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    Countdown to Zero Day: Stuxnet and the Launch of the World's First Digital Weapon
    Unavailable
    Countdown to Zero Day: Stuxnet and the Launch of the World's First Digital Weapon
    Unavailable
    Countdown to Zero Day: Stuxnet and the Launch of the World's First Digital Weapon
    Audiobook13 hours

    Countdown to Zero Day: Stuxnet and the Launch of the World's First Digital Weapon

    Written by Kim Zetter

    Narrated by Joe Ochman

    4.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    Top cybersecurity journalist Kim Zetter tells the story behind the virus that sabotaged Iran's nuclear efforts and shows how its existence has ushered in a new age of warfare-one in which a digital attack can have the same destructive capability as a megaton bomb.

    In January 2010, inspectors with the International Atomic Energy Agency noticed that centrifuges at an Iranian uranium enrichment plant were failing at an unprecedented rate. The cause was a complete mystery-apparently as much to the technicians replacing the centrifuges as to the inspectors observing them.

    Then, five months later, a seemingly unrelated event occurred: A computer security firm in Belarus was called in to troubleshoot some computers in Iran that were crashing and rebooting repeatedly.

    At first, the firm's programmers believed the malicious code on the machines was a simple, routine piece of malware. But as they and other experts around the world investigated, they discovered a mysterious virus of unparalleled complexity.

    They had, they soon learned, stumbled upon the world's first digital weapon. For Stuxnet, as it came to be known, was unlike any other virus or worm built before: Rather than simply hijacking targeted computers or stealing information from them, it escaped the digital realm to wreak actual, physical destruction on a nuclear facility.

    In these pages, Wired journalist Kim Zetter draws on her extensive sources and expertise to tell the story behind Stuxnet's planning, execution, and discovery, covering its genesis in the corridors of Bush's White House and its unleashing on systems in Iran-and telling the spectacular, unlikely tale of the security geeks who managed to unravel a sabotage campaign years in the making.

    But Countdown to Zero Day ranges far beyond Stuxnet itself. Here, Zetter shows us how digital warfare developed in the US. She takes us inside today's flourishing zero-day "grey markets," in which intelligence agencies and militaries pay huge sums for the malicious code they need to carry out infiltrations and attacks. She reveals just how vulnerable many of our own critical systems are to Stuxnet-like strikes, from nation-state adversaries and anonymous hackers alike-and shows us just what might happen should our infrastructure be targeted by such an attack.

    Propelled by Zetter's unique knowledge and access, and filled with eye-opening explanations of the technologies involved, Countdown to Zero Day is a comprehensive and prescient portrait of a world at the edge of a new kind of war.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateNov 11, 2014
    ISBN9780804166201
    Unavailable
    Countdown to Zero Day: Stuxnet and the Launch of the World's First Digital Weapon
    Author

    Kim Zetter

    Kim Zetter is a journalist who has written extensively about issues related to Judaism and Israel for newspapers and magazines, including the Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, and Jerusalem Post. Her studies of the Kabbalah began more than ten years ago when she lived and worked in Israel among the Hassidic community. She currently lives in Berkeley, California.

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    Reviews for Countdown to Zero Day

    4.5/5

    76 ratings13 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Excellent resource on the Stuxnet malware and the political implications.
    • 4/5
      A few years back, a new computer virus showed up. It didn't seem to have any bad effects, but showed some rather curious delivery patterns and odd curiosities. Most computer security folks didn't pay much attention to it at the time, but a few individuals persisted in poking into it to try to find out where it came from and what it was supposed to do. It took a while, but eventually this work uncovered a very complex, very sophisticated weapon designed to target Iranian nuclear weapons development. And provided evidence of what is probably the first use of cyber warfare by one nation against another targeting real hardware instead of other computer systems.Zetter's "Countdown to Zero Day" is a pretty good, but not spectacular example of narrative nonfiction telling the story of the investigation into the Stuxnet virus while also giving a history of the unnerving story of Iranian nuclear weapons development and uranium enrichment through the 2000s to nearly today. The technical details are at a level appropriate for nonexperts, although those familiar with computer security may find the depth unfulfilling. Zetter's better at the discussions around the politics, diplomacy and interventions around the Iranian situation, and those parts of the book are both fascinating and a little scary. All in all, a good book about an interesting topic. Fair warning, the first few chapters drag a bit, but those who push through will be rewarded.
    • 4/5
      Nice read...includes all the technical details that give the backstory and combines this with the real-world drama in a way that is entertaining and informative. Recommended for those that like non-fiction history.
    • 2/5
      I really thought this book had a lot of potential and I was looking for something different than what I normally read. However, the writing was so dry that I had trouble staying focused on the book. It also didn't really seem believable the way it was presented. It needs a more dynamic approach to capture the attention of the reader.
    • 4/5
      Countdown to Zero is an interesting look at the Stuxnet and Duqu attacks that were targeted at the Iranian nuclear programs between 2007 and 2012. The book is exceptional when the author is dealing with the details of the malware attacks: how they were discovered, how the technical teams from various research and antivirus companies pulled the attacks apart. Other parts, dealing with some of the background politics, is less gripping and, particularly in the last chapter, I found myself skipping ahead. For anyone - like me - who only recalled vague references to these attacks, it is an excellent overview of the lead up to using highly-targeted cyber warfare attacks on industrial control units. The author tells a compelling story and it's easy to imagine other nation-states (or those who wish to be) and criminals using similar approaches in the future.
    • 4/5
      The book tells the story and background of Stuxnet, a cyber tool created to target the systems used in the uranium enrichment plants in Iran. It does a good job explains some of the technical aspects of cyber offense and malaware. It also mentions some technical aspects of uranium enrichment, though it falls short of explaining details in that I understood some of the details due to some college courses. At times the book gets a little tangential exploring the lives and background of people involved which was a nice break from technical aspects, however some of the diversions were lengthy to the point of disrupting the flow of the main story. Towards the last few chapters as the book addressed hypothetical concerns it became a rather repetitive read addressing concerns that were mentioned earlier in the book. It is an overall good exploration of the implications and use of cyber resources. It lacks in some polish and appeal for the reader that does not have a more technical knowledge.
    • 4/5
      I requested this book through the Early Reviewers thinking it was fiction. It was my fault I didn't read the full description. I just seen something about computer virus and hit the request button. It turned out to be the true account of Stuxnet, the first digital weapon. From its discovery, to its mysteries being unraveled the story of Stuxnet is fascinating. It was designed to infect specific machines and had the opportunity to infect many more but didn't. It would only unpack its payload if certain criteria were met. Overall the book was very good. A lot of detail which is great. The only downside and the reason I didn't give it five stars was how long it took me to read it, which in all honesty wasn't the book's fault.
    • 4/5
      The US military has recognized a 5th realm of combat after land, sea, air and space: digital. Stuxnet is the world's first "kinetic" digital weapon created by a nation state to attack another. It is the opening salvo of a wild world of warfare in which countries everywhere are currently arming up acquiring digital weapons and exploits. This excellent book is the right balance of technical and general. It helps to have some background in computers because the topic is by nature complex and it's a long book. It's not sensationalize but also is very clear that we have entered a new era of warfare the likes of which has never before been seen. Most are unaware of what is happening, rather focused on personal privacy issues with the NSA. Nation states have huge budgets to build digital weapons that far surpass lone hackers. There are teams of experienced experts creating NASA-scale projects to destroy enemy targets - anything controlled by a computer: dams, airplanes, electric grids, hospitals, etc.. everything that matters in industrialized countries. It remains unknown how real this type of war becomes, but Stuxnet has already happened and is a historic moment in warfare.
    • 3/5
      Stuxnet was a computer virus that attacked Iran's nuclear centrifuges around 2005. Kim Zetter orginally broke this story for Wired magazine and in this book she expands her narrative to present a more complete picture. Zetter frequently moves back and forth between technical details of Stuxnet and related viruses and to the people and decisions that made the process happen. This can be difficult to achieve but Zetter does an excellent job of covering technical details without losing sight of the story. She maintains a strong narrative up until the last few chapters of the book where speculation on future directions of cyber warfare drag on seemingly endlessly. Still, the book is an excellent introduction to Stuxnet and a good overview of the changing battleground in the digital age.
    • 5/5
      Future war has already begun. In 2010, a Belarus antivirus company stumbled upon the most sophisticated computer virus ever found. Dubbed "Stuxnet," the Belarus didn't have the expertise to reverse-engineer this bug, which was causing performance issues on a client's PCs. Calling in the big guns at Symantec, unravelling the mystery of Stuxnet became an obsession, not just at Symantec but other antivirus companies around the world. What they found was a very prolific yet very targeted bug that looked for very specific Seimens software installed on the target PC. The software operated centrifuges used in the uranium refining process. One country in particular was using these devices in a clandestine refining project -- Iran. International regulators verified that Iran was experiencing an extraordinary failure rate with these centrifuges.Author Kim Zetter takes us through the discovery and reverse-engineering of the virus, along with the trials and tribulations that are known regarding the Iranian nuclear program. The author also provides a rich history in the booming underground field of software exploits -- and how governments, especially ours, are "hoarding" these vulnerabilities and in this case was used to launch an attack against another sovereign nation. Zetter also ponders what sort of "Pandora's Box" has been opened -- we've now tacitly approved this kind of clandestine operation. Nobody was killed as a result of the virus attacks (some Iranian nuclear scientists were assassinated using conventional means), but one can envision attacks against, say, our water supply that can result in large numbers of casualties. What's more, these attacks don't require the resources of a government, but could be done using the twisted mind of a demented but skilled teenager. Stock markets could be targeted, corporate espionage could change the nature of business, or public works could directly endanger the lives of millions. Stuxnet showed us a glimpse of what is possible....and these attacks are not predictable or preventable until it's too late.
    • 5/5
      We were in a cyber war with Iran. Kim Zetter unravels the story of Stuxnet, the US computer attack on Iran's nuclear program in Countdown to Zero Day.A few months ago, I read A Time to Attack: The Looming Iranian Nuclear Threat urging a US military attack on Iran. That book highlighted how Iran had been building a nuclear program for several years. That included several years of centrifuges spinning to extract enriched uranium.It has taken so long to extract uranium because, according to Zetter, the United States has been running a sophisticated attack on the computer systems that run those centrifuges. The United States and Israel planted sophisticated tools on those computers designed to alter the speeds of the centrifuges and the flow of gas into and out of them.We have entered an age where warfare can been broken into digital attacks and kinetic attacks. Computer geeks and fighter jocks can both engage with the enemy. Stuxnet was a replacement for dropping bombs on the enrichment facilities.Zero day refers to an attack using a previously unknown computer security vulnerability. One attack detailed in Countdown to Zero Day used a "god-mode exploit" that was even more potent. For anyone involved in cybersecurity, the book may make you want to curl up in a ball and hide in the corner.The book is well-written and well-researched. It's always great to grab a book like this that is enjoyable to read and able to explain complicated situations.The publisher kindly sent me an advance reader copy of the book in hopes of me writing a review. Countdown to Zero Day goes on sale on November 11.
    • 5/5
      An excellent book that covers Stuxnet, Duqu and Flame, but also something of the geopolitical intrigue surrounding them. It's intelligently written and, for a popular book, very well referenced. The only negative is that I would have preferred the three parts of the story (discovery, design and effect) to be weaved together rather than separated out.
    • 4/5
      This is a very informative book. Countdown to Zero Day: Stuxnet and the Launch of the World's First Digital Weapon tells how stuxnet it was found by tech-support technicians at VirusBlokAda. At VirusBlokAda it was mainly O'Murchu and Chien that took apart Stuxnet in reverse to see what this virus/worm was made to do. They found it was only to attack specific computers and for what I think was a good reason. The book also discusses in great detail Iran's nuclear program. As we all know they are non-compliant with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), The foreign ministers from France, Germany and the UK (EU3), also the U.S.A. and many other places such as Israel, Egypt also Saudi Arabia. You will learn in great detail about transforming one type of nuclear matter into another. I came away from this book not only learning what kinds of virus's exist but how they work. The fact that if you have enough money you can buy any type of virus, worm, etc. due to the fact that there are actual businesses that exist that look for exploits in all computer programs and sell them. I found that amazing. Stuxnet showed everyone how dangerous Iran's nuclear program was to the whole world. But this is just a tip of the iceberg of what the book is truly about. The book has great footnotes throughout that lists the writers sources and explains information that would otherwise make it a thousand page book. You will find that the footnotes are worth reading! I think this book would be a good read for people interested in computers, nuclear programs and Iran.

      "I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review."