Gray Day: My Undercover Mission to Expose America's First Cyber Spy - True Crime Book About Cybersecurity & Espionage | Perfect for Tech Enthusiasts & History Buffs
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Product Description
A cybersecurity expert and former FBI “ghost” tells the thrilling story of how he helped take down notorious FBI mole Robert Hanssen, the first Russian cyber spy.“Both a real-life, tension-packed thriller and a persuasive argument for traditional intelligence work in the information age.”—Bruce Schneier, New York Times bestselling author of Data and Goliath and Click Here to Kill EverybodyEric O’Neill was only twenty-six when he was tapped for the case of a lifetime: a one-on-one undercover investigation of the FBI’s top target, a man suspected of spying for the Russians for nearly two decades, giving up nuclear secrets, compromising intelligence, and betraying US assets. With zero training in face-to-face investigation, O’Neill found himself in a windowless, high-security office in the newly formed Information Assurance Section, tasked officially with helping the FBI secure its outdated computer system against hackers and spies—and unofficially with collecting evidence against his new boss, Robert Hanssen, an exacting and rage-prone veteran agent with a fondness for handguns. In the months that follow, O’Neill’s self-esteem and young marriage unravel under the pressure of life in Room 9930, and he questions the very purpose of his mission. But as Hanssen outmaneuvers an intelligence community struggling to keep up with the new reality of cybersecurity, he also teaches O’Neill the game of spycraft. The student will just have to learn to outplay his teacher if he wants to win. A tension-packed stew of power, paranoia, and psychological manipulation, Gray Day is also a cautionary tale of how the United States allowed Russia to become dominant in cyberespionage—and how we might begin to catch up.
Customer Reviews
Anyone who is interested in the history of espionage will realize in the 1980s and 90s there were some significant security issues with in the US intelligence services. Much of the problems could be attributed to at least two men.One of these contemptable of these spies was Richard Hansen. He was an expert at evading security and penetrating computer systems and supplied the Russians with information that resulted in compromised agents and in many cases their death. Hansen is doing life in prison at this point.This book is the story of how Hansen was caught by the FBI man who was selected get the goods on Hansen so he could go to trial. Needless to say it took a while for the FBI to allow this man to wright his book because of further security matters.I found the book fascinating. I learned a lot about how the FBI trains and selects people for positions within the organization. There was also some good information about how they train these people and how they operate. It was classic spy versus spy information.However, the thing I found most interesting was the interaction between Hansen and the author of this book. He was a jerk of a boss! Down to the point where it was painful to see how the author endured such stupid things as questioning if a chair had been moved slightly. Was the light different in the office. Apparently, Hansen was also a brutal editor of the authors reports.I had enormous sympathy for the author. I’ve worked for mad-men like this. But Hansen was an entirely different left of jerk. I’d use stronger language but Amazon won’t let me describe him as an anatomical part.Anyway, I enjoyed the book. It is well told and well written and I think the author can take great pride in the masterful way Hansen was snared. I about came out of my chair when I read the last words he said to Hansen were, “Catch you later, boss.”If you enjoyed this book then I would suggest reading Circle of Treason by Sandra Grimes and Jeanne Vertefeuille as it covers the discover and arrest of Aldrich Ames. He was the other turncoat he needed to be arrested at the same time as Hansen. There are interviews via podcast on The Museum of the Spy with the authors of both books.
