Book Review: Ctrl + Alt + Chaos - How Teenage Hackers Hijack The Internet

I was lucky enough to win a copy of this book from the author when he posted a competition on BlueSky. The very short review of this book is that it’s well written, and an “easy” read that will hold your interest on a complex subject.

To go into slightly more detail, meant in the best possible way, I want to emphasise that it’s an easy read. I usually read at night, when I should probably be asleep - but this is well-written, clear, and grabs your attention, so it’s suitable for the beside table or noisy commute; which can’t be said of many non-fiction books.

With my background in cyber security I’ve some experience and memories of the issues covered here, and how complex they can be. So in-particular for this book I liked the tone, the balance that Joe Tidy takes between being disappointed and/or disgusted with hackers, and being impressed with their actions, or at least their persistence. This is maintained throughout the book, and mirrors the attitude of some of the experts and law enforcement officers he talks to. This approach stops Ctrl+Alt+Chaos being either a weary diatribe, or glamorising criminals - which are easy traps to fall into in this subject area.

There’s many underlying themes, but as the book works chronologically, rather than by subject, they’re touched on sporadically rather than dealt with in-depth. That works well, and also fits in with Tidy’s experience. It also illustrates how much there is to cover here, each theme deserves its own book - the neuro-diversity of hackers, how teenage boys get into this life, the fading of traditional hacker ethics, issues with how the criminal justice systems of various countries are handling or mis-handling this phenomenon - they’re all covered. But there’s just enough here to introduce you to each subject - I don’t know his work that well, but I think this is where Tidy’s journalistic background, and the organisations he’s worked for, shows through - so your opinion isn’t given to you.

If you work in cyber security but have only joined the profession in the last few years, then I recommend buying this - both to see some of the history, but also to cover the variety of perspectives that persist in the discipline. If you’ve been in cyber for longer, I also recommend buying this, but maybe not for yourself, but for someone you know who doesn’t quite get what you do or understand who or what you’re up against.

Or, as one final note, I’ve just noticed that Amazon in the United States has titled this “Ctrl + Alt + Chaos: A Next Big Idea Club Must-Read Nonfiction Book on Cybersecurity and Power”. While I’ve never been part of any book clubs, from what I’ve heard this feels ideal - it covers the subject well while not requiring prior knowledge, and leaves room for you to form your own judgement while providing useful terms and references for anyone who wants to do further research before the next club meeting.