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Countdown to Zero Day


Synopsis


A top cybersecurity journalist 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. 

"Immensely enjoyable . . . Zetter turns a complicated and technical cyber story into an engrossing whodunit."-The Washington Post
 
The virus now known as Stuxnet was unlike any other piece of malware built before: Rather than simply hijacking targeted computers or stealing information from them, it proved that a piece of code could escape the digital realm and wreak actual, physical destruction-in this case, on an Iranian nuclear facility.
 
In these pages, journalist Kim Zetter tells the whole story behind the world's first cyberweapon, covering its genesis in the corridors of the White House and its effects in Iran-and telling the spectacular, unlikely tale of the security geeks who managed to unravel a top secret sabotage campaign years in the making.
 
But Countdown to Zero Day also ranges beyond Stuxnet itself, exploring the history of cyberwarfare and its future, showing us what might happen should our infrastructure be targeted by a Stuxnet-style attack, and ultimately, providing a portrait of a world at the edge of a new kind of war.

Summary

Chapter 1: The Zero Day

* Summary: Introduces the concept of a "zero day," a previously unknown software vulnerability exploited by hackers to gain access to systems.
* Real example: The Stuxnet worm, which targeted Iran's nuclear program, used multiple zero days to infiltrate and sabotage its control systems.

Chapter 2: The Bad Guy

* Summary: Profile of the typical attacker, their motivations, and their tactics.
* Real example: The Lazarus Group, a North Korean hacking group responsible for numerous high-profile cyberattacks, including the Sony Pictures hack.

Chapter 3: The Hero

* Summary: Presents the defenders who fight against cyberattacks, including security researchers, law enforcement, and intelligence agencies.
* Real example: The Shadow Brokers, a group of hackers who stole and leaked NSA hacking tools, exposing the vulnerabilities of governments and organizations.

Chapter 4: The Battleground

* Summary: Describes the various battlegrounds where cyberattacks occur, including industrial control systems, personal devices, and critical infrastructure.
* Real example: The 2015 Ukraine power grid attack, which targeted the power grid causing widespread blackouts.

Chapter 5: The Arsenal

* Summary: Explores the tools and techniques used by attackers and defenders in cyberwarfare.
* Real example: Metasploit Framework, an open-source software tool used by hackers to perform penetration testing and exploit vulnerabilities.

Chapter 6: The Fight

* Summary: Details the typical stages of a cyberattack, from reconnaissance to exploitation and exfiltration.
* Real example: The 2014 Yahoo hack, which compromised the accounts of over 500 million users.

Chapter 7: The Aftermath

* Summary: Discusses the consequences of cyberattacks, including financial losses, reputational damage, and national security breaches.
* Real example: The WannaCry ransomware attack, which infected over 200,000 computers worldwide, demanding payments from victims.

Chapter 8: The Future

* Summary: Explores the future of cyberwarfare, including emerging technologies and their potential impact on security.
* Real example: The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and its use in both offensive and defensive cyber operations.

Chapter 9: The Call to Action

* Summary: Urges individuals and organizations to take steps to protect themselves from cyberattacks and to support the fight against cybercrime.
* Real example: The creation of the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) in the United Kingdom to coordinate responses to cyberthreats.

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