Information Warfare: How to Survive Cyber Attacks [Paperback]

Michael Erbschloe (Author)

Book Description

Series: Computer World | Publication Date: June 27, 2001

Information warfare is a large organised effort to obtain and destroy information by whatever means possible with the intent of destroying or taking over a goverment or corporate entity. This guide provides information on the emerging super-intelligent anti-social subculture of hackers and cyber-terrorists as well as practical recommendation on how they can be stopped. The defensive strategies and counter measures are desigined to help companies survive infrastructure attacks, military conflicts, competitive intellegence gathering, economic warfare and corporate espionage. This study answers the need of IT professionals to protect their computer and computer-based assets.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Conflict isn't what it used to be. Technology analyst Michael Erbschloe knows the specs and the spooks on the inside of counterterrorism and antihacker units and sees a new set of potential attacks targeting governments, businesses, and individuals. Information Warfare: How to Survive Cyber Attacks looks at 10 basic strategies of attacking information infrastructure and suggests short-term and long-term defensive maneuvers.

Sobering and stimulating at the same time, his writing is direct and suggests immediate changes we can make to shore ourselves against the new threats. Some are as simple as considering who we share information with, while others will require long-term policy initiatives and intense political maneuvering.

The interplay between business and the military and law enforcement branches of government is a major theme--Erbschloe makes much of their interdependence and calls for more cooperation. Rogue nations, independent terrorists, and amateur hackers can create economy-wrecking havoc while accepting relatively little risk to themselves; Information Warfare can help the rest of us prepare and defend ourselves from the inevitable. --Rob Lightner

Review

"E-commerce in the regions of North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific will make up more than 90 percent of all world-wide E-commerce..." 2/1/00 San Diego Business Journal "S12.1 billion reportedly spent to ward off computer viruses in 1999." CNN, 1/18/00"

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Product Details

• Paperback: 315 pages
• Publisher: Osborne/McGraw-Hill (June 27, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0072132604
• ISBN-13: 978-0072132601
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 5.8 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,704,307 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fun to read, May 17, 2002

By 

Dr Anton Chuvakin "Dr. Anton Chuvakin" (CA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Information Warfare: How to Survive Cyber Attacks (Paperback)

As an information security professional, I take an extreme interest in information warfare, as it is closely connected to the infosec field. Thus, I was excited to read Information Warfare: How to Survive Cyber Attacks, and see what it offered from the information security point of view.

However, author Michael Erbschloe seems to imply that readers who will benefit most from his book have a whole country under their command - that is the extremely high level at which it's aimed. People running companies will also benefit from Erbschloe's guidelines. Filled with exciting statistics, such as how many "cyberwarriors" the US will have by the year 2005 (the answer: triple the current amount), the book provides a fine-grained description of the cyberwarfare of the near future. While its style is reminiscent of an official government document, the book raises issues that might become important in the future, since our reliance on computers is constantly increasing. The book also provides the "big picture" of information warfare, a taxonomy of infowar strategies and a potential threat landscape with damage evaluation.

The most exciting chapter is a description of a fictitious "Trillion dollar cyberwar" waged by a band of 10 malicious hackers against the world. Combining email viruses, hacking and disclosure of sensitive information with physical attacks on phone company switches and computer installations, the group causes almost a month of trouble, triggering extensive panic, armed conflicts and other doomsday events. This Perl Harbor 2 (PH2) scenario is an example of "sustained terrorist information warfare," according to Erbschloe.

Information Warfare also sheds light on the motivations of those who become cyberwarriors - or cyberterrorists (the latter are described as "curious nerds moving to the dark side"). Erbschloe then ponders questions such as "Will Americans make good terrorists?"

Every chapter is concluded by a high-level agenda for action, mostly targeted to government and big business. The book suggests that the best way to prevent future "ruinous" cyberattacks is to establish a "super cyber patrol" for the Internet. Another suggestion is that computer users maintain constant battle readiness, a scenario analogous to the Cold War, in order to thwart potential attacks.

Overall, Information Warfare satisfied my curiosity on this exciting subject, providing enlightenment on what the future could bring to the field of information warfare.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A break through in understanding information warfare!, July 2, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Information Warfare: How to Survive Cyber Attacks (Paperback)

This analysis of information warfare goes far beyond the writers in the 1990s and it is the first book that digs into the potential economic impact of cyber attacks. The author also gives solid recommendations on how private companies and the government can work together, some of which may be rather alarming to the faint at heart.

4 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Better than a movie..., July 17, 2001

By 

Kenneth Walker "walk-man" (Savage, MN United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Information Warfare: How to Survive Cyber Attacks (Paperback)

This is an excellent book for the skeptic who thinks that "it can't happen to us!" I think many different companies (government and private sector alike) will be amazed at how comparitively little it actually costs to prevent a corporate disaster. Ever wish to go inside the mind of a good hacker and learn how he does it? This is the book for you!