Book details the risks, sophistication, and threat posed by the massive growth of cybercrime When I left home for the RSA Conference last Monday, I was already aware of the types of cyber threats we are up against. After speaking with security research leaders from Bluecoat, Symantec, and Trend at RSA, I am even more convinced that we are way behind the enemy and need to react quickly before we are completely overwhelmed.Since one way to drive action is increased cybersecurity visibility and knowledge, I strongly suggest that anyone associated with IT, cybersecurity, privacy, national defense, or law enforcement read the new book, “Fatal System Error,” by Joseph Menn.Now I have absolutely no financial interest in this book, nor do I know the author. In other words, I have nothing personal to gain by this recommendation. My goal here is to educate decision makers and the public at large on just how pervasive and sophisticated the cyber threat landscape has become. Menn’s book demands some level of technical knowledge, but he does a great job of explaining things in a cogent and clear way. The book highlights:1. The evolution of the cyber underground: How crimes and the criminal network developed techniques, skills, and attacks over time. The bad guys are evolving exponentially while the good guys skills and tools follow a logarithmic curve. 2. The challenges faced by law enforcement. The Internet opens criminal activity to dispersed adversaries across the globe. Many operate in nation states that have a vested interest in compromising the economic foundation in the west. In other words we can’t touch most of the bad guys who are openly laughing in our faces. 3. The sophistication of the attacks. The bad guys know who we are, who we trust, and how to exploit us. Think you are protected by law enforcement, banks, and security companies? Think again.My hope is that those who read this book (author’s note: Again, everyone should) become as concerned as I am and demand immediate action. We need things like public awareness campaigns, K through 12 education, information sharing, and global law enforcement agreements, and we need them now. Time is not our ally. Joseph Menn and those that helped him with this book deserve a lot of credit for writing this book. I hope it drives immediate action. If it doesn’t, I’ll join Menn in saying, “I told you so,” to the industrialized world as we struggle to rebuild our digital economy. Many people including DHS believe that the damage from a cyber attack could be much higher than what we experienced from 9/11. We need to act before it is too late. Related content analysis 5 things security pros want from XDR platforms New research shows that while extended detection and response (XDR) remains a nebulous topic, security pros know what they want from an XDR platform. By Jon Oltsik Jul 07, 2022 3 mins Intrusion Detection Software Incident Response opinion Bye-bye best-of-breed? ESG research finds that organizations are increasingly integrating security technologies and purchasing multi-product security platforms, changing the industry in the process. By Jon Oltsik Jun 14, 2022 4 mins Security Software opinion SOC modernization: 8 key considerations Organizations need SOC transformation for security efficacy and operational efficiency. Technology vendors should come to this year’s RSA Conference with clear messages and plans, not industry hyperbole. By Jon Oltsik Apr 27, 2022 6 mins RSA Conference Security Operations Center opinion 5 ways to improve security hygiene and posture management Security professionals suggest continuous controls validation, process automation, and integrating security and IT technologies. By Jon Oltsik Apr 05, 2022 4 mins Security Practices Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe