_Sandworm: A New Era of Cyberwar and the Hunt for the Kremlin’s Most Dangerous Hackers_ is a non-fiction book by **Andy Greenberg**, published in 2019. It's a gripping mix of investigative journalism, cyber-thriller, and geopolitical analysis. Here's a summary with a bit of context:
[[Russian APT's]]
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### 🔍 **What’s it about?**
_Sandworm_ tells the story of a **Russian hacking group**, known in cybersecurity circles as **Sandworm** (also referred to as [[Unit 74455]] of the GRU, [[Russia’s]] military intelligence agency). This group is behind some of the most **devastating cyberattacks** in recent history.
Greenberg tracks the rise of Sandworm through:
- **Attacks on Ukraine**’s infrastructure, especially the unprecedented **power grid hacks in 2015 and 2016**, which literally turned the lights off.
- The [[NotPetya]] malware outbreak in 2017, which started as a targeted attack on Ukraine but quickly spiraled out of control, infecting major global companies and causing billions of dollars in damage.
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### 🧠 **Key Themes:**
- **Cyberwarfare as modern geopolitics**: The book lays out how cyberattacks are now being used as tools of statecraft—quietly aggressive, deniable, and devastating.
- **The vulnerability of critical infrastructure**: From power grids to hospitals and logistics companies, no system is truly safe.
- **Accountability in cyberspace**: It’s hard to prove who’s behind an attack, which creates a dangerous fog of war in the digital world.
- **The human side of cybersecurity**: Greenberg spends a lot of time with the researchers, analysts, and defenders who try to trace and contain these digital threats.
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### ⚠️ **Why it’s important:**
The book doesn’t just tell a cyber-thriller story; it’s a wake-up call. Greenberg argues that we’re already in a new era of cyber-conflict—one that’s escalating quickly, with few rules and even fewer safeguards.
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### ✍️ Style:
Greenberg writes in a very readable, journalistic style—accessible even if you’re not super tech-savvy. It’s detailed but engaging, weaving narrative and technical insight without getting bogged down.
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If you're into cybersecurity, geopolitics, or real-world thrillers, _Sandworm_ is a must-read.