Returning to Zero

Praise for Returning to Zero: "Johnston's new book takes us to new twists and turns arising from his first book, Counting from Zero. Full of geek humor and McGyver-like episodes, the story intersperses useful security advice with the evolving plot line. I found it a fast and enjoyable read and I think others will, too."

- Vint Cerf, Internet pioneer In Returning to Zero, the sequel to the explosive technothriller Counting from Zero that introduced Mick O'Malley and his unlikely hacker friends, the fight for control of the massive Zed.Kicker botnet continues. The ultimate weapon of the Internet arms race is the botnet, short for a robot network of compromised computers organized to receive commands over the Internet and operate in concert. Control of a botnet gives the power to threaten individuals, organizations, and even nation states by launching punishing denial of service attacks targeting commerce, public safety, and security. Mick O'Malley is a former security consultant, now hiding out in Australia under an alternative identity. Mick learns startling news about the events that turned his life upside down in Kiev six months previously. As Mick loses control of the botnet, he is drawn into a new global adventure in an attempt to contain the zombie computers that threaten the Internet. Across four continents, Mick tracks the shadowy exploit writer who now controls the botnet, evading governments and cybercriminals alike. Whom should Mick trust: a compromised intelligence asset, a whistle-blowing government insider, a flighty open source privateer, a returned-from-retirement military operative, or a smuggler on the high seas? Do the cyber defenses of encryption and walls, virtual and physical, provide protection or are they an illusion? Will his risky plan neutralize the botnet for good? Along the way, Mick finds something more dangerous than the technology, and discovers that not all is what it seems, even within his close circle of friends. Returning to Zero gives a dramatically realistic view of the ongoing struggle to secure today's Internet from botnets, cyber criminal networks, and malicious nation-state actors.

Praise for Counting from Zero, the first book in the Mick O'Malley Series: "Credible and believable, this story is told by a subject matter expert. I could not wait to find out what happened next." - Vint Cerf, Internet pioneer "The threat to the Internet from worms, viruses, botnets, and zombie computers is real, and growing. Counting from Zero is a great way to come up to speed on the alarming state of affairs, and Johnston draws you in with his story and believable cast of characters." - Phil Zimmermann, creator of Pretty Good Privacy (PGP) the most widely used email encryption program.