Striking Back

The End of Peace in Cyberspace—and How to Restore It

By: Lucas Kello

Narrated by: Matthew Brenher

Faced with relentless technological aggression in the twenty-first century, how can Western nations fight back to protect national security and preserve international stability?

Before the cyber age, foreign interference in Western democratic politics played out in a comparatively narrow arena—limited to the realm of print and broadcast. The explosive expansion of cyberspace has radically altered this situation. The hacking activities of Russian military agents in the 2016 US presidential election and other major incidents demonstrate the magnitude of the contemporary problem and the sophistication of foreign adversaries’ offensive strategy. This is a struggle that the West is losing.

Lucas Kello delves into recent history to reveal the failures of present policy in preventing and punishing cyberattacks and other forms of technological aggression. Drawing upon case studies and interviews with decision-makers, Kello develops a bold new solution: a concentrated and coordinated retaliation strategy to deter further antagonism. This book provides an approachable yet nuanced exploration of national security challenges in an era of intense technological rivalry.

©2022 Lucas Kello (P)2022 Blackstone Publishing

Shouldn't even be a journal article

This could have been a journal article, albeit a not particularly good one. The book promises that "Kello develops a bold new solution: a concentrated and coordinated retaliation strategy to deter further antagonism." Nope. Lot of history on failures to respond adequately to cyber attacks. The audiobook was terrible; perhaps reading the written word would have been better, but not by much. This might be interesting to an academic, but I was disappointed.