Sandworm: A New Era of Cyberwar and the Hunt for the Kremlin's Most Dangerous Hackers

Sandworm by Andy Greenberg sounds like some mythical creature from some Science-Fiction novel, and in fact, it is. Sandworm is the name of a Russian super-hacker team (supposedly, the cyber military Unit 74455 in Russia's GRU) which wreaked havoc in Ukraine in 2015 and 2017, interfered in the French presidential election in 2017, and unleashed a cyberattack on the 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony. But Sandworm is also a mythical creature from Frank Herbert's 1965 science fiction novel Dune. Through Andy Greenberg's amazing narrative in the book Sandworm we are put on the trail of this team of Russian cyber military super-hackers. Greenberg details the cyber military team's exploits throughout their short history as well as the Malware experts who are chasing every lead in order to understand the group's motives and next targets. It is through Greenberg's narrative where we see the pieces fall together in understanding what and who Sandworm really is. One key part is where INSight's technical analyst Drew Robinson begins to find references to Dune in the malware used by the cyber military group. This is where the name Sandworm comes from. What I liked about Andy Greenberg's Sandworm: - the book lays out the history and investigative trail of the Russian super-hacker group in a well-formed narrative instead of a boring objective, analytical essay - the book provides a lot of genuine context surrounding the group and where their motives may lie - the book provides technical details where you can actually understand how the group did what they did, rather than relying on simple metaphors like 'logic bombs' - the book details the group's evolution from using simple malware in order to disrupt Ukraine's electrical grid in 2015 to them utilising multiple zero-days and NSA tools in order to cause worldwide havoc in the 2017 NotPetya Ransomware Outbreak. What I didn't like about Andy Greenberg's Sandworm: - In some parts, the book went on a few different tangents that increase the word count unnecessarily - There was no strong conclusion but instead a lot of mysteries still to be dealt with Overall: 5 out of 5 stars Recommendations: - I would recommend it to people more interested in cyberwar and its evolution in the Russian and Ukrainian context - The narrative structure of the book was well written which made the less interesting parts of cyberwar more exciting and more enjoyable to read Full book review at flyintobooks.com

Great read about recent worms, read the book for the history, not if you look for indepth technical knowledge. Pages went like icecream during a sunny summerday!

This book is full of detailed stories about hacking software that few people know about, understand or grasp the mind bending possibilities for harm that they present. It's a disturbing tale but a criticaly important one. My only issue is that he belabors the tracking of Sandworm way too much, and some of the nasty malware attacks that he documents start to to feel like deja vu all over again. But I'm glad (in a peverse way) that I read it. The future looks darker, however, with this knowledge.

Dive into a gripping cyber-espionage thriller unlike any other! Sandworm by Andy Greenberg isn't your typical dusty textbook. It's a nail-biting detective story that drags you into the dark world of cyberwarfare. Greenberg's masterful writing makes complex technical details fascinating, weaving a narrative that's both terrifying and strangely thrilling. You'll meet the infamous Sandworm, a group of Russian hackers wreaking havoc on a global scale. Their targets? Critical infrastructure, from power grids to hospitals. The book becomes a race against time as cybersecurity specialists hunt down these digital phantoms. Greenberg masterfully portrays the human cost of these attacks, reminding us that cyberwar isn't just about code – it's about real lives. If you're fascinated by technology or crave a good old-fashioned detective story, Sandworm is a must-read. It's the true story and wake-up call to the invisible threats lurking in the digital age, but more importantly, it's a testament to the brilliant minds working tirelessly to protect us.

The book reads like a detective novel, though it's nonfiction, and edifying. It'll get you up to speed on cyber-snooping and cyberwarfare. Make no mistake; we are engaged in a cyber jousting with other state-sponsored hackers. This book covers mainly Russian cyber-spies and cyber-warriors, but China hacks our data, though China isn't engaging in cyberwarfare to the extent Russia is. Even North Korea hacks data in the U. S., as evidenced by its stealing and publicizing Sony's unreleased movies and personal information on its employees. In 2007 Russia launched a cyberattack on Estonia, essentially putting that country off-line. Two years later our own NSA used Stuxnet to overspeed Iran's nuclear-enrichment centrifuges, destroying many of them. Russia, in 2008, cyberattacked its neighbor Georgia, with which it had a dispute. Georgia's government and media were "pummeled.." Thus did tbe cyberwars start to play out. It crescendoed in 2017 when Russia set NotPetra on the world, the most devastating and costly malware in history. Parmaceutical giant Merck couldn't make certain vaccines, among other temporary lost abilities to get drugs to market. Shipping powerhouse Maersk had its cargo ships rendered inactive as tens of thousands of semis loaded with hundreds of thousands of tons of cargo for export couldn't get these eighteen-wheelers unloaded. Maersk lost tens of millions of dollars in revenues. Cyberattacks on Ukraine disrupted mass transit, crippled some airports, hospitals, the postal service. Blackouts were part of the attack. This all was attributed to Kremlin-backed hackers who were collectively given the name Sandworm . I like the way the author discusses the people he met and interviewed, giving us insight into who they are and how the dealt with the cyberwarfare in the countries. He had to use interpreters at times for Russian, Ukrainian and Korean. He did lots of research, and not just at his computer desk. The cyberattacks can just involve snooping. Or data theft, whether personal or technical , whether for political or commercial or military use. It could be simply a denial-of-service attack, which is mainly just inconvenient. Or it could involve a kinetic attack, that could physically destroy power plants, for instance. Very serious stuff.

This is the story of the hackers behind the NotPetya attack of 2017, who also turned off the power to Ukraine not once but twice and while it reads like a spy novel the stories are 100% true. It’s a deep and at times uncomfortable view at modern life, how dependent we’ve become on technology and how fragile the infrastructure which supports it truly is. I was impressed by how comprehensive Andy’s research is; I too work in cyber security and I learned a lot from his work. His writing style is addictive; I couldn’t put this book down, and I highly recommend it to both industry professionals and newcomers alike. Or, for some of us, we’ll be giving this out at Christmas so our family members finally understand why we work the jobs we do and the real world danger the Internet has brought to our lives. This is the best book I’ve read since Countdown to Zeroday, hands down. The capabilities Andy describes in this book should be a wake up call to anyone working in information security, infrastructure, transportation or any field where computer systems perform mission critical tasks. Stuxnet was the first cyber weapon, but BlackEnergy brought the danger to our doorsteps. Technology has leveled some aspects of warfare and capabilities once only the domain of superpowers can now be brought to bear by little more than a computer & Internet connection.

A must read for anyone following cyberwar and the cyber arms race. Although there is much "desk work", the bulk of the research is original, and based on a number of interviews, many in Ukraine. It attributes many cyber attacks to Russia's military intelligence, but notes there is no proof, except circumstantial. (The "attribution problem") Some of the political commentary is boorish in a few places and for some may detract from the brilliant research behind the work. The author brings up crucial questions regarding the cyber arms race, proliferation, and the emergence of international norms of behavior for nation states in cyberspace. If you want to know what happened after Stuxnet, this is the book to read.

This extended narrative, based on extensive research and the direct personal experience of the author, taught me a great deal about the power of computer hacking, and further confirmed my opinion that "Internet Security" is an oxymoron. (This doesn't mean you shouldn't protect yourself, or retaliate if possible and appropriate). I learned a great deal about Russia and her direct eastern neighbors, the "anti-hacking" industry and its government counterparts, and the weak links in the system, all of which provided me much needed clarification concerning the complexity of cyberwars in relation to the ongoing Ukrainian and US Political crises. There appears to be a growing need for diplomatic solutions to inter-nation differences, wherever possible, to quell the ongoing cyber arms race targeting infrastructure. (Not, "Peace in our time," solutions, I hasten to say). Highly enjoyable and unsettling reading. Kevin Thomas Morgan

Das Buch ist ein eindrucksvolles und zugleich erschreckendes Porträt der Cyberwelt. Es zeigt schonungslos, wie weitreichend und komplex die Gefahren und Entwicklungen in der digitalen Welt sind. Besonders gelungen ist die klare und gut strukturierte Darstellung – das Buch ist spannend und zugleich sehr gut geschrieben. Wer sich für aktuelle Themen rund um Cybersecurity interessiert, wird dieses Werk kaum aus der Hand legen können.

This is an excellent account of the cyberattacks targeting utility companies and grids starting in Eastern Europe (specifically Ukraine) then migrating West. The mysterious group of hackers known as Sandworm being the ones responsible. It is through their exploits and the well researched and told story that is this novel that you can open your eyes to the possibilities of the damage that can be done in this digital world. If you are in to cyber-security or just plain looking for a good, real-world, thriller I would definitely recommend reading this book. You will be made aware of how truly vulnerable we are. 5 stars well earned!

Sono venuto a conoscenza di questo libro perché di recente mi sto interessando di sicurezza informatica e ascoltando una puntata di Darknet Diaries incentrata sul devastante attacco hacker tramite il malware NotPetya (episodio 54 "NotPetya" del podcast) mi sono incuriosito su questa storia, desideroso di capirne di più e scendere più in dettaglio. Quello che mi ha shockato maggiormente è che questo libro narra fatti reali che ti lasciano a bocca a aperta perché sembra un thriller ma poi realizzi che quanto narrato è reale.. rimani a bocca aperta perché sembra impossibile che riescano a fare attacchi devastanti ad infrastrutture fisiche mandando nel caos intere nazioni, penetrando in reti informatiche indisturbati, rimanendo collegati a spiare per mesi o anni finché non arriva il momento di rilasciare qualche malware devastante.. l'altra cosa che mi ha lasciato abbastanza a bocca aperta è che nonostante io sia appassionato di queste tematiche, mi sono in qualche modo perso questi grandi attacchi, i quali comunque non hanno mai ottenuto il posto di rilievo che meriterebbero su giornali e tg (per questioni di politica internazionale e guerre che si preferisce tenere in ombra). Il libro è in inglese ma è tutto sommato leggibile tranquillamente se si mastica un po' la lingua e non l'ho trovato mai noioso, quindi vi consiglio assolutamente di darci una letta. Se siete dubbiosi, ascoltate la puntata che ho indicato e vi convincerete a comprarlo ad occhi chiusi. Passo successivo, la lettura di The Fifth Domain - Defending Our Country, Our Companies, and Ourselves in the Age of Cyber Threats , ma credo sarà meno scorrevole di questo ottimo libro.

Dès que vous évoquez la Cybersécurité, ce livre est un « must read ». En effet, il l’est. C’est un travail titanesque de recherches, d’interviews de personnalités du monde Cyber et bien sur de récit. Arrivé à faire de cette histoire un quasi roman policier ou d’investigation est une véritable prouesse. Ce livre montre les capacités de nuisance de certains groupe étatiques de hackers et plus particulièrement les offensives agressives des services Russes.

Mostly a summary of book written by Nicole Perlroth