A thriller-type story, albeit one that happens in the real world, this book is about those parts of the Internet filled with people trying to exploit it--all you need is a computer and Internet access. Just the fact that any residential modem is bombarded with possible attacks from all over the world on a continuous basis is proof that individuals or state actors are constantly trying to exploit it. In these cases, a home router/firewall is often thwarting the attacks.

The book starts with state-to-state cyberwarfare with Russia and Ukraine. There are many agencies--some of them are the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the White House, US research laboratories, and Air Force bases--and their interrelations are explored. The international angles of countries like the US, Israel, Iran, and Iraq, including the depth of the cyberwar that takes place among countries, is mind-boggling. The origin and detailed operations behind Stuxnet are explored in great detail.

A significant portion of the book is also devoted to Edward Snowden, WikiLeaks, and the National Security Agency (NSA) and how the whole saga unfolded. Post-Snowden security measures are also covered in detail. The book weaves many different episodes together that are not always related to each other. After the Snowden episode, for example, the author discusses North Korea. The intent of the book, however, is not to have a single story but to weave together common themes to demonstrate that cybersecurity is the perfect weapon of modern times.

The author, a New York Times journalist, has perfect sources at many places, whether it is the government or Silicon Valley. Sanger’s extensive set of sources and interviews has led to this unfolding of stories. An awareness of behind-the-scenes happenings is crucial to protecting nation states, and corporate companies have a big part to play as well.

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