Top Cybersecurity books curated by experts

At MentorCruise, we are all about making the most out of the experience of others. As part of that, we have connected and asked dozens of experts and professionals about their favouriteCybersecurity books – and here are the answers.

  • Curated by industry experts
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Top Cybersecurity books recommended by experts
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Fundamentals of Cybersecurity

Understanding the concepts of Cybersecurity starts with understanding the fundamentals. On your way to mastery, it's crucial for you to understand how certain concepts were derived, and why things work like they do. Starting with these resources is the best way to do so.

Social Engineering: The Science of Human Hacking

Social Engineering: The Science of Human Hacking

Social Engineering: The Science of Human Hacking reveals the craftier side of the hacker's repertoire—why hack into something when you could just ask for access? Undetectable by firewalls and antivirus software, social engineering relies on human fault to gain access to sensitive spaces; in this…

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise.

The Hacker Playbook 3: Practical Guide to Penetration Testing

The Hacker Playbook 3: Practical Guide to Penetration Testing

THP3 will take your offensive hacking skills, thought processes, and attack paths to the next level. This book focuses on real-world campaigns and attacks, exposing you to different initial entry points, exploitation, custom malware, persistence, and lateral movement--all without getting caught!…

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise.

CISO Desk Reference Guide: A Practical Guide for CISOs Volume 2

CISO Desk Reference Guide: A Practical Guide for CISOs Volume 2

The CISO Desk Reference Guide, Volume 1, 2nd Edition is the greatly-anticipated update to the iconic first volume of the highly-respected two-volume set written by experienced practitioners and intended for recently-hired or promoted Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs). These easy-to-use…

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise.

Cybersecurity for Business: Organization-Wide Strategies to Ensure Cyber Risk Is Not Just an IT Issue

Cybersecurity for Business: Organization-Wide Strategies to Ensure Cyber Risk Is Not Just an IT Issue

Important and cost-effective innovations can substantially increase cyber risk and the loss of intellectual property, corporate reputation and consumer confidence. Over the past several years, organizations around the world have increasingly come to appreciate the need to address cybersecurity i…

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise.

Applied Cryptography

Applied Cryptography

This new edition of the cryptography classic provides you with a comprehensive survey of modern cryptography. The book details how programmers and electronic communications professionals can use cryptography-the technique of enciphering and deciphering messages-to maintain the privacy of compute…

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise.

Dark Wire: The Incredible True Story of the Largest Sting Operation Ever

Dark Wire: The Incredible True Story of the Largest Sting Operation Ever

The inside story of the largest law-enforcement sting operation ever, in which the FBI made its own tech start-up to wiretap the world, shows how cunning both the authorities and drug traffickers have become, with privacy implications for everyone.
In 2018, a powerful app for secure communica…

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise.

Additional Cybersecurity Reading

These books are not required for you to learn Cybersecurity, but they are highly recommended for you to deepen your knowledge.

Information Security Policies, Procedures, and Standards: A Practitioner's Reference

Information Security Policies, Procedures, and Standards: A Practitioner's Reference

Information Security Policies, Procedures, and Standards: A Practitioner's Reference gives you a blueprint on how to develop effective information security policies and procedures. It uses standards such as NIST 800-53, ISO 27001, and COBIT, and regulations such as HIPAA and PCI DSS as the found…

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise.

The Cuckoo's Egg

The Cuckoo's Egg

When Cliff Stoll followed the trail of a 75-cent accounting error at his workplace, the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, it led him to the presence of an unauthorized user on the system. Suddenly, Stoll found himself crossing paths with a hacker named “Hunter” who had managed to break into…

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise.

Eat Sleep Cyber Security Repeat: Cyber Security Analyst Notebook

Eat Sleep Cyber Security Repeat: Cyber Security Analyst Notebook

This lined notebook makes a funny cyber security gift for cyber security analyst.

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise.

CompTIA Security+ Study Guide with over 500 Practice Test Questions: Exam SY0-701 (9th Edition)

CompTIA Security+ Study Guide with over 500 Practice Test Questions: Exam SY0-701 (9th Edition)

In the newly revised ninth edition of CompTIA Security+ Study Guide: Exam SY0-701, veteran cybersecurity professionals and educators Mike Chapple and David Seidl deliver easy-to-follow coverage of the security fundamentals tested by the challenging CompTIA SY0-701 exam. You'll explore general se…

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise.

Ghost In The Wires: My Adventures as the World's Most Wanted Hacker

Ghost In The Wires: My Adventures as the World's Most Wanted Hacker

Kevin Mitnick was the most elusive computer break-in artist in history. He accessed computers and networks at the world's biggest companies -- and no matter how fast the authorities were, Mitnick was faster, sprinting through phone switches, computer systems, and cellular networks.

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise.

Tribe of Hackers: Cybersecurity Advice from the Best Hackers in the World

Tribe of Hackers: Cybersecurity Advice from the Best Hackers in the World

The path to enlightenment in the cybersecurity community is a perilous one. Often, those new to the industry must not only find their own niche but also blaze their own trails, as the field is constantly changing and evolving. The typical path first involves the search for information. Informati…

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise.

Specializations and Deeper Cybersecurity Knowledge

You've got your basics in order – time to move on to some advanced and specialized concepts. Cybersecurity is evolving every day, these books can help you master it.

(ISC)2 CISSP Certified Information Systems Security Professional Official Study Guide 9th Edition

(ISC)2 CISSP Certified Information Systems Security Professional Official Study Guide 9th Edition

(ISC)2 Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) Official Study Guide, 9th Edition has been completely updated based on the latest 2021 CISSP Exam Outline. This bestselling Sybex study guide covers 100% of the exam objectives. You'll prepare for the exam smarter and faster with…

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise.

CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+) Cert Guide

CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+) Cert Guide

CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst (CSA+) Cert Guide is a best-of-breed exam study guide. Expert technology instructor and certification author Troy McMillan shares preparation hints and test-taking tips, helping you identify areas of weakness and improve both your conceptual knowledge and hands-on s…

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise.

Advanced Penetration Testing: Hacking the World's Most Secure Networks

Advanced Penetration Testing: Hacking the World's Most Secure Networks

Featuring techniques not taught in any certification prep or covered by common defensive scanners, this book integrates social engineering, programming, and vulnerability exploits into a multidisciplinary approach for targeting and compromising high security environments.

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise.

Cybersecurity Career Master Plan: Proven techniques and effective tips to help you advance in your cybersecurity career

Cybersecurity Career Master Plan: Proven techniques and effective tips to help you advance in your cybersecurity career

Cybersecurity is an emerging career trend and will continue to become increasingly important. Despite the lucrative pay and significant career growth opportunities, many people are unsure of how to get started. This book is designed by leading industry experts to help you enter the world of cybe…

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise.

Cybersecurity Career Master Plan: Proven Techniques and Effective Tips to Help You Advance in Your Cybersecurity Career

Cybersecurity Career Master Plan: Proven Techniques and Effective Tips to Help You Advance in Your Cybersecurity Career

The book starts by helping you gain a foundational understanding of cybersecurity, covering cyber law, cyber policy, and frameworks. Next, you'll focus on how to choose the career field best suited to you from options such as security operations, penetration testing, and risk analysis.

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise.

The CERT Guide to Insider Threats: How to Prevent, Detect, and Respond to Information Technology Crimes (theft, Sabotage, Fraud)

The CERT Guide to Insider Threats: How to Prevent, Detect, and Respond to Information Technology Crimes (theft, Sabotage, Fraud)

Since 2001, the CERT® Insider Threat Center at Carnegie Mellon University’s Software Engineering Institute (SEI) has collected and analyzed information about more than seven hundred insider cyber crimes, ranging from national security espionage to theft of trade secrets. The CERT® Guide to Insid…

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise.

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