The Art of War for Computer Security

Book excerpt: In this book the author draws inspiration from Sun Tzu's Art of War, a work that explains conflict between nations, and he applies this to the computer security setting, examining how we should consider protecting information systems from accidents or malicious attacks. The author first briefly introduces Sun Tzu. Then each chapter in the book takes its inspiration from an original title in The Art of War, where the author offers a general introduction to the content and then describes its application in a cybersecurity setting. These chapters cover estimates; waging war; offensive strategy; how you prepare for an attack; energy; weaknesses and strengths; the variables that need consideration before embarking on a war; how infrastructure is related to the concept of ground; attack by fire or how skilled attackers hide behind noise; and employing secret agents. The book will be interesting for computer security researchers and professionals who would like some grounding in a security mindset.