Dark
Tomorrow by Reece Hirsch brings to the forefront of cyber
warfare. This book brings back FBI Agent Lisa Tanchik, whose
skillset handles cyber threats. The story explores the deep
inside workings of the Dark Web, cyber vulnerabilities, and
diverse but flawed characters.
"As
a writer, I wanted to show the different ways technology can
be used against people from hacking into medical devices to
cars to applications. The modern world can be pretty scary.
Although technology brings a lot of good, it also brings evil
people closer to us. I put in this quote, 'In long-term relationships,
as in hacking, all vulnerabilities were discovered and exploited
sooner or later.' In this book, the enemy used America's vulnerabilities
against them."
Cyber
is a new type of warfare. Traditional warfare can see an invasion
or a weapon coming. There is a devastating impact with cyber
because it is hard to know who is behind it. This book shows
what a comprehensive attack can do instead of the small skirmishes
that have been happening.
The
plot has a cat and mouse game between FBI Agent Tanchik and
her nemesis, Russian hacker NatalyaX. This Russian sleeper
agent shares many of the same qualities as Tanchik, making
for a compelling story. The FBI Agent has tracked the Russian
hacker for years, but the break happens after an employee
of CyberCom, a federal government agency concerned with cybersecurity,
had a fatal epileptic attack after opening an attachment that
exposed him to harsh strobe lights. They then hack someone's
pacemaker, killing them instantly. But worse are the blackouts
occurring all over America. She and the unit search for clues,
finding out the Russian hacker plans on infiltrating the water
supply. Tanchik knows she must nullify this threat before
it deals a death blow to America. Unfortunately, besides battling
NatalyaX, Lisa must also fight her constant depression and
drinking problems.
The
author noted, "The two adversaries are a lot alike regarding
skills. But NatalyaX would kill people in the name of her
cause. I put in this quote to show how the Russians want to
make everything equivalent, 'Sometimes in war, you have to
strike preemptively. I think your people call it 'defending
forward.' That's what your bosses did when they hit Iran's
nuclear centrifuges. When things escalated in Syria, they
took similar measures against Russia.' Lisa replied that what
was done was at another level and that America stands for
something."
What
is interesting is that while people read the story, they get
a chilling realism of what is happening. During the middle
of the COVID-19 virus, there is a commonality of having a
loss of control where there was no transportation, food shortages,
heat damage, and people dying.
This novel is eerily realistic to what is happening today.
In many ways, the gripping plot will cause readers to stop
and think about many issues, including the need to be careful
with their own privacy.
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