This month I happened to pick up the book The President Is Missing by Bill Clinton and James Patterson. Yes, that Bill Clinton as in former President of the United States. I haven’t read a book by Bill Clinton, well actually I haven’t read a book by ANY former President. However I do enjoy reading a good action book and I like James Patterson which is why I chose the book.
How does this relate to business you ask? Well, the premise of the fictional story is that the President is in the midst of a cyber terrorist attack among a host of other dramatic events. Most of the book is non-technical, however there are just a couple of chapters that I really wanted to focus on because they are absolutely terrifying.
One of the antagonists describes how dependent we are upon technology and how quickly we can be plunged back into the “Dark Ages” (a clever code name for the cyber attack). He describes how because we have some many devices now connected to the internet, it would be incredibly simple to overwhelm the internet and essentially shut it down and delete files at the same time.
I’m sure many of you, like me, think that it wouldn’t be horrible if we weren’t as connected to the internet anymore. However think about what no internet, or no files actually means. It means your bank no longer has information about your account, you can’t go to the ATM to get cash because the ATM uses the internet. Your health insurance card, well when your provider scans it, it finds you. No internet, no proof of insurance. There are no handwritten list of policy holders or bank accounts. Legal records, welfare records, Law enforcement databases….all disconnected.
Sure, the book is a work of fiction. I don’t think an attack like this is imminent, but what if it was just a simple server crash or ransomware and you were caught without backups. Think about all the different ways your business uses the internet or just plain ole files on your system. It’s easy to say that “it won’t happen to me”. It’s much harder to actually sit down and brainstorm on ways to protect your business from a crippling loss of data or virus. If you have an upcoming vacation, I’d highly recommend this edge of your seat cyber thriller.
Contributor: Hallie Talley, Owner - Knights of Bytes
The President Is Missing: A Novel By: James Patterson & Bill Clinton
As the novel opens, a threat looms. Enemies are planning an attack of unprecedented scale on America. Uncertainty and fear grip Washington. There are whispers of cyberterror and espionage and a traitor in the cabinet. The President himself becomes a suspect, and then goes missing...
Set in real time, over the course of three days, The President Is Miss-ing is one of the most dramatic thrillers in decades. And it could all really happen. The President Is Missing is Bill Clinton and James Patterson's totally authentic and spellbinding thriller.
Available for Purchase on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2LDejue
