Cyber Insecurity: Examining the Past, Defining the Future (Security, Audit and Leadership Series)

Cyber Insecurity: Examining the Past, Defining the Future deals with the multifaceted world of cybersecurity, starting with the premise that while perfection in cybersecurity may be unattainable, significant improvements can be made through understanding history and fostering innovation. Vladas Leonas shares his journey from Moscow to Australia, highlighting his academic and professional milestones.

This book covers the evolution of cybersecurity from the late 1960s to the present, detailing significant events and technological advancements. The author emphasises the importance of simplicity in technology projects, citing complexity as a major hindrance to success. The book also discusses the impact of the digital revolution, using the example of a global IT outage caused by a faulty software update.

Project management methodologies are explored, tracing their origins from ancient civilisations to modern techniques such as CPM and PERT. The concept of cloud computing is examined, highlighting its benefits and potential security issues. The evolution and advantages of SaaS solutions are also discussed, noting their increased adoption during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The author then addresses supply chain challenges, using real-world examples to illustrate vulnerabilities. He traces the history of communication methods leading up to TCP/IP and discusses the development and importance of DNS. The differences between compliance and conformance in cybersecurity are clarified, emphasising that compliance does not equate to security.

Key cybersecurity standards such as the NIST CSF and ISO/IEC 27000 series are examined. The book also covers the Essential 8, a set of cybersecurity controls developed by the Australian Signals Directorate. The convergence of OT and IoT is discussed, highlighting the cybersecurity risks associated with this integration.

Emerging threats from AI and quantum computing are explored, noting their potential to both advance and threaten cybersecurity. The evolving legal landscape of cybersecurity is also covered, emphasising the need for international cooperation and innovative legal solutions.

In conclusion, the book stresses the importance of critical thinking and a holistic approach to cybersecurity, advocating for simplicity and foundational practices to enhance security.

Vladas Leonas has over 45 years of experience in ICT and cybersecurity, which includes a variety of public and private sector industries as well as tertiary education organisations. He is also a member of the Commonwealth and NSW Governments ICT Assurance Panels and a formally trained auditor (ISO 9001 and ISO27001). Over the last seven years, Vladas consulted a number of organisations, including UNSW, icare (NSW State Workers Compensation Insurance Company) and a variety of NSW Government Departments. He is also the author of 50+ publications and an internationally recognised speaker. He is an Adjunct Professor at the Australian Graduate School of Leadership and a Principal Supervisor of four doctoral students. He is a subject matter expert and specialises in ICT strategies, their implementation and ICT operations, gateway reviews and internal audits, enterprise risk management, cybersecurity, governance, procurement and compliance. Over the last 25 years, Dr Leonas has held eight CIO and CTO positions. He earned a doctoral degree at the Moscow Aviation Institute and a GAICD from AICD via AGSM in Sydney. He is a Fellow of the Australian Computer Society and a Fellow of the Institute of Engineers Australia.