Book Review: Zero Day: A Novel by Mark Russinovich

Zero Day: A Novel
by Mark Russinovich
Hardcover: 336 pages
Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books (March 15, 2011)
Genre: cyber terrorism thriller
Source: Phenix Publicity review cooy
Objective rating: 3.5/5

Goodreads book description: An insidious cyber-terrorist attack threatens to destroy the Western World in this debut by a leading expert on cybersecurity .
 
Over the Atlantic, an airliner’s controls suddenly stop reacting. In Japan, an oil tanker runs aground when its navigational system fails. And in the Midwest, a nuclear power plant nearly becomes the next Chernobyl.

At first, these computer failures seem unrelated. But Jeff Aiken, a former government analyst who saw the mistakes made before 9/11, fears that there may be a more serious attack coming. And he soon realizes that there isn’t much time if he hopes to stop an international disaster.

Zero Day presents a chilling “what if” scenario written in the vein of Richard A. Clarke and Daniel Suarez.

Comments: You can tell that Russinovich knows about computer security and security risks, from his detailed descriptions of things that could go wrong if hackers were to do the ultimate damage to computer programs and systems. It is chilling if you imagine it as something even remotely possible. The book seems to be a warning that cyber terrorism could be a real risk, in the ultimate sense, if it endangered transportation, energy sources, economic and business data, and even production of goods.

Those interested in computer systems and computer security will find this book interesting and informative. The average reader may find its technicality somewhat challenging.