BIT WARS Hacking Report: Top Hacks and Attacks of 2015

What made you write this book?

There are many annual reports on cybersecurity, but most are very technical and extremely boring to read for the average person who is not a cybersecurity professional. I thought it would be fun to write a short, non-technical book that anyone could read and gain a better understanding of the threats faced by everyone on the Internet. This would raise awareness, as well as provide some basic cybersecurity education and tips for the average users.

What new knowledge did you gain whilst writing the book?

My comprehension of the prevailing threat environment and the severe deficiency in fundamental cybersecurity principles among major corporations expanded. This deficiency is evident both in their networked products and their corporate networks. Notable instances include the OPM breach that revealed background information of more than 20 million federal employees, military personnel, and federal contractors with security clearance; the three most extensive healthcare hacks ever, which compromised the records of over 100 million individuals; and my prediction of threats originating from Internet of Things (IoT) devices.

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Below is the introduction of the BIT WARS Hacking Report: Top Hacks and Attacks of 2015 by Dr. Thomas S Hyslip

2015 was a crazy year for hacking and cybercrime, and it seems no one is immune from involvement. The federal government’s Office of Personnel Management (OPM) was hacked and a government database of background investigations was compromised. The children’s toymaker VTech was hacked and it was discovered the Hello Barbie doll by Mattell is insecure and can be used to listen in on conversations over the internet.

The 3 largest healthcare hacks of all time, and 5 of the top 10, occurred in 2015. All together over 100 million healthcare records were compromised. That is 1/3 of the entire population of the United States. This makes you wonder if the switch to electronic medical records is such a good idea.

But probably the most talked about hack of the year involved the website Ashleymadison.com. Approximately 37 million people were exposed as having accounts on the adulterous website.
This year I examined 15 hacks and attacks for BIT WARS, Hacking Report. As we move towards the internet of things (IOT) the hacks will continue to include
everyday items such as Mattell’s Hello Barbie, as well as vehicles such as Fiat Chrysler’s Jeep Cherokee.

Thank you for purchasing my book and I hope you enjoy it.

Stay Safe,
Thomas S Hyslip