Introduction to the 'Hacked World Order'

Cyber security and its appending concepts - among others cyber weapons and cyber space - is no more a new idea, but the ways in which to approach the conundrum it creates is still work in process.

The Hacked World Order by Adam Segal initiates a discussion about the various aspects involving the cyber security nowadays, which browses both the technical aspects and the diplomatic implications of the new realities. And, as usual in the case with the researches with a generalistic outreach, it doesn't offer enough insights into the specificities of any of the topics but at least outlines the main topics that can be eventually researched throughout later.

The cyber world of tomorrow may be guarded by a large coalition which involves both private and state actors, from the companies in Silicon Valley to the newly created state institutions in charge with such issues. The collaboration mechanisms and technical ways of control aren't settled yet and not necessarily in favor of the free trade of information (see the case of state-filtered Internet in China and most recently the complete blackout for a couple of days during the mass protests in Iran). But both state and private actors are both perpetrators and victims of cyber attacks and a smooth mechanism aimed at protecting the state and its individual citizens in terms of privacy and freedoms is unrealistic.

A cyber world based on trust is possible only in a global political system based on trust. Edward Snowden revelations regarding how the USA through the NSA is practically have the capacity of keeping under tight control everyone, regardless of the importance from the security point of view (although the real time capacity of processing those humongous amount data is highly problematic if not impossible) broke the fragile trust between old time allies. Coalitions of likeminded countries are possible, but trust doesn't operate as long there is the temptation of cheap and relatively risk-free information gathering. The new army of electronic spies has other rules and moves faster than, for instance protection system aimed to guarantee the human rights.

The Hacked World Order offers a couple of directions and concepts to follow further - for example how the cyber issues are integrated into the everyday flow of foreign relations and international treaties. Not all chapters are equal and some are just reproducing well-known cases such as the Stuxnet virus. The information used is solid although there are rarely clear conclusion regarding an issue or another. Maybe this is how the cyber world operates at the intellectual level.

Note: I've listened to the audio version of this book.

Rating: 4 stars