A review of Dr. Erdal Ozkaya's book Cybersecurity: The Beginner's Guide

The book Cybersecurity: The Beginner's Guide, authored by Dr. Erdal Ozkaya, covers a broad scope of topics, from the importance of cybersecurity, to its evolution, to attackers' mindset, to operational security. It also includes the author's insights on current and future technological tools and transformations and their impact on cybersecurity.

This book provides a treasure trove of information that any beginner interested in a career in cybersecurity should know. The author has a way of reaching the crux of many attackers' modus operandi by emphasizing how the attack must have come about, be it a user's lack of awareness or the shrewd mind of the attacker. He provides benefits to his readers by specifying techniques for preventing, identifying, and mitigating such attacks in the future.

It is not just the content that deserves appreciation but the author's style of writing too. Ozkaya writes in a way that is easy to understand, yet its impact carries the power of a punch. His bold writing style makes his readers take notice, and the truth in his words entrances them. This is evidenced by the way he begins the preface, "There are two types of organizations: those who know they have been hacked and those who don't." So, right from the get-go, Ozkaya captures his readers' attention.

However, while reading the book it becomes apparent that the author wrote this book for readers of a specific target group. Though he mentions that this book is meant for anyone looking to venture into cybersecurity, his writing targets readers who are focused on beginning or switching their careers to cybersecurity. That is not to say that it is irrelevant for beginners who wish to learn cybersecurity concepts, but it would be more prudent for them to do some basic groundwork on all things cyber before they begin this book.

As the book does not have a glossary, and the author expects his readers to know some basic concepts, such as networking, cloud computing, and programming, beginners who lack this knowledge may benefit from doing a little prior research on these concepts. If a reader has sound basic knowledge in these concepts, it is safe to say that they have stumbled across a veritable gold mine of information that will help them secure a career in cybersecurity.

The author has sequenced every chapter in such a way that one concept naturally flows into the other. In every topic, he provides his insights on which vulnerabilities are being exploited to carry out an attack, and how readers would be expected to identify and secure against such vulnerabilities should they choose to become cybersecurity professionals. Ozkaya describes the skills that are required in the profession of cybersecurity and also specifies the requisite skill set for each role.

He further provides useful resources in the form of links and suitable course suggestions, which will help readers begin and succeed in their chosen profession. So, if a reader is truly motivated in beginning a career in cybersecurity, this book is a must-read for them. Happy learning, folks!