The Code of Honor: Embracing Ethics in Cybersecurity by Ed Skoudis and Dr. Paul J. Maurer.
Ed holds a BS in Electrical Engineering from the University of Michigan and a MS in Information Networking from Carnegie Mellon. Today he is the President of the SANS Technology Institute. Paul holds a M.Div.from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and PhD in Political Science from Claremont Graduate University. Today he is the President of Montreat College.
I found this to be one of the most insightful books on cybersecurity and a must read for anyone in the fields of IT, AI, or IR. Jon outlines key elements for cybersecurity teams to X: Espionage (Bletchley Park), Sabotage (Stuxnet), Subversion (2016 US Election Interference), and Cyber Power (China).
It is very welcoming to see Mariano addressing machine learning for predictive cybersecurity. Mariano introduces statistical methods and machine learning easily accessible to security teams with Bayesian inference. Examples predictive detection, anomaly identification, and early warning signs is proving how AI is moving any cybersecurity program from reactive to proactive.
Mariano is including Python scripts and Jupyter-based workflows, providing technically savvy security teams a direct path to experimentation and deployment in their internal test deployments.
This book certainly provides cybersecurity teams with a practical roadmap for driving a data-driven mindset. This can be an excellent resources for organizational leaders to understand business in the age of aggressive malware and data breach announcements.
Start aligning data with organizational objectives
In fact, security teams today must be focusing on data that directly impacts organizational goals. Mariano is addressing how teams can find the right metrics and how to avoid the noise of vanity statistics that do not reduce or transfer risk.
Another title, Grokking Algorithms is book that I would highly recommend as a companion:
A major strength is the emphasis on actionable implementations. Mariano is guiding readers through building a data-driven metrics program, designing dashboards, and visualizations that organizational leaders can quickly understand.
The ATLAS (Alert Threshold Lifecycle Assessment System) methodology is a solid example, which offers a proven way to reduce alert fatigue by adjusting thresholds based on real data. This is certainly for CISOs, cybersecurity managers, and security analysts. Today they must justify budgets and prioritize tools with limited resources in the new era of AI threats.
Non-technical stakeholders (organizational leadership) also benefit. Mariano provides chapters focusing on communicating risk, explaining data analysis in business terms and aligning security with any organization’s strategic objectives.
In conclusion, Data-Driven Cybersecurity is spot on linking high-level cybersecurity strategy with the day-to-day security data metrics. Frameworks including ATLAS make a strong choice for several organizations seeking to further develop their security programs with data.