It’s unusual to have a cyber-security expert talk about how his company was hacked.
Yet, that’s exactly what Scott Schober does in his new book entitled Hacked Again. It makes the book both brave and relatable. He doesn’t just know about the cyber-security business, he’s been a victim. He understands the upset and stress of waking up to find money missing from his bank account. By using his own victimization as a launching point, Schober walks you through the basics of various types of hacks and scams along with advice on how to protect yourself. The last few chapters of the book outline several famous corporate hacks and how they were handled. Again, this is mixed with good advice on what to do if you are a customer of a company who has been breached.
Hacked Again is easy to read and digest. Adept readers can read it in a day. Schober is not only knowledgeable; he makes complex concepts simple to understand. This ability to be relatable is essential, because cyber-security can be overwhelming especially to those who are not a ‘teckie’. This leads people to avoid the issue and then neglect to protect themselves. He aptly notes that this is something we all need to be concerned about – everyone is a potential victim. This is all the more reason to become informed and take action. By the time you finish this book, you’ll understand what people are talking about when you hear terms such as bitcoin, the dark web and Distributed Denial of Service (ddos) attacks. More importantly, you’ll have a good grasp of basic things you need to do to keep yourself and your business safe. There are some highlighted quick tips throughout the book and a glossary of terms at the end to help you keep on track. If you do what Schober says, there’s no doubt you’ll be less likely to be a victim of a cyber-attack.
The only disappointment with Hacked Again is the conclusion. The book is clearly for people unfamiliar with the risks inherent in all things cyber/digital/social. There’s great advice all through the book. I expected the conclusion to hit the high notes of how to protect yourself, so that readers could do a quick review. Instead, the conclusion is literally a half page and ends with Schober telling readers to stay safe. If you’re trying to remember what to do about a particular issue, you’ll have to scan back through the book to find it. This could be frustrating, particularly if the topic is new to you.
This book is perfect for novices who want to know how to protect themselves, but it is particularly great for small business owners. Reading Scott Schober is like talking to a trusted friend who wants to help you navigate the digital world safely. He explains things simply but without condescension. It’s like getting a run-down of the key issues over a cup of coffee. That ability to relate to readers who know the least (and therefore need to be informed the most) is the best feature of this book.
