A New Era of Cyberwar and the Hunt for the Kremlin's Most Dangerous Hackers
368 pages
English language
Published April 6, 2020 by Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group.
In 2014, the world witnessed the start of a mysterious series of cyberattacks. Targeting American utility companies, NATO, and electric grids in Eastern Europe, the strikes grew ever more brazen. They culminated in the summer of 2017, when the malware known as NotPetya was unleashed, penetrating, disrupting, and paralyzing some of the world’s largest businesses—from drug manufacturers to software developers to shipping companies. At the attack’s epicenter in Ukraine, ATMs froze. The railway and postal systems shut down. Hospitals went dark. NotPetya spread around the world, inflicting an unprecedented ten billion dollars in damage—the largest, most destructive cyberattack the world had ever seen.
The hackers behind these attacks are quickly gaining a reputation as the most dangerous team of cyberwarriors in history: a group known as Sandworm. Working in the service of Russia’s military intelligence agency, they represent a persistent, highly skilled force, one whose talents are matched by their …
In 2014, the world witnessed the start of a mysterious series of cyberattacks. Targeting American utility companies, NATO, and electric grids in Eastern Europe, the strikes grew ever more brazen. They culminated in the summer of 2017, when the malware known as NotPetya was unleashed, penetrating, disrupting, and paralyzing some of the world’s largest businesses—from drug manufacturers to software developers to shipping companies. At the attack’s epicenter in Ukraine, ATMs froze. The railway and postal systems shut down. Hospitals went dark. NotPetya spread around the world, inflicting an unprecedented ten billion dollars in damage—the largest, most destructive cyberattack the world had ever seen.
The hackers behind these attacks are quickly gaining a reputation as the most dangerous team of cyberwarriors in history: a group known as Sandworm. Working in the service of Russia’s military intelligence agency, they represent a persistent, highly skilled force, one whose talents are matched by their willingness to launch broad, unrestrained attacks on the most critical infrastructure of their adversaries. They target government and private sector, military and civilians alike.
A chilling, globe-spanning detective story, Sandworm considers the danger this force poses to our national security and stability. As the Kremlin’s role in foreign government manipulation comes into greater focus, Sandworm exposes the realities not just of Russia’s global digital offensive, but of an era where warfare ceases to be waged on the battlefield. It reveals how the lines between digital and physical conflict, between wartime and peacetime, have begun to blur—with world-shaking implications.
I felt the book was a bit slow at times however it was very informative and it is clear the author had researched the topic well. While I knew some of the details around Sandworm I enjoyed listening to the book where I found out extra details and quotes from the people involved. The author built tension by describing the events vividly and showed the extent of the damage through statistics.
It’s incredible how much Russia has tested their cyber weapons, how much we know about it, and how little things have changed despite how obvious the dangers are.
Andy Greenberg’s Sandworm: A New Era of Cyberwar and the Hunt for the Kremlin’s Most Dangerous Hackers is a gripping and riveting account of the dark side of the internet. Greenberg takes readers on a remarkable journey through the murky world of cyberespionage, showing how the Russian government has used malicious cyberattacks to meddle in the affairs of neighboring countries, the United States and even private enterprises.
Greenberg expertly details the rise of the Sandworm team and the operations they have orchestrated over the last decade, from the notorious NotPetya attack that crippled shipping giant Maersk to their suspected involvement in the 2016 US election interference. He skillfully weaves together the threads of this international saga and provides invaluable insight into the motivations and tactics of Kremlin-backed hackers.
The narrative is both informative and entertaining, with Greenberg interweaving personal anecdotes and interviews with the players in this high-stakes game, such …
Andy Greenberg’s Sandworm: A New Era of Cyberwar and the Hunt for the Kremlin’s Most Dangerous Hackers is a gripping and riveting account of the dark side of the internet. Greenberg takes readers on a remarkable journey through the murky world of cyberespionage, showing how the Russian government has used malicious cyberattacks to meddle in the affairs of neighboring countries, the United States and even private enterprises.
Greenberg expertly details the rise of the Sandworm team and the operations they have orchestrated over the last decade, from the notorious NotPetya attack that crippled shipping giant Maersk to their suspected involvement in the 2016 US election interference. He skillfully weaves together the threads of this international saga and provides invaluable insight into the motivations and tactics of Kremlin-backed hackers.
The narrative is both informative and entertaining, with Greenberg interweaving personal anecdotes and interviews with the players in this high-stakes game, such as the security researchers who first uncovered the existence of the Sandworm team. He also dives into the technical details of the attacks, giving readers a better understanding of the intricate tactics employed by the hackers.
Overall, Sandworm is a must-read for anyone interested in the world of cyberwarfare and the implications of malicious state-sponsored hacking. Greenberg’s gripping narrative and comprehensive research make it an essential work on the subject, and it is sure to be the definitive book on the topic for years to come.
