Overview

""One of the finest books on information security published so far in this century-easily accessible, tightly argued, superbly well-sourced, intimidatingly perceptive."" -Thomas Rid, author of Active Measures ""The best examination I have read of how increasingly dramatic developments in cyberspace are defining the 'new normal' of geopolitics in the digital age."" -General David Petraeus, former Director of the CIA ""A helpful reminder of the sheer diligence and seriousness of purpose exhibited by the Russians in their mission."" -Jonathan Freedland, New York Review of Books Cyber attacks are less destructive than we anticipated, more pervasive, and much harder to prevent. With little fanfare and even less scrutiny, they target our banks, our tech and health systems, our democracy, and impact every aspect of our lives. Packed with insider information based on interviews, declassified files, and forensic analysis of company reports, The Hacker and the State explores the real geopolitical competition of the digital age and reveals little-known details of how China, Russia, North Korea, Britain, and the United States hack one another in a relentless struggle for dominance. It moves deftly from underseas cable taps to underground nuclear sabotage, from blackouts and data breaches to election interference and billion-dollar heists. Ben Buchanan brings to life this continuous cycle of espionage and deception, attack and counterattack, destabilization and retaliation. Quietly, insidiously, cyberhacks have reshaped our national-security priorities and transformed spycraft and statecraft.

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Reviews

The Hacker and the State is one of the finest books on information security published so far in this century—easily accessible, tightly argued, superbly well-sourced, intimidatingly perceptive. -- Thomas Rid, author of <i>Active Measures</i> This is a great book and the best examination I have read of how increasingly dramatic developments in cyberspace are defining the ‘new normal’ of geopolitics in the digital age. No book I've read does a better job of describing what has transpired in recent years as state and non-state actors have developed ever more diabolically powerful and clever cyber capabilities. Ben Buchanan makes it clear that the future lies not just in Asia, but also in cyberspace, and he captures the dynamics of all of this truly brilliantly. -- General David Petraeus, former Director of the CIA and Commander of Coalition Forces in Iraq and Afghanistan A helpful reminder…of the sheer diligence and seriousness of purpose exhibited by the Russians in their mission…Information warfare is designed to bamboozle, but its digital variant can be especially baffling to the nonspecialist. -- Jonathan Freedland * New York Review of Books * A substantial and measured history of cyberattacks in recent decades…Despite the growing ubiquity of cyberattacks, Buchanan also highlights their limits as a means of coercion or as a way of sending a message. -- Lawrence D. Freedman * Foreign Affairs * Demonstrates how this field has evolved from espionage operations and a field dominated by the United States to cyber-attacks that have broader implications for economies and societies…An excellent primer for understanding how cyber operations have become an indelible part of global relations and ably demonstrates how hacking has ‘earned its place in the playbook of statecraft.’ -- Angus Parker * Geographical * With an academic’s eye, Buchanan compares and contrasts the emerging tactics [of digital competition] with the traditional ways of military conflict, nuclear competition, and espionage to make some sense of the new age. The book dissects how governments use cyberattacks to fundamentally ‘change the state of play.’ -- Patrick Howell O'Neill * MIT Technology Review * Probes deep into cyber security, the truths and myths about cyber security, and how society, corporations, and individuals pay particularly close attention to it in today’s everchanging world…Allows the reader to understand the real geopolitical competition of the digital age as it applies to business and government agencies. -- Kevin Cassidy * Criminal Law and Criminal Justice Books * If you believe that cyber attacks are now critical to understand today’s International Relations, stop doing everything you are doing and start reading Ben Buchanan’s new book…Makes clear how we need to pay attention to the distinctiveness of cyber attacks and the strategic logics behind them…An incredibly informed examination of the cyber attacks that have taken place in recent decades. -- Antonio Calcara * E-International Relations * Buchanan is well-placed to detail the history and evolution of this new and oft-misunderstood form of warfare…This book argues that states must learn to read the signaling implied by a cyber-attack, in the same way that they would a military exercise along their border. -- Lewis Tallon * Encyclopedia Geopolitica * Provides a reliable summary and deep analysis of a novel force bound to shape world affairs. -- Walter Clemens * New York Journal of Books * This is a must-read book. Factual and perceptive, it reveals important truths about cyberthreats and the role they play in international relations. -- Vint Cerf, Internet pioneer This is a gripping book about today’s cyber threat landscape. Through riveting stories of move and counter-move among global adversaries, Buchanan explains why we are in a constant state of cyber conflict—where the stakes couldn’t be higher. From China’s attacks on our companies to Russia’s attacks on our elections, The Hacker and the State is indispensable reading for anyone who cares about our security, our prosperity, and our democracy. -- Lisa Monaco, former White House Homeland Security and Counterterrorism Advisor and Deputy National Security Advisor More than any other book, The Hacker and the State shows how and why governments hack one another. Having lived and worked in this shadowy world for many years, I came to appreciate its fascinating nuances, fierce competition, and strategic significance. If you read this book, you will, too. Buchanan shares digital spy stories and distills geopolitical insights that you just won’t find anywhere else. Remarkably, he has made his detailed insight accessible to a non-technical audience without any loss of fidelity in the underlying narrative. -- Former senior intelligence officer, UK government The Hacker and the State fundamentally changes the way we think about cyber operations from ‘war’ to something of significant import that is not war—what Buchanan refers to as ‘real geopolitical competition.’ He writes in a highly accessible manner, with in-depth stories that will engage the non-specialist. -- Richard Harknett, former Scholar-in-Residence at United States Cyber Command A great read, packed with insider information and great stories. But the book also makes an important argument about how cyberattacks are transforming the geopolitical playing field, changing our defense priorities and forcing us to rewrite our national security policies. -- Bruce Schneier, author of <i>Click Here to Kill Everybody: Security and Survival in a Hyper-connected World</i> Highly intelligent, important, and timely. Buchanan’s chronology of cases, from early espionage to devastating operations like NotPetya, makes for a great read. -- Joseph Nye, author of <i>Do Morals Matter?</i>

The Hacker and the State is one of the finest books on information security published so far in this century-easily accessible, tightly argued, superbly well-sourced, intimidatingly perceptive. -- Thomas Rid, author of <i>Active Measures</i> This is a great book and the best examination I have read of how increasingly dramatic developments in cyberspace are defining the 'new normal' of geopolitics in the digital age. No book I've read does a better job of describing what has transpired in recent years as state and non-state actors have developed ever more diabolically powerful and clever cyber capabilities. Ben Buchanan makes it clear that the future lies not just in Asia, but also in cyberspace, and he captures the dynamics of all of this truly brilliantly. -- General David Petraeus, former Director of the CIA and Commander of Coalition Forces in Iraq and Afghanistan A helpful reminder...of the sheer diligence and seriousness of purpose exhibited by the Russians in their mission...Information warfare is designed to bamboozle, but its digital variant can be especially baffling to the nonspecialist. -- Jonathan Freedland * New York Review of Books * A substantial and measured history of cyberattacks in recent decades...Despite the growing ubiquity of cyberattacks, Buchanan also highlights their limits as a means of coercion or as a way of sending a message. -- Lawrence D. Freedman * Foreign Affairs * Demonstrates how this field has evolved from espionage operations and a field dominated by the United States to cyber-attacks that have broader implications for economies and societies...An excellent primer for understanding how cyber operations have become an indelible part of global relations and ably demonstrates how hacking has 'earned its place in the playbook of statecraft.' -- Angus Parker * Geographical * With an academic's eye, Buchanan compares and contrasts the emerging tactics [of digital competition] with the traditional ways of military conflict, nuclear competition, and espionage to make some sense of the new age. The book dissects how governments use cyberattacks to fundamentally 'change the state of play.' -- Patrick Howell O'Neill * MIT Technology Review * Probes deep into cyber security, the truths and myths about cyber security, and how society, corporations, and individuals pay particularly close attention to it in today's everchanging world...Allows the reader to understand the real geopolitical competition of the digital age as it applies to business and government agencies. -- Kevin Cassidy * Criminal Law and Criminal Justice Books * If you believe that cyber attacks are now critical to understand today's International Relations, stop doing everything you are doing and start reading Ben Buchanan's new book...Makes clear how we need to pay attention to the distinctiveness of cyber attacks and the strategic logics behind them...An incredibly informed examination of the cyber attacks that have taken place in recent decades. -- Antonio Calcara * E-International Relations * Buchanan is well-placed to detail the history and evolution of this new and oft-misunderstood form of warfare...This book argues that states must learn to read the signaling implied by a cyber-attack, in the same way that they would a military exercise along their border. -- Lewis Tallon * Encyclopedia Geopolitica * Provides a reliable summary and deep analysis of a novel force bound to shape world affairs. -- Walter Clemens * New York Journal of Books * This is a must-read book. Factual and perceptive, it reveals important truths about cyberthreats and the role they play in international relations. -- Vint Cerf, Internet pioneer This is a gripping book about today's cyber threat landscape. Through riveting stories of move and counter-move among global adversaries, Buchanan explains why we are in a constant state of cyber conflict-where the stakes couldn't be higher. From China's attacks on our companies to Russia's attacks on our elections, The Hacker and the State is indispensable reading for anyone who cares about our security, our prosperity, and our democracy. -- Lisa Monaco, former White House Homeland Security and Counterterrorism Advisor and Deputy National Security Advisor More than any other book, The Hacker and the State shows how and why governments hack one another. Having lived and worked in this shadowy world for many years, I came to appreciate its fascinating nuances, fierce competition, and strategic significance. If you read this book, you will, too. Buchanan shares digital spy stories and distills geopolitical insights that you just won't find anywhere else. Remarkably, he has made his detailed insight accessible to a non-technical audience without any loss of fidelity in the underlying narrative. -- Former senior intelligence officer, UK government The Hacker and the State fundamentally changes the way we think about cyber operations from 'war' to something of significant import that is not war-what Buchanan refers to as 'real geopolitical competition.' He writes in a highly accessible manner, with in-depth stories that will engage the non-specialist. -- Richard Harknett, former Scholar-in-Residence at United States Cyber Command A great read, packed with insider information and great stories. But the book also makes an important argument about how cyberattacks are transforming the geopolitical playing field, changing our defense priorities and forcing us to rewrite our national security policies. -- Bruce Schneier, author of <i>Click Here to Kill Everybody: Security and Survival in a Hyper-connected World</i> Highly intelligent, important, and timely. Buchanan's chronology of cases, from early espionage to devastating operations like NotPetya, makes for a great read. -- Joseph Nye, author of <i>Do Morals Matter?</i>

Author Information

Ben Buchanan teaches at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, where he is a Senior Faculty Fellow at the Center for Security and Emerging Technology. He is the author of The Cybersecurity Dilemma and a regular contributor to the websites Lawfare and War on the Rocks. He was previously a fellow at Harvard University’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs.

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