The Art of Cyberwarfare

An Investigator's Guide to Espionage, Ransomware, and Organized Cybercrime

by Jon DiMaggio

March 2022, 272 pp.

ISBN-13:

9781718502147

Download Chapter 2: STATE-SPONSORED FINANCIAL ATTACKS

Look Inside!

Cyber attacks are no longer the domain of petty criminals. Today, companies find themselves targeted by sophisticated nation state attackers armed with the resources to craft scarily effective campaigns. This book is a detailed guide to understanding the major players in these cyber wars, the techniques they use, and the process of analyzing their advanced attacks. Whether you’re an individual researcher or part of a team within a Security Operations Center (SoC), you’ll learn to approach, track, and attribute attacks to these advanced actors. The first part of the book is an overview of actual cyber attacks conducted by nation-state actors and other advanced organizations. It explores the geopolitical context in which the attacks took place, the patterns found in the attackers’ techniques, and the supporting evidence analysts used to attribute such attacks. Dive into the mechanisms of:

North Korea’s series of cyber attacks against financial institutions, which resulted in billions of dollars stolen
The world of targeted ransomware attacks, which have leveraged nation state tactics to cripple entire corporate enterprises with ransomware
Recent cyber attacks aimed at disrupting or influencing national elections globally

The book’s second part walks through how defenders can track and attribute future attacks. You’ll be provided with the tools, methods, and analytical guidance required to dissect and research each stage of an attack campaign. Here, Jon DiMaggio demonstrates some of the real techniques he has employed to uncover crucial information about the 2021 Colonial Pipeline attacks, among many other advanced threats. He now offers his experience to train the next generation of expert analysts.

Author Bio

Jon DiMaggio is the chief security strategist at Analyst1 and has over 15 years of experience hunting, researching, and writing about advanced cyber threats. As a specialist in enterprise ransomware attacks and nation-state intrusions, including the world’s first ransomware cartel and the infamous Black Vine cyberespionage group, he has exposed the criminal organizations behind major ransomware attacks, aided law enforcement agencies in federal indictments of nation-state attacks, and discussed his work with The New York Times, Bloomberg, Fox, CNN, Reuters, and Wired. You can find Jon speaking about his research at conferences such as RSA and Blackhat.

Table of contents

Introduction

Part I: An Advanced Cyber Threat Landscape
Chapter 1: Nation-State Attacks
Chapter 2: State-Sponsored Financial Attacks
Chapter 3: Human-Driven Ransomware
Chapter 4: Election Hacking
Part II: Hunting and Analyzing Advanced Cyber Threats
Chapter 5: Analysis and Attribution
Chapter 6: Malware Distribution and Communication
Chapter 7: Open Source Threat Hunting
Chapter 8: Analyzing a Real-World Threat
Endnotes
Appendix A: Threat Profile Questions
Appendix B: Threat Profile Template Example

Reviews

"Encompasses useful knowledge from the past and modern advanced threats seen today. Regardless of your expertise level, this book is an insightful read . . .”
—Brittany Day, Director of Communications, Guardian Digital

“For those looking for a guide to help them understand the new world of cyberwar, The Art of Cyberwarfare provides readers with a good overview of this expanding threat and what they can do to avoid being victims.”
—Ben Rothke, Senior Information Security Manager, Tapad

"An informative and explanatory guide for cybersecurity experts and an enlightening read for novices. DiMaggio effectively details both the history of cybercrime and how it is seen today."
—Justice Levine, Communications Manager and Cloud Email Security Expert, Guardian Digital

"This book deserves to find a place on the shelf of everyone whose role involves protecting networks."
—Ian Barker, BetaNews

"A cross between an IBM presentation . . . and a Tom Clancy novel!"
—The Shepherdess, Amazon Reviewer

Read Tam Hanna's German-language review in Heise Magazine.

Extra Stuff

Winner of the SANS Difference Makers Award for Cybersecurity Book of the Year, 2022

Read our exclusive interview with the author.