Meet Cyber Dad
William J. (Jay) Carson, aka 'Cyber Dad,' is the part-time 'Cyber Librarian' of Semper Sec, LLC.
What is a cyber librarian? A researcher and reviewer of wide information technology topics who has the annoying habit of responding to review requests by beginning with "Have you read xxxxx?"
Holding Security+ and CIPP/E certifications, he is a former high school math/science teacher, civil servant, contractor, and retired USAF Lieutenant Colonel.
Cyber Dad also has an MS in Engineering Management and a BS in Electrical Engineering. He is active with the Information Systems Security
Association as a 'Book Reviews' columnist for the ISSA Journal, ISSA
Senior Member, ISSA 2020 Volunteer of the Year, and a past ISSA-
Colorado Springs chapter Executive Vice President.
Current Book Reviews
Read Jay Carson's latest book reviews, published each month in the ISSA Journal.
Recommended Reading
Select your role to explore recommended books to elevate your information security knowledge.
Cybersecurity & Privacy Book Reviews
Recommended Reading
Top Management
The Age of AI and our Human Future by Kissinger, Henry, Eric Schmidt, and Daniel Huttenlocher
Why? Because Artificial Intelligence will increasingly affect all businesses.
The Digital Silk Road: China’s Quest to Wire the World and Win the Future by Hillman, Jonathan E.
Why? Because China is increasingly a powerful worldwide business competitor.
Tools and Weapons: The Promise and the Peril of the Digital Age by Smith, Brad, and Carol Ann Browne
Why? Because they are top business leaders are speaking to top business leaders (and the rest of us).
The Innovators: How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses, and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution by Isaacson, Walter
Why? Because it describes how an innovative business environment was created.
Privacy as Trust: Information Privacy for an Information Age by Waldman, Ari Ezra
Why? Because top management should have an overall understanding of privacy concepts.
Directors
The Phoenix Project: A Novel About IT, DevOps, and Helping Your Business Win by Kim, Gene, Kevin Behr, and George Spafford
Why? Because it is a great fictional story, but with important business lessons.
The Unicorn Project: A Novel about Developers, Digital Disruption, and Thriving in the Age of Data by Kim, Jean
Why? Because it is Part II of the preceding book, also a great fictional story, but with important business lessons.
AI Ethics by Coeckelbergh, Mark.
Why? Because it is different view of the pitfalls and requirements as Artificial Intelligence becomes more pervasive.
Exploding Data: Reclaiming Our Cyber Security in the Digital Age by Chertoff, Michael
Why? Because the control of data is already pervasive.
This Is How They Tell Me The World Ends: The Cyber Weapons Arms Race by Perlroth, Nicole
Why? Because senior leaders should be aware of international threats.
Privacy Program Management: Tools for Managing Privacy within Your Organization by Densmore, Russell
Why? Because senior leaders should be able to provide a more nuanced look when they talk privacy to Top Management.
Managers
LikeWar: The Weaponization of Social Media by Singer, P.W. and Emerson T. Brooking
Why? Because managers need to understand social media hazards.
Cult of the Dead Cow: How the Original Hacking Supergroup Might Just Save the World by Menn, Joseph
Why? Because managers need to understand social media hazards.
Lights Out by Koppel, Edward J.
Why? Because managers should be aware of threats to their physical infrastructure.
Foundations of Information Privacy and Data Protection by Swire, Peter P. and Kenesa Ahmad
Why? Because managers should be able to give more privacy details to Top Management and senior leaders.
Analysts
Big Data: A Revolution That Will Transform How We Live, Work, and Think by Mayer-Schönberger, Viktor and Kenneth Cukier
Why? Because analysts need to understand big data concepts thoroughly.
Data and Goliath: The Hidden Battles to Collect Your Data and Control Your World by Schneier, Bruce
Why? Because analysts need to understand big data concepts thoroughly.
Homeland Security: Assessing the First Five Years by Chertoff, Michael
Why? Because they are top business leaders are speaking to top business leaders (and the rest of us).
The Perfect Weapon: War, Sabotage, and Fear in the Cyber Age by Sanger, David E.
Why? Because analysts need the ‘big picture.’
Entry Level
A Message to Garcia by Hubbard, Elbert
Why? Because if you can’t get the message to the right people, it does not matter and Chesty said so.
Kingpin: How One Hacker Took Over the Billion-Dollar Cybercrime Underground by Poulsen, Kevin
Why? Because you need to know the ‘legends’ of cybersecurity.
The President is Missing by Clinton, Bill, and James Patterson
Why? Because it is a fun book with a famous novelist with a cybersecurity slant.