Invitation to Cybersecurity: Cybersecurity for Beginners Easy to Read and Comprehensive Introduction

In Invitation to Cybersecurity, Dr. Seth Hamman, a national leader in cybersecurity education, introduces the reader to cybersecurity in an easy to read and accessible style that builds cybersecurity from the ground up. Leaning on his many years of teaching experience, the author provides just the right amount of technical depth to engage readers without bogging them down with too many details. Unlike some other rushed-to-publication textbooks in the field, this book is thoughtfully and well written, providing a comprehensive overview of the discipline.

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Invitation to Cybersecurity begins with an overview of cyberspace and how computers and the Internet work from 1s and 0s to software, hardware, operating systems, and web browsers. Next the need for cybersecurity is covered by introducing hackers, hacking culture, and the different ways that hackers attack computer systems to gain unauthorized access. This leads to the goals of cybersecurity and the CIA triad: confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Then the text goes into cybersecurity risk management as the high-level approach to allocating scarce resources in order to get the biggest bang for the buck. Next adversarial thinking is introduced as the hallmark of cybersecurity, and game theory basics are covered to sharpen the reader's ability to anticipate the strategic actions of hackers. The text then provides an overview of classical cryptography and how cryptography works in computer systems, including symmetric and public key crypto and hashing. Next access control is addressed with an overview of AAA: authentication, authorization, and accounting. The principles of cybersecurity and best practices are then covered before finally addressing the legal and ethical aspects of cybersecurity.

This text is for students in introductory cyber courses and anybody who wants to understand cybersecurity and learn the basics of the field. It will help readers better protect themselves online by showing them how cyberspace works, how hackers think, and how cybersecurity is achieved. In what is often considered an intimidating and complex field, the author's engaging style and clear writing makes for an easy but deeply educational read.

• Ch 1: Introduction: The Hacker Advantage
• Ch 2: The Context of Cybersecurity: Cyberspace
• Ch 3: The Adversary of Cybersecurity: Hackers
• Ch 4: The Need for Cybersecurity: Cyber Attacks
• Ch 5: The Approach to Cybersecurity: Cyber Risk Management
• Ch 6: The Skill of Cybersecurity: Adversarial Thinking
• Ch 7: The Bedrock of Cybersecurity: Cryptography
• Ch 8: The Means of Cybersecurity: Access Control
• Ch 9: The Application of Cybersecurity: Principles and Practices
• Ch 10: The Boundaries of Cybersecurity: Ethics, Rights, and Laws
• Ch 11: Conclusion: The Impact of Cybersecurity

Seth Hamman, PhD, is a tenured Professor of Cyber Operations and Computer Science at Cedarville University. He founded and directs the Center for the Advancement of Cybersecurity at Cedarville and designed Ohio's first Cyber Operations BS degree program. In addition to teaching his Intro to Cybersecurity and Cyber Defense courses, he heads the Knowledge Units criterion for the NSA's National Centers of Academic Excellence designations, co-leads the CAE Cyber Operations Community of Practice, and is a member of the Cybersecurity Curriculum Taskforce. He holds a BA in Religion from Duke University, an MS in Computer Science from Yale University, and a PhD in Computer Science from the Air Force Institute of Technology.