Cyber in the Age of Trump

Charlie Mitchell is the author of Hacked: The Inside Story of America's Struggle to Secure Cyberspace (Rowman and Littlefield, 2016). He is the editor and co-founder of Inside Cybersecurity, the first online news service dedicated to exploring and explaining the policy challenges of securing cyberspace. Inside Cybersecurity is an independent, premium service that goes inside Congress, the White House, the corporate boardrooms and security command centers to explain cyber policy making to a professional audience. Charlie also previously authored a column on cybersecurity for the Washington Examiner that was a must-read feature for cyber insiders and concerned citizens alike. He is a regular speaker and panelist at cybersecurity events in Washington, D.C.

Those in government and industry tasked with protecting American information systems face a daunting task that requires trust, communication, and collaboration. On 20 January 2017, these individuals wondered how their complicated and sometimes chaotic world was about to change. Charlie Mitchell's book Cyber in the Age of Trump provides a detailed journalistic account of the ways in which one of the most polarizing and disputatious leaders in American history influenced the progression of the nation's efforts to secure its information technology. Mitchell sets the stage by painting a picture of an existential threat to democracy and an incoming administration disinterested in driving the cybersecurity debate, preoccupied by other policy issues, and consumed with defending the validity of the 2016 election.... Rather than theory building, Mitchell's book focuses on the cybersecurity community's perspectives and incorporates an impressive breadth of opinions from across industry and government. Mitchell demonstrates a clear (though not entirely unwarranted) distaste for President Trump and saves any praise for the final chapter. The book may be useful for foreign policy generalists seeking to learn cybersecurity issues or academics seeking detailed discussions of cyber policymaking.... Those familiar with the Trump administration's approach to complicated policy issues will find the account quite familiar--inattention, distraction, flouting allies, and incremental achievements by working-level employees.

• Chapter 1: A World Held Hostage by CyberChapter 2: The Promises of 2017Chapter 3: Coordinators? Who Needs Coordinators?Chapter 4: A Fiasco in HelsinkiChapter 5: You Want “Tough”? OK, We’ll Be Cyber ToughChapter 6: DHS and a Chance for a RefreshChapter 7: Watchdogs, Wireless, and CyberChapter 8: It’s a Marvelous Night for a MoonshotChapter 9: We’ll Always Not Have ParisChapter 10: Frenemies in BeijingChapter 11: The Investigation and CyberChapter 12: Disruptor, Enabler, UnderminerAcknowledgments