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

by Richard A. Clarke, Robert Knake

Overview

Author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Against All Enemies, former presidential advisor and counter-terrorism expert Richard A. Clarke sounds a timely and chilling warning about America’s vulnerability in a terrifying new international conflict—Cyber War! Every concerned American should read this startling and explosive book that offers an insider’s view of White House ‘Situation Room’ operations and carries the reader to the frontlines of our cyber defense. Cyber War exposes a virulent threat to our nation’s security. This is no X-Files fantasy or conspiracy theory madness—this is real.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780061962233
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	04/20/2010
Pages:	290
Product dimensions:	6.46(w) x 9.36(h) x 1.02(d)

About the Author

Richard A. Clarke, a veteran of thirty years in national security and over a decade in the White House, is now the CEO of a cyber-security consulting firm. He is the author of seven previous books, including the bestsellers Against All Enemies and Cyber War.

What People are Saying About This

Michiko Kakutani

“Chilling... [A] harrowing — and persuasive — picture of the cyberthreat the United States faces today.”

Editorial Reviews

Richard A. Clarke was the first senior White House official with responsibility for cyber war and cyber security. Since leaving government, he hasn't let down his guard. Like his early warnings about al-Qaeda to the Clinton and Bush administrations, Cyber War is intended as a wake-up call that begins with an alarm and then lays down details which will rivet you to attention. This sobering book isn't written for reclusive nerds: Its information about cyber espionage and threats is comprehensive, accessible, and hotter news than tomorrow's headlines. (Hand-selling tip: With his bestselling books, Against All Enemies and Your Government Failed You, Clarke has become a sought-after media expert on national security questions.)

On today's battlefields computers play a major role, controlling targeting systems, relaying critical intelligence information, and managing logistics. And, like their civilian counter-parts, defense computers are susceptible to hacking. In September 2007, Israeli cyber warriors "blinded" Syrian anti-aircraft installations, allowing Israeli planes to bomb a suspected nuclear weapons manufacturing facility (Syrian computers were hacked and reprogrammed to display an empty sky). One of the first known cyber attacks against an independent nation was a Russian DDOS (Deliberate Denial of Service) on Estonia. Since it can rarely be traced directly back to the source, the DDOS has become a common form of attack, with Russia, China, North Korea, the U.S., and virtually every other country in possession of a formidable military having launched low-level DDOS assaults. Analysts across the globe are well aware that any future large-scale conflict will include cyber warfare as part of a combined arms effort. Clarke and Knake argue that today's leaders, though more computer savvy than ever, may still be ignorant of the cyber threats facing their national security.
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Publishers Weekly

Chilling... [A] harrowing — and persuasive — picture of the cyberthreat the United States faces today.” — Michiko Kakutani, New York Times

“Clarke and Knake are right to sound the alarm.” — Wall Street Journal

“[CYBER WAR] may be the most important book about national-security policy in the last several years.” — Slate

“In this chilling and eye-opening book, Clarke and Knake provide a highly detailed yet accessible look at how cyber warfare is being waged and the need to rethink our national security to face this new threat.” — Booklist

“Will strengthen Clarke’s claims as one of the founding fathers of cybersecurocracy....It is worth buying this book if only for his pithy five-page vision of this coming apocalypse and a return to stone-age conditions within a week, all because of a few pesky hackers and viruses.” — Financial Times

From the Publisher

Will strengthen Clarke’s claims as one of the founding fathers of cybersecurocracy....It is worth buying this book if only for his pithy five-page vision of this coming apocalypse and a return to stone-age conditions within a week, all because of a few pesky hackers and viruses.

Financial Times

[CYBER WAR] may be the most important book about national-security policy in the last several years.

Slate

In this chilling and eye-opening book, Clarke and Knake provide a highly detailed yet accessible look at how cyber warfare is being waged and the need to rethink our national security to face this new threat.

Booklist

Chilling... [A] harrowing — and persuasive — picture of the cyberthreat the United States faces today.

Michiko Kakutani

Clarke and Knake are right to sound the alarm.

Wall Street Journal

Clarke and Knake are right to sound the alarm.

Wall Street Journal

In this chilling and eye-opening book, Clarke and Knake provide a highly detailed yet accessible look at how cyber warfare is being waged and the need to rethink our national security to face this new threat.

Booklist

Will strengthen Clarke’s claims as one of the founding fathers of cybersecurocracy....It is worth buying this book if only for his pithy five-page vision of this coming apocalypse and a return to stone-age conditions within a week, all because of a few pesky hackers and viruses.

Financial Times

[CYBER WAR] may be the most important book about national-security policy in the last several years.

Slate

For AGAINST ALL ENEMIES: “Against All Enemies is too good to be ignored. . . . It is a rarity among Washington-insider memoirs—it’s a thumping good read.

New York Times Book Review

Today's global society is totally dependent on the complex communications networks that connect individuals, businesses, and governments. Attacking these networks is relatively easier and cheaper for both governments and terrorists than more overt acts; it could also cause even more widespread and long-lasting damage. Clarke (Against All Enemies: Inside America's War on Terror), who was a White House security adviser to Presidents from Reagan through Clinton, discusses the various points of cyber vulnerability and critiques American efforts to protect its vital infrastructure. An electronic first strike could lead to an uncoordinated retaliation that could rapidly escalate out of control. Governments and companies all over the world are hard at work developing both offensive and defensive software programs, policies, and procedures to deal with this immediate threat, but Clarke wants to encourage more public debate on a topic that has been dominated by the technical experts. He previously wrote a technothriller, Breakpoint, on this very issue. VERDICT On an important subject, this book is written for general readers, although undergraduates could benefit from it as well. However, the lack of both a bibliography and an index (not to mention footnotes) is a serious deficiency.—Daniel K. Blewett, Coll. of DuPage Lib., Glen Ellyn, IL

Library Journal