Ransom War

Description

This timely book explores the alarming rise of ransomware: malicious software blocking users from their systems or data, until they’ve paid money to regain access or to prevent the release of sensitive information. High-profile British examples of the twenty-first century have targeted national libraries and hospital trusts; in the US, hackers of Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley Health Network held patient data hostage—when their demands went unmet, they published topless photographs of women with breast cancer.

The issue presents formidable challenges and costs for businesses, national security and, as the Pennsylvania case showed, individuals—often society’s most vulnerable. But we can watch and learn from cyber extortionists, leaving us better prepared for next time. In 2022, a series of devastating ransomware attacks prompted Costa Rica’s President to declare a national emergency, describing a ‘state of war’. This episode had much to tell us about how these networks arise, operate, organise—and collapse.

Max Smeets’ landmark study demystifies the ransomware playbook, from funding to networking. Through one of the largest ransomware operations on record, he reveals how this challenge has evolved, how it differs in substance and style from traditional cyber/hacking threats, and how to combat it.

Reviews

‘Written with clarity and insight, Ransom War dispels media-fuelled myths about ransomware groups, offering a clear-eyed and persuasive sociological analysis of how these entities actually operate—from their technical logistics to their branding strategies. Far from being disorganised criminals, these operators thrive through ever-more sophisticated communication strategies and meticulous reputation management.’ — Gabriella Coleman, Professor of Anthropology, Harvard University, and author of Hacker, Hoaxer, Whistleblower, Spy

‘Ransom War is an invaluable source for understanding the evolution and scope of the ransomware threat and making sense of the many players and their tactics. Smeets has done an excellent job of mapping this complex criminal ecosystem and creating a framework to aid further analysis.’ — Kim Zetter, author of Countdown to Zero Day: Stuxnet and the Launch of the World’s First Digital Weapon

Author(s)

Max Smeets DPhil is a leading expert in cyber conflict and security, who has written on cyber strategy for The Washington Post, War on the Rocks, Slate and others. He holds research positions at ETH Zurich, the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) and Stanford University’s Center for International Security and Cooperation. Max is the author of Ransom War: How Cyber Crime Became a Threat to National Security and No Shortcuts: Why States Struggle to Develop a Military Cyber Force (both published by Hurst), and the co-editor of Deter, Disrupt, or Deceive and Cyberspace and Instability. He also co-directs Virtual Routes, and serves as Managing Editor of Binding Hook.