The Digital Big Bang

The Digital Big Bang

by Phil Quade
Released September 2019
Publisher(s): Wiley
ISBN: 9781119617365

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Book description

Cybersecurity experts from across industries and sectors share insights on how to think like scientists to master cybersecurity challenges 

Humankind’s efforts to explain the origin of the cosmos birthed disciplines such as physics and chemistry. Scientists conceived of the cosmic ‘Big Bang’ as an explosion of particles—everything in the universe centered around core elements and governed by laws of matter and gravity. In the modern era of digital technology, we are experiencing a similar explosion of ones and zeros, an exponentially expanding universe of bits of data centered around the core elements of speed and connectivity. One of the disciplines to emerge from our efforts to make sense of this new universe is the science of cybersecurity. Cybersecurity is as central to the Digital Age as physics and chemistry were to the Scientific Age. The Digital Big Bang explores current and emerging knowledge in the field of cybersecurity, helping readers think like scientists to master cybersecurity principles and overcome cybersecurity challenges. 

This innovative text adopts a scientific approach to cybersecurity, identifying the science’s fundamental elements and examining how these elements intersect and interact with each other. Author Phil Quade distills his over three decades of cyber intelligence, defense, and attack experience into an accessible, yet detailed, single-volume resource. Designed for non-specialist business leaders and cybersecurity practitioners alike, this authoritative book is packed with real-world examples, techniques, and strategies no organization should be without. Contributions from many of the world’s leading cybersecurity experts and policymakers enable readers to firmly grasp vital cybersecurity concepts, methods, and practices. This important book:

  • Guides readers on both fundamental tactics and advanced strategies
  • Features observations, hypotheses, and conclusions on a wide range of cybersecurity issues
  • Helps readers work with the central elements of cybersecurity, rather than fight or ignore them
  • Includes content by cybersecurity leaders from organizations such as Microsoft, Target, ADP, Capital One, Verisign, AT&T, Samsung, and many others
  • Offers insights from national-level security experts including former Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff and former Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell

The Digital Big Bang is an invaluable source of information for anyone faced with the challenges of 21st century cybersecurity in all industries and sectors, including business leaders, policy makers, analysts and researchers as well as IT professionals, educators, and students.

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  3. CONTRIBUTORS
  4. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  5. INTRODUCTION
    1. THE COSMIC BIG BANG: THE BIRTH OF THE PHYSICAL UNIVERSE AND THE HUMAN SOCIETY THAT EMERGED
    2. THE DIGITAL BIG BANG: THE BIRTH OF THE DIGITAL UNIVERSE
    3. THE SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTION
    4. THE BANG BEGINS
    5. WHAT WE GOT RIGHT
    6. WHAT WE GOT WRONG
    7. AN UNWARRANTED ASSUMPTION OF TRUST
    8. AN HONEST ASSESSMENT OF THE CURRENT STATE
    9. WHAT CYBERCRIMES EXPLOIT
    10. WHAT WE CAN GET RIGHT NOW
    11. THE DIGITAL NUCLEUS
  6. SECTION 1: BINDING STRATEGIES: THE CORE OF CYBERSECURITY
    1. 1 SPEED
      1. SPEED: THE NUCLEUS OF THE CYBERFRONTIER
      2. IS SPEED AN ADVANTAGE? IT DEPENDS ON THE CONTEXT
    2. 2 CONNECTIVITY
      1. MANAGING THE INTENSIFYING CONNECTIVITY OF THE IOT ERA
      2. CYBERSPACE: MAKING SOME SENSE OF IT ALL
  7. SECTION 2: ELEMENTARY SHORTFALLS: THE THINGS WE DIDN'T GET RIGHT AT THE BEGINNING
    1. 3 AUTHENTICATION
      1. AUTHENTICATION, DATA INTEGRITY, NONREPUDIATION, AVAILABILITY, AND CONFIDENTIALITY: THE FIVE PILLARS OF SECURITY
      2. AUTHENTICATION AND MODELS OF TRUST
    2. 4 PATCHING
      1. PATCHING: A GROWING CHALLENGE AND A NEEDED DISCIPLINE
      2. CONQUER OR BE CONQUERED
    3. 5 TRAINING
      1. FILL THE SKILLS GAP WITH AN ENVIRONMENT OF CONTINUAL TRAINING
      2. EMPLOYEE TRAINING IS KEY FOR CYBERSECURITY
      3. TRAINING IS A MINDSET
  8. SECTION 3: FUNDAMENTAL STRATEGIES: PROVEN STRATEGIES THAT DON'T LET US DOWN
    1. 6 CRYPTOGRAPHY
      1. CRYPTOGRAPHY: THE BACKBONE OF CYBERSECURITY
      2. CRYPTOGRAPHY: THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE FUTURE
    2. 7 ACCESS CONTROL
      1. MANAGING ACCESS IN CHALLENGING ENVIRONMENTS
      2. A SYSTEMATIC APPROACH TO ACCESS CONTROL
    3. 8 SEGMENTATION
      1. SUCCESSFUL SEGMENTATION ISN'T SEPARATION: IT'S COLLABORATION
      2. WHY WE NEED TO SEGMENT NETWORKS
  9. SECTION 4: ADVANCED STRATEGIES: SOPHISTICATED CYBERSECURITY OPERATIONS
    1. 9 VISIBILITY
      1. VISIBILITY: IDENTIFYING PATHOGENS, RISK FACTORS, AND SYMPTOMS OF CYBERATTACKS
      2. 20/20 INSIGHT: REDEFINING VISIBILITY TO STOP MODERN CYBERCRIME SYNDICATES
      3. THE CHALLENGE OF VISIBILITY
    2. 10 INSPECTION
      1. IN AND OUT OF THE SHADOWS: THE VISIBILITY THAT INSPECTION ENABLES IS NOT CONFINED TO TECHNOLOGY ALONE
      2. THE FUNDAMENTAL IMPORTANCE OF INSPECTION
    3. 11 FAILURE RECOVERY
      1. PREPARATION, RESPONSE, AND RECOVERY
      2. CYBER EVENT RECOVERY
  10. SECTION 5: HIGHER-ORDER DIMENSIONS: WHERE HUMAN FACTORS CAN ECLIPSE COMPUTING WIZARDRY
    1. 12 COMPLEXITY MANAGEMENT
      1. SHIFT YOUR MINDSET TO MANAGE COMPLEXITY
      2. SEVEN STEPS TO REDUCING COMPLEXITY
    2. 13 PRIVACY
      1. DON'T PANIC! SECURITY PROS MUST LEARN TO EMBRACE THE NEW ERA OF PRIVACY
      2. STRICTER PRIVACY REGULATIONS ARE DRIVING THE CONVERSATIONS—AND INNOVATIONS—WE NEED
    3. 14 HUMAN FRAILTY
      1. OVERCOMING HUMAN FRAILTY: PEOPLE AND THE POWER OF OBLIGATION
      2. OVERCOMING HUMAN FRAILTY BY DESIGN
  11. THE FUTURE
    1. UNIFYING FORCES
    2. RELATIONSHIPS
    3. INFORMED OPTIMISM
    4. PURSUIT OF FACTS AND WISDOM
    5. MACHINES THAT SERVE PEOPLE
    6. CONCLUSION
    7. WHY CYBERSECURITY NEEDS AI
    8. THE FUTURE OF CYBERSECURITY
  12. INDEX
  13. End User License Agreement

Product information

  • Title: The Digital Big Bang
  • Author(s): Phil Quade
  • Release date: September 2019
  • Publisher(s): Wiley
  • ISBN: 9781119617365