Cybersecurity plays a crucial but often overlooked role in our increasingly digital lives.
2020 is a major steppingstone in great digital shifts, particularly in what concerns transitioning to digital workspaces and teleworking regimes. Remote work was already a trend in many sectors, but the pandemic was the catalyst that made things happen and accelerate the process.
You might have noticed that people around you started to care more about cybersecurity and cyber hygiene this year. Such changes were necessary to foster cybersecurity awareness since the human factor is the weakest link and, consequently, an easy target for the increasingly sophisticated threat actors.
There are already great authoritative reports about the state of the cybersecurity and threat landscape this year and predictions for the next couple of months. Staying informed is key – more so in these unprecedented times.
But information is found in many places. You don’t necessarily need to read manuals and reports to know more about cybersecurity!
That’s why we asked our cybersecurity specialists what they would recommend for everyone to enjoy reading and to learn more about key aspects in cybersecurity.
So, if you’re fancying a slightly different read, but equally deep and with the advantages of the narrative form (more engaging and thought-provoking), we have four suggestions.
Whether you’re a geek or a noob in the field, there’s a book for you! Scroll down and choose yours.
1. Permanent Record, by Edward Snowden
A great book for those who are just getting into information security, focusing on concerns about data protection and privacy.
Also for those who are more knowledgeable and want to read an enjoyable piece. Delve deeper into Snowden’s side of the story and know more about his life before and after his public disclosures of mass surveillance programs.
2. The Art of Deception: Controlling the Human Element of Security, by Kevin Mitnick & William L. Simon
Mitnick is one of the world’s most known former hackers. He deeply explores and explains topics such as what we call social engineering. That’s what The Art of Deception is about – how the human is the weakest link in the security chain, how threat actors use deceptive and manipulative procedures to take advantage of people and access their private information, plus what we can do to avoid them.
Part 4 is especially useful for business because it includes frameworks and best practices to train staff and prevent social engineering attacks in corporate environments.
3. Secrets and Lies: Digital Security in a Networked World, by Bruce Schneier
In this book, renown cryptographer Bruce Schneier introduces us to information security: what it is, strategies to protect our networks and systems and which threats are lurking behind our screens.
If you find the book a bit outdated, which some people do, there’s still immense value in building your knowledge with the history and context of the important developments in both cybersecurity and threats.
4. The Codebreakers: The Comprehensive History of Secret Communication from Ancient Times to the Internet, by David Kahn
This is a heavier read because it’s more specialized.
Great for those who are into cryptography and cryptanalysis. Also for the professionals in the field who want to deepen their knowledge and know the historical path of the discipline.
In the words of one of our specialists, “a fundamental read for those interested or working in cryptography.”
