20 Best Cybersecurity Books for Beginners and Experienced Professional
Learn cybersecurity from the ground up to mastery with these top 20 books for beginners and experienced professionals. Master cybersecurity concepts, protect your organization from cyberattacks, and become a cybersecurity expert with these essential resources.
Protect yourself and your organization from cyber threats with these top 20 cybersecurity books. Learn about the latest threats and attack vectors, as well as best practices for defense and prevention. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced professional, these books will help you stay ahead of the curve.
Our top pick in cyber security books is the acclaimed The Art of Invisibility: The World’s Most Famous Hacker Teaches You How to Be Safe in the Age of Big Brother and Big Data by Kevin Mitnick. Since it was written for anyone who uses the internet, it has wide applicability. Written in lay terms, it focuses on real-world tactics to protect your privacy online. Topics include setting up VPNs, making untraceable transactions online, and password protection. Mitnick is an author, computer security consultant, and convicted hacker.
2. Hacking: The Art of Exploitation by Jon Erickson
Embracing hacking as the art of creative problem solving is the foundation of Jon Erickson’s Hacking: The Art of Exploitation. It is written for readers who want to learn C programming fundamentals from a hacker’s perspective. Readers who learn best through hands-on learning will find it particularly helpful as it comes with a CD to follow along with the book’s examples. Erickson began hacking and programming at age five. He currently works as a vulnerability researcher and security specialist.
3. Social Engineering: The Science of Human Hacking by Christopher Hadnagy
Author Christopher Hadnagy takes readers on a deep dive into the world of online exploitation in Social Engineering: The Science of Human Hacking. The book covers everything you want to know about social engineering, including the most common social engineering tricks and adopting proven countermeasures to keep hackers away. It’s written for people who wish to learn more about social engineering to secure their own companies and homes. Hadnagy is an author and the founder and CEO of Social-Engineer, LLC.
4. Practical Malware Analysis: The Hands-On Guide to Dissecting Malicious Software by Michael Sikorski and Andrew Honig
Malware is the focus of Practical Malware Analysis: The Hands-On Guide to Dissecting Malicious Software by Michael Sikorski and Andrew Honig. It has been written for individuals interested in learning more about malware and how to safeguard their Windows devices against it. This book is particularly beneficial for those interested in entering the computer security field and contains hands-on labs. Sikorski works in cybersecurity for a private company, and Honig is an information expert for the Department of Defense.
5. Ghost in the Wires: My Adventures as the World’s Most Wanted Hacker by Kevin Mitnick and William L. Simon
Published in 2011, Ghost in the Wires: My Adventures as the World’s Most Wanted Hacker is Kevin Mitnick’s gripping memoir about his time as a hacker who illegally penetrated companies including Sun Microsystems, Nokia, and Pacific Bell. This book is written for anyone who enjoys autobiographies and wants to learn more about Mitnick, who was convicted of a number of crimes. He is now an author and computer security consultant. Simon, a freelance writer, co-authored the book.
6. The Code Book: The Science of Secrecy from Ancient Egypt to Quantum Cryptography by Simon Singh
The history of encryption is the foundation of The Code Book: The Science of Secrecy from Ancient Egypt to Quantum Cryptography by Simon Singh. Anyone with an interest in the history of code making and code breaking will enjoy this book, which examines both simple ciphers and complex mechanisms for generating coded messages. Singh is a science journalist and television producer who lives in England.
7. Cult of the Dead Cow: How the Original Hacking Supergroup Might Just Save the World by Joseph Menn
The history of the hacker underground is revealed in Cult of the Dead Cow: How the Original Hacking Supergroup Might Just Save the World by Joseph Menn. A highly researched book, it was written to share the multi-decade story of Cult of the Dead Cow, regarded as the internet’s first group of influential hackers. If you are interested in how hacking began and cyber security in general, you’ll enjoy this colorful read. Menn is an award-winning investigative reporter for Reuters.
8. Cyber Wars: Hacks that Shocked the Business World by Charles Arthur
The greatest information security failures of our time are shared in detail in Cyber Wars: Hacks that Shocked the Business World by Charles Arthur. This book is intended for businesspeople to learn from others’ mistakes, so they aren’t repeated. It’s also a valuable read for anyone interested in the history of the business world’s most well-known cyber security breaches. Arthur is the former technology editor of the Guardian.
9. Hacking Exposed 7: Network Security Secrets and Solutions by Stuart McClure, George Kurtz, and Joel Scambray
Hacking Exposed 7: Network Security Secrets and Solutions, by Stuart McClure, George Kurtz, and Joel Scambray, was written for anyone who wishes to bolster their system’s security. It provides field-tested ways readers can thwart the tools and tactics of cyber-criminals, as well as real-life case studies. Specific topics covered include detecting and terminating rootkits and locking down remote access using smartcards. The authors are executives with McAfee/Intel, Cigital, and CrowdStrike, respectively.
10. The Cuckoo’s Egg by Clifford Stoll
The Cuckoo’s Egg by Clifford Stoll is a nonfiction book that reads like a thriller. Stoll tells his true story of going from an astronomer turned systems manager to the disruptor of an international spy ring. The book was a New York Times bestseller when it was published in 1989 and was chronicled on the television show NOVA on PBS. It’s written for anyone who enjoys books that are both informational and entertaining and who have an interest in the history of cyber security and spies. Stoll has written two other books.
11. Threat Modeling: Designing for Security by Adam Shostack
Threat Modeling: Designing for Security by Adam Shostack was written primarily for systems security managers, software developers, and security professionals. It shows how to build better security into the design of systems. The book was a Dr. Dobbs Jolt Award finalist for books that significantly contributed to the advancement of software development. Shostack is a member of Microsoft’s Security Development Lifecycle strategy team.
12. Applied Cryptography: Protocols, Algorithms, and Source Code in C by Bruce Schneier
Bruce Schneier takes readers on a deep dive into the world of cryptography in Applied Cryptography: Protocols, Algorithms, and Source Code in C. Topics covered include cryptographic techniques and real-world cryptographic algorithms. The book is geared toward developers, programmers, and electronic communications professionals. Schneier is a security technologist and fellow at Harvard Law School’s Berkman Center for Internet and Society.
13. Click Here to Kill Everybody: Security and Survival in a Hyper-Connected World by Bruce Schneier
Click Here to Kill Everybody: Security and Survival in a Hyper-Connected World by Bruce Schneier examines the cyber security risks of today’s high-tech time. This book is written for non-computer professionals interested in protecting themselves and their personal information from cyber-attacks. Schneier, who teaches at Harvard, has written over a dozen books and is the chief technology officer of Resilient Systems, Inc.
14. CompTIA Security+ Get Certified Get Ahead by Darril Gibsoni
Helping readers pass the Security+ exam is the goal of Darril Gibsoni’s study guide CompTIA Security+ Get Certified Get Ahead. The book is over 600 pages and contains over 300 practice test questions with in-depth explanations. There is also a 75-question pre-test and a 75-question post-test. Additionally, the author provides instructions on accessing several online study resources to complement the book. Gibsoni is a blogger and author who has written or contributed to over 40 books.
15. Metasploit: The Penetration Tester’s Guide by David Kennedy, Jim O'Gorman, Devon Kearns, and Mati Aharoni
The Metasploit Project – a computer security project that provides data about security vulnerabilities – is the focus of Metasploit: The Penetration Tester’s Guide by David Kennedy, Jim O’Gorman, Devon Kearns, and Mati Aharoni. This book will benefit anyone interested in learning more about this complex tool. You do not have to be a security professional to comprehend it. The book was named “The Best Guide to the Metasploit Framework” by Metasploit founder H.D. Moore. All four of the book’s authors work in the security industry.
16. The CERT Guide to Insider Threat by Dawn M. Cappelli, Andrew P. Moore, and Randall Trzeciak
Helping business and security managers prevent, detect, and respond to IT crimes is the goal of The CERT Guide to Insider Threat by Dawn M. Cappelli, Andrew P. Moore, and Randall Trzeciak. It provides concrete guidance and suggestions from years of cybercrime data acquired by the CERT Insider Threat Center at Carnegie Mellon University’s Software Engineering Institute. Topics covered include utilizing advanced threat controls and preparing for unusual insider attacks. All three authors work at Carnegie Mellon.
17. The Cyber Effect by Mary Aiken
Forensic cyberpsychology is the focus of The Cyber Effect by Mary Aiken. The book shows how criminals can exploit digital tools to hurt bank accounts and individuals. It’s written for anyone with concerns about the dark side of the cyber world, especially parents who want to keep kids safe and healthy in their digital lives. Aiken is a doctoral-level forensic cyberpsychologist, the director of the CyberPsychology Research Network, and an advisor to Europol.
18. Blue Team Field Manual by Alan J. White and Ben Clark
The Blue Team Field Manual by Alan J. White and Ben Clark is a cyber security incident response guide. This reference manual was written for cyber security professionals to provide tactical steps to follow and commands to use before, during, and after a cybersecurity incident. Information in the book aligns with the cyber security framework of the National Institute of Standards and Technology. White is the vice president of managed defense at Mandiant, Inc., and Clark is the chief technology officer at Millennium Corporation.
19. Countdown to Zero Day: Stuxnet and the Launch of the World’s First Digital Weapon by Kim Zetter
Kim Zetter’s Countdown to Zero Day: Stuxnet and the Launch of the World’s First Digital Weapon is the true story of the malicious Stuxnet computer worm that sabotaged Iran’s nuclear efforts. Anyone with an interest in cyberweapons will find great historical and entertainment value in this book, which reads like a thriller. Zetter is an award-winning journalist for Wired who covered the Stuxnet story early in its discovery in 2010.
20. Cybersecurity for Business by Larry Clinton
Cybersecurity for Business by Larry Clinton is written for professionals in any business area seeking a roadmap on how to navigate cyber risk. It’s also a helpful book for students wishing to learn more about cyber security in the business world. Clinton, the Internet Security Alliance president, is joined by a range of business experts and senior leaders who write different chapters. Topics covered include assessing modern cyber risk, incident response, and supply chain management.
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