“Kurtis Minder is operating in the shadowy world where cyber espionage meets high-stakes negotiation―and in Cyber Recon, he pulls back the curtain. This isn’t theory; Kurtis has lived it. From digital tradecraft to navigating conversations with cybercriminals, this book delivers hard-won insights from the front lines.”
Chris Voss, Author of Never Split the Difference and former FBI Hostage Negotiator
In Cyber Recon: My Life in Cyber Espionage and Ransomware Negotiation, Kurtis Minder reflects on his career in cybersecurity, offering a clear and candid view of what it’s like to confront cybercriminals directly.
Drawing on real incidents, Minder outlines how digital extortion plays out behind the scenes, and what organizations face when decisions must be made quickly and under pressure.
The book is heavily shaped by Minder’s work leading GroupSense, a firm that has responded to some of the most serious cyber incidents in recent years.
He explains how his team identifies and engages with attackers, while guiding clients through complex decisions under pressure. Minder explores the human side of cyber response, focusing on how moments of uncertainty and limited information influence decisions and shape the outcome.
Throughout the book, Minder includes insights from others working across the cybersecurity industry. These contributions highlight how responsibilities and expectations are often negotiated in real time. Questions of trust and accountability frequently emerge, particularly when time is short and the stakes are high.
Cyber Recon looks closely at the intersection of digital crime and human judgment.
It examines how leaders navigate unfamiliar territory under pressure, and what those experiences reveal about trust and responsibility in the context of cyber threats.
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