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Countdown to Zero Day

Stuxnet and the Launch of the World's First Digital Weapon

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A top cybersecurity journalist 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.

“Immensely enjoyable . . . Zetter turns a complicated and technical cyber story into an engrossing whodunit.”—The Washington Post

The virus now known as Stuxnet was unlike any other piece of malware built before: Rather than simply hijacking targeted computers or stealing information from them, it proved that a piece of code could escape the digital realm and wreak actual, physical destruction—in this case, on an Iranian nuclear facility.

In these pages, journalist Kim Zetter tells the whole story behind the world’s first cyberweapon, covering its genesis in the corridors of the White House and its effects in Iran—and telling the spectacular, unlikely tale of the security geeks who managed to unravel a top secret sabotage campaign years in the making.

But Countdown to Zero Day also ranges beyond Stuxnet itself, exploring the history of cyberwarfare and its future, showing us what might happen should our infrastructure be targeted by a Stuxnet-style attack, and ultimately, providing a portrait of a world at the edge of a new kind of war.
Freedom & Security History History & Culture Military Politics & Government Security & Encryption Weapons & Warfare Espionage National Security Technology War Cyber Warfare Computer Security Hacking Cyberattack Cybersecurity Thought-Provoking Middle East Iran

Critic reviews

“An authoritative account of Stuxnet’s spread and discovery . . . [delivers] a sobering message about the vulnerability of the systems—train lines, water-treatment plants, electricity grids—that make modern life possible.”Economist

“Exhaustively researched . . . Zetter gives a full account of this ‘hack of the century,’ as the operation has been called, [but] the book goes well beyond its ostensible subject to offer a hair-raising introduction to the age of cyber warfare.”The Wall Street Journal

“Part detective story, part scary-brilliant treatise on the future of warfare . . . an ambitious, comprehensive, and engrossing book that should be required reading for anyone who cares about the threats that America—and the world—are sure to be facing over the coming years.”—Kevin Mitnick, New York Times bestselling author of Ghost in the Wires and The Art of Intrusion

“Unpacks this complex issue with the panache of a spy thriller . . . even readers who can’t tell a PLC from an iPad will learn much from Zetter’s accessible, expertly crafted account.”Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“A true techno-whodunit [that] offers a sharp account of past mischief and a glimpse of things to come . . . Zetter writes lucidly about mind-numbingly technical matters, reveling in the geekery of malware and espionage, and she takes the narrative down some dark electronic corridors. . . . Governments, hackers and parties unknown are launching ticking computer time bombs every day, all coming to a laptop near you.”Kirkus Reviews

“An exciting and readable story of the world's first cyberweapon. Zetter not only explains the weapon and chronicles its discovery, but explains the motives and mechanics behind the attack—and makes a powerful argument why this story matters.”—Bruce Schneier, author of Secrets and Lies and Schneier on Security
All stars
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Countdown to Zero Day explores so much more of the fascinating world of cyber warfare than I was expecting.

The story of Stuxnet forms the backbone of the story, but this book sheds light on both the technical details and politics surrounding it.

I couldn’t stop listening!

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Very interesting, a good listen.
I already knew about the whole stuxnet incident but this went in to a lot more detail than what I had already heard.

Worth a listen

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great for learning about cyber state warfare, this give insight to how things begin

USA vs Iran

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I really enjoyed how detailed the author described the events around the mystery of Stuxnet, how it was thought, planned, created, developed and released and all its legal, ethical and technological ramifications.

Totally worth to listen. The Stuxnet release happened a decade ago. It is important to understand what’s coming and what we should expect in the future.

Amazing recollection and scary at the same time!

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Enjoyable story and well read. In some places it can be repetitive. Enjoyed the performance of Joe and kept it interesting. Learned lots about the virus I never knew about and also cleared up some misconceptions I had about the virus.

Enjoyable story and well read

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