that considers the impact of the internet on power resources across the world. In The Future of Power, Joseph S. Nye, Jr., a longtime analyst of power and a hands-on practitioner in government, examines what it means to be powerful in the twenty-first century and illuminates the road ahead.”

Nye, Jr., Joseph S. The Future of Power. New York: PublicAffairs, 2011.

The Instigators: How a Small Brand of Digital Activists Risked Their Lives and Helped Bring Down the Government of Egypt

David Wolman—2011—Social Media

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Wolman, David. The Instigators: How a Small Brand of Digital Activists Risked Their Lives and Helped Bring Down the Government of Egypt. New York: The Atavist, 2011.

The Net Delusion: The Dark Side of Internet Freedom

Evgeny Morozov—2011—Social Media

“‘The revolution will be Twittered!’ declared journalist Andrew Sullivan after protests erupted in Iran. But the Internet is a tool that both revolutionaries and authoritarian governments can use. Social media sites have been used in Iran, China, and elsewhere to entrench dictators and threaten dissidents, making it harder—not easier—to promote democracy. Marshalling a compelling set of case studies, The Net Delusion shows why the cyber-utopian stance that the Internet is inherently liberating is wrong, and how ambitious and seemingly noble initiatives like the promotion of ‘Internet freedom’ are misguided and, on occasion, harmful.”

Morozov, Evgeny. The Net Delusion: The Dark Side of Internet Freedom. New York: PublicAffairs, 2011.

The Red Web: The Struggle Between Russia’s Digital Dictators and the New Online Revolutionaries

Andrei Soldatov, Irina Borogan—2015—Russia

“This incisive investigation into the Kremlin's massive online surveillance state and the activists and rebels trying to take it down shows how either Russia will break the internet, or the internet will break Russia.”

Soldatov, Andrei, and Irina Borogan. The Red Web: The Struggle Between Russia’s Digital Dictators and the New Online Revolutionaries. New York: PublicAffairs, 2015.

The Seventh Sense: Power, Fortune, and Survival in the Age of Networks

Joshua Cooper Ramo—2016—Strategy

“Endless terror. Refugee waves. An unfixable global economy. Surprising election results. New billion-dollar fortunes. Miracle medical advances. What if they were all connected? What if you could understand why? The Seventh Sense examines the historic force now shaking our world—and explains how our leaders, our businesses, and each of us can master it. All around us now we are surrounded by events that are difficult to understand. But every day, new figures and forces emerge that seem to have mastered this tumultuous age. Sometimes these are the leaders of the most earthshaking companies of our time, accumulating billion-dollar fortunes. Or they are successful investors or our best generals. Other times, however, quick success is going to terrorists, rebels, and figures intent on chaos. The Seventh Sense is the story of what all of today's successful figures see and feel—forces that are invisible to most of us but explain everything from explosive technological change to uneasy political ripples. The secret to power now is understanding our new age of networks—not merely the Internet but also networks of trade and DNA and finance. Based on his years of advising generals, CEOs, and politicians, Ramo takes us into the opaque heart of our world's rapidly connected systems and teaches us what the victors of this age know—and what the losers are not yet seeing.”

Ramo, Joshua Cooper. The Seventh Sense: Power, Fortune, and Survival in the Age of Networks. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2016.

Wired for War: The Robotics Revolution and Conflict in the 21st Century

P. W. Singer—2009—Robotics AI

Read the description for Wired for War.

Singer, P. W. Wired for War: The Robotics Revolution and Conflict in the 21st Century. New York: Penguin Books, 2009.