Kindle
$13.99
Available instantly
Audible Logo Audiobook
$0.00
with membership trial
Hardcover
$12.72
Paperback
$9.37
$12.72 with 55 percent savings
List Price: $27.99

The List Price is the suggested retail price of a new product as provided by a manufacturer, supplier, or seller. Except for books, Amazon will display a List Price if the product was purchased by customers on Amazon or offered by other retailers at or above the List Price in at least the past 90 days. List prices may not necessarily reflect the product's prevailing market price.
Learn more
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns
FREE delivery Friday, May 17 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Or fastest delivery Wednesday, May 15. Order within 8 hrs 4 mins
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
$$12.72 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$12.72
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Ships from
Amazon
Ships from
Amazon
Sold by
DojoBooks
Sold by
DojoBooks
Returns
30-day easy returns
30-day easy returns
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Returns
30-day easy returns
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Payment
Secure transaction
Your transaction is secure
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
Payment
Secure transaction
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
Amazon book clubs early access
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Amazon book clubs early access

Join or create book clubs

Choose books together

Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Explore Amazon Book Clubs
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Malcolm W. Nance
+ Follow
More books from this author
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

The Plot to Hack America: How Putin's Cyberspies and WikiLeaks Tried to Steal the 2016 Election Hardcover – October 10, 2016

by Malcolm Nance (Author)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 2,429 ratings
See all formats and editions
{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$12.72","priceAmount":12.72,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"12","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"72","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"UMpR01JbwcCN4gX62PlgUY0gGegbchC8D%2BQ9d1C%2FRtUVsZbH%2F3tAzHlv%2FWxAJ4lR1z6t%2FYZ6lxOCz5jJ5e4G36N5TEeieofy4j3SkxXPyeUnOs%2BbYq1DJfJ%2F7FK4LWy9meH%2BjIe0rQMg%2Bhr1hlfowK5ngovdvSuVTDfKkGMacV4nLx95QMdoqA%3D%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

“The Plot to Hack America reads like a spy thriller, but it’s all too real.” –US Daily Review

Over 600 Amazon *FIVE STAR* Reviews!

“Nance states that, by their choices, actions, and statements, ‘Trump and Pence chose Russia’s values over America’s.’” –Michael Lipkin, New York Journal of Books

Published a full month prior to the divisive Trump vs. Clinton 2016 presidential election, this book exposed the Russian hacking while the CIA was drafting their own report. In April 2016, computer technicians at the Democratic National Committee discovered that someone had accessed the organization’s computer servers and conducted a theft that is best described as Watergate 2.0. In the weeks that followed, the nation’s top computer security experts discovered that the cyber thieves had helped themselves to everything: sensitive documents, emails, donor information, even voice mails.

Soon after, the remainder of the Democratic Party machine, the congressional campaign, the Clinton campaign, and their friends and allies in the media were also hacked. Credit cards numbers, phone numbers, and contacts were stolen. In short order, the FBI found that more than twenty-five state election offices had their voter registration systems probed or attacked by the same hackers.

Western intelligence agencies tracked the hack to Russian spy agencies and dubbed them the “Cyber Bears.” The media was soon flooded with the stolen information channeled through Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks. It was a massive attack on America but the Russian hacks appeared to have a singular goal—elect Donald J. Trump as president of the United States.

New York Times bestselling author of Defeating ISIS, Airey Neave Memorial Book Prize finalist for Hacking ISIS, career intelligence officer, and MSNBC terrorism expert correspondent Malcolm Nance’s fast paced real-life spy thriller takes you from Vladimir Putin’s rise through the KGB from junior officer to spymaster-in-chief and spells out the story of how he performed the ultimate political manipulation—convincing Donald Trump to abandon seventy years of American foreign policy including the destruction of NATO, cheering the end of the European Union, allowing Russian domination of Eastern Europe, and destroying the existing global order with America at its lead.

The Plot to Hack America is the thrilling true story of how Putin’s spy agency, run by the Russian billionaire class, used the promise of power and influence to cultivate Trump as well as his closest aides, the Kremlin Crew, to become unwitting assets of the Russian government. The goal? To put an end to 240 years of free and fair American democratic elections.
Read more Read less
Previous page
  1. Print length
    216 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Skyhorse
  4. Publication date
    October 10, 2016
  5. Dimensions
    6.25 x 1 x 9 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1510734686
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1510734685
  8. See all details
Next page
Books with Buzz
Books with Buzz
Discover the latest buzz-worthy books, from mysteries and romance to humor and nonfiction. Explore more

Frequently bought together

The Plot to Hack America: How Putin's Cyberspies and WikiLeaks Tried to Steal the 2016 Election
$12.72
Get it as soon as Friday, May 17
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
Sold by DojoBooks and ships from Amazon Fulfillment.
+
The Plot to Destroy Democracy: How Putin and His Spies Are Undermining America and Dismantling the West
$8.22
Get it as soon as Monday, May 20
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
Sold by The BAP Goods and ships from Amazon Fulfillment.
+
They Want to Kill Americans: The Militias, Terrorists, and Deranged Ideology of the Trump Insurgency
$16.38
Get it as soon as Saturday, May 18
Only 3 left in stock - order soon.
Sold by Bridge_Media and ships from Amazon Fulfillment.
Total price:
To see our price, add these items to your cart.
Details
Added to Cart
Some of these items ship sooner than the others.
Show details Hide details
Choose items to buy together.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“As an American double agent who worked against Russian intelligence in the US, this book shows how Putin’s spies stop at nothing.”
—Naveed Jamali, former double agent and author of How to Catch a Russian Spy

“The Plot to Hack America is an essential primer for anyone wanting to be fully informed about the unprecedented events surrounding the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Published shortly before the election, the book still provides the basic framework for understanding all that came after the election, much of which corroborates Nance’s claims and speculation. Remember, many people disputed or downplayed Russian involvement at the time. Subsequent developments show that Nance, the experienced intelligence operative, was way ahead of the curve.”
–Michael Lipkin, New York Journal of Books

“If you’ve read books like… Defeating ISIS, you know Malcolm’s expertise. If you’ve seen his 2007 congressional testimony using his firsthand experience with waterboarding to call it torture—back when that was controversial—you know Malcolm’s integrity. And if you’ve spent any time with his fellow Navy chiefs, you know Malcolm’s bluntness. It’s worth scrutinizing this bizarre episode in American politics and security. It’s unlikely to be a one-off event. After all, bears tend to go where they want—unless something stops them.”
–Spencer Ackerman, US National Security Editor, The Guardian, from his foreword

“Every single assertion Nance offers is backed by material from the PUBLIC record, clearly documented in end notes.”
–Kenneth J. Bernstein, Daily Kos

“The Plot to Hack America reads like a spy thriller, but it’s all too real.”
–US Daily Review

“If you had read this book as I did in November 2016 after Trump’s surprising, even to him, election, you would have known all this and all the characters now appearing who were in the Trump orbit and campaign… Thanks to the hero of the day, Malcolm Nance, we all now see where Mueller’s investigation is going and how its widening net includes interviewing White House insiders and Trump’s family members... By reading this book, at the urging of some of my key European advisors, I was forewarned of exactly how the Internet and all our media would be used by the Kremlin hackers to exploit the gullibility of US voters, so as to create today’s confusion and further divisions in our society.”
–Hazel Henderson, Ethical Markets

*** Praise for Malcolm Nance's New York Times bestselling Defeating ISIS ***

“I really think the [2016 Presidential] candidates ought to read this... You should buy this book.”
—Rachel Maddow, The Rachel Maddow Show, MSNBC

“A comprehensive, authoritative, and detailed compendium on the Islamic State (ISIS).”
—Perspectives on Terrorism

“In his detailed and informed study Nance argues that, in effect, America's War on Terror created a new breed of vicious terrorists who wear the mask of Islam like actors in a Kabuki theatre while carrying out horrifically un-Islamic acts.”
—Richard Engel, Chief Foreign Correspondent, NBC News, from his foreword

*** On the Russian Hacking ***

“Putin and the leaders throughout the world have no respect for our country anymore and they certainly have no respect for our leader.”
— Donald Trump, President of the United States of America

“We know that Russian intelligence services hacked into the DNC and we know that they arranged for a lot of those emails to be released… But I think laying out the facts raises serious issues about Russian interference in our elections, in our democracy.”
—Hillary Clinton, Democratic presidential candidate and former Secretary of State

“What we do know is that the Russians hack our systems. Not just government systems, but private systems.”
—Barack Obama, former President of the United States of America

*** Russia’s Response ***

“I wouldn’t know anything about it. You know, there are so many hackers today and they work with such finesse, planting a trail where and when they need… It’s difficult to trace, if even possible... The important thing here is what the public was shown… One shouldn’t draw the public attention from the core of the issue by replacing it with secondary details like who did it.”
—Vladimir Putin, Russian President

“Overall, we still see attempts to use—manically use—the Russian issue during the US electoral campaign. . . . The absurd claims were immediately refuted directly by a presidential candidate’s family.”
—Dmitry Peskov,Russian government spokesman

*** Praise for Skyhorse Publishing ***

“In the era of corporate dominated mainstream media and feckless herd reporting, Skyhorse's willingness to tackle tough issues that other publishers won't touch has made it a critical cog in our democracy.”
–Robert F. Kennedy Jr., New York Times bestselling author

“As an American double agent who worked against Russian intelligence in the US, this book shows how Putin’s spies stop at nothing.”
—Naveed Jamali, former double agent and author of How to Catch a Russian Spy

“The Plot to Hack America is an essential primer for anyone wanting to be fully informed about the unprecedented events surrounding the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Published shortly before the election, the book still provides the basic framework for understanding all that came after the election, much of which corroborates Nance’s claims and speculation. Remember, many people disputed or downplayed Russian involvement at the time. Subsequent developments show that Nance, the experienced intelligence operative, was way ahead of the curve.”
–Michael Lipkin, New York Journal of Books

“If you’ve read books like… Defeating ISIS, you know Malcolm’s expertise. If you’ve seen his 2007 congressional testimony using his firsthand experience with waterboarding to call it torture—back when that was controversial—you know Malcolm’s integrity. And if you’ve spent any time with his fellow Navy chiefs, you know Malcolm’s bluntness. It’s worth scrutinizing this bizarre episode in American politics and security. It’s unlikely to be a one-off event. After all, bears tend to go where they want—unless something stops them.”
–Spencer Ackerman, US National Security Editor, The Guardian, from his foreword

“Every single assertion Nance offers is backed by material from the PUBLIC record, clearly documented in end notes.”
–Kenneth J. Bernstein, Daily Kos

“The Plot to Hack America reads like a spy thriller, but it’s all too real.”
–US Daily Review

“If you had read this book as I did in November 2016 after Trump’s surprising, even to him, election, you would have known all this and all the characters now appearing who were in the Trump orbit and campaign… Thanks to the hero of the day, Malcolm Nance, we all now see where Mueller’s investigation is going and how its widening net includes interviewing White House insiders and Trump’s family members... By reading this book, at the urging of some of my key European advisors, I was forewarned of exactly how the Internet and all our media would be used by the Kremlin hackers to exploit the gullibility of US voters, so as to create today’s confusion and further divisions in our society.”
–Hazel Henderson, Ethical Markets

*** Praise for Malcolm Nance's New York Times bestselling Defeating ISIS ***

“I really think the [2016 Presidential] candidates ought to read this... You should buy this book.”
—Rachel Maddow, The Rachel Maddow Show, MSNBC

“A comprehensive, authoritative, and detailed compendium on the Islamic State (ISIS).”
—Perspectives on Terrorism

“In his detailed and informed study Nance argues that, in effect, America's War on Terror created a new breed of vicious terrorists who wear the mask of Islam like actors in a Kabuki theatre while carrying out horrifically un-Islamic acts.”
—Richard Engel, Chief Foreign Correspondent, NBC News, from his foreword

*** On the Russian Hacking ***

“Putin and the leaders throughout the world have no respect for our country anymore and they certainly have no respect for our leader.”
— Donald Trump, President of the United States of America

“We know that Russian intelligence services hacked into the DNC and we know that they arranged for a lot of those emails to be released… But I think laying out the facts raises serious issues about Russian interference in our elections, in our democracy.”
—Hillary Clinton, Democratic presidential candidate and former Secretary of State

“What we do know is that the Russians hack our systems. Not just government systems, but private systems.”
—Barack Obama, former President of the United States of America

*** Russia’s Response ***

“I wouldn’t know anything about it. You know, there are so many hackers today and they work with such finesse, planting a trail where and when they need… It’s difficult to trace, if even possible... The important thing here is what the public was shown… One shouldn’t draw the public attention from the core of the issue by replacing it with secondary details like who did it.”
—Vladimir Putin, Russian President

“Overall, we still see attempts to use—manically use—the Russian issue during the US electoral campaign. . . . The absurd claims were immediately refuted directly by a presidential candidate’s family.”
—Dmitry Peskov,Russian government spokesman

*** Praise for Skyhorse Publishing ***

“In the era of corporate dominated mainstream media and feckless herd reporting, Skyhorse's willingness to tackle tough issues that other publishers won't touch has made it a critical cog in our democracy.”
–Robert F. Kennedy Jr., New York Times bestselling author

About the Author

Malcolm Nance is a globally recognized counter-terrorism expert and Intelligence Community member who has been deployed to intelligence operations in the Balkans, Middle East, and sub-Saharan Africa. He is the author of five books, including the New York Times bestseller Defeating ISIS and the Airey Neave Memorial Book Prize Finalist Hacking ISIS, and is a counter-terrorism analyst for NBC News and MSNBC. He lives in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Skyhorse (October 10, 2016)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 216 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1510734686
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1510734685
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 10 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.25 x 1 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 2,429 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Malcolm W. Nance

Malcolm W. Nance

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Malcolm Nance is a former Arabic speaking naval intelligence counter-terrorism and intelligence officer specializing in the Middle East; a combat veteran, Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape expert, historian, and author. He spent 35 years participating in field and combat intelligence activity including both covert and clandestine anti & counter-terrorism support to national intelligence agencies. He is a member of the Board of Advisors at the International Spy Museum in Washington DC; as honored as one of the noteworthy African-Americans in Espionage and featured in the Academy award nominated documentary Dirty Wars. MSNBC and labeled him one the "unsung national security genius of our time." He is presently executive Director of the Terror Asymmetrics Project on Strategy, Tactics and Radical Ideologies (TAPSTRI) in Hudson, NY.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
2,429 global ratings
Read this book if you want to live
5 Stars
Read this book if you want to live
Could not put down. Made a difficult to understand subject easier to understand. SHOCKING AND MIND BLOWING! Have been forcing everyone I know to read this. A must read for anyone who's interested in understanding what happened in the 2016 American election between the most experienced candidate and a "useful idiot"
Hide
Thank you for your feedback
Sorry, there was an error
Sorry we couldn't load the review

Top reviews from the United States

mdash
5.0 out of 5 stars An Intelligence Expert Explains the Trump-Russia Cyber War Operation
Reviewed in the United States on April 24, 2018
Verified Purchase
This was the first book I read on the whole Trump-Russia mess--it came out before most others, while we were all struggling to figure out what the heck happened in the 2016 election. It's an excellent primer on Russian espionage and the history of how they became the dominant cyber warriors they are today.

Nance is an Intelligence Community (IC) insider and explains step by step Russia's cyber warfare operation to elect Trump--exactly how they infiltrated the DNC, giving details about "Fancy Bear" and "Cozy Bear," and how they worked with Wikileaks to weaponize what they stole--how the whole operation went down.

He writes in a just-the-facts concise style, establishing his conclusions with logical arguments and evidence. He goes into Trump's and Putin's psychological profiles--which is something other books don't do. But Nance is trained to suss out people's strengths and weaknesses to understand their motivations and behavior. It's all part of the espionage strategy. He tells you in very clear terms why Putin nurtured Trump as an asset and how easy it was, given Trump's nature (narcissistic, insecure, etc.) and Putin's KGB training. He stops short of claiming that Trump is a witting asset--since he doesn't have bulletproof evidence of that, but he does show that Putin easily exploited Trump to great success.

Nance walks you through IT stuff like how malware works, what DDoS attacks are, how systems are hacked, what spear-phishing and spoofing is, etc. It makes you realize how crazy hard it must be to protect data--and why we'd better get moving on defending ourselves because the Russians haven't stopped what they're doing. Troll farms are still operating and our systems are still at risk.

To that end, he lays out clear recommendations for what the government and our leaders should do and say to us about this attack. Of course, with Trump and the GOP in charge--none of these things have happened. No action has been taken to defend us from such an attack again and predictably, Trump has denied he colluded with Russia to get elected. That would be tantamount to declaring he's illegitimate, so he's doubled down and taken Putin's side against our own intelligence agencies. It's outrageous and maddening that Trump and the GOP have essentially surrendered our country to Putin.

Nance includes in the appendix the actual IC declassified documents about Russia's cyber attack on our election as well as examples of Russia's disinformation and propaganda efforts that succeeded in dividing and deceiving us. It's incredible stuff--you get to read the overwhelming proof that Trump has rejected and see for yourself how crazy and compromised he must be.

Nance's book is best at explaining in layman's terms exactly what happened--the actual cyber stuff Russia did. You're in a good position to read all the other Trump-Russia books after this--about the shady actors and corrupt dealings of Trump and the people around him, and the events that have happened since the election, since you know the basic facts of the case. It's a great reference on spy craft, too.
23 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Denny Hatch
5.0 out of 5 stars Deserves a Pulitzer. Dazzling research, easy-to-read skinny on the greatest hack in history
Reviewed in the United States on December 19, 2016
Verified Purchase
Does Vladimir Putin have Donald Trump in his hip pocket? Are we in serious danger? Quotes below are from Malcolm Nance’s terrifying account and the locations in your Kindle edition.

In the words of the card player when he turns over four kings: “Read ‘em and weep.”
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Simply put, the Democratic machine was hit by a terrorist attack without bombs. Location 478

Turned away by American banks due to bankruptcies, Trump has been getting investments from Russian sources. Location721

Trump was dazzled, and desired the attention of the only oligarch that mattered, Vladimir Putin. Location 729

Trump, knowing he was culling favor with a powerful man—he had nuclear weapons and beautiful women… Location 750

“[Trump] is a bright & talented person without doubt. He is the absolute leader of the presidential race.” —Putin Location 829

In his own mind, Trump may feel he received more support from Moscow than he did from the Republican Party. Location 834

“Secret Ledger in Ukraine lists cash for Donald Trump’s campaign chief [Manafort].” NY Times [...]hpa9nh6 Location 911

Manafort had been paid by pro-Russian parties in the Ukraine to organize anti-NATO protests in Crimea Location 922

Howard Lorber is a Trump campaign donor and investor in Russia. He’s given $100,000 to the “Trump Victory Fund” Location 935

Michael Caputo worked under contract to improve Vladimir Putin’s image. He took on the roll of Trump’s advisor. Location 965

[Gen. Michael] Flynn has also expressed desires to develop a stronger relationship with Russia. Location 970

[Flynn] bragged about being the only US official allowed into the HQ of Russian Military Intelligence, the GRU. Location 976

Russian Television 10th anniversary gala in Moscow, Flynn was seated at the right hand of Vladimir Putin. Location 1004

Pro-Russian players apparently were so close to Trump they could literally be chosen as his campaign manager Location 1021

Trump wants money and Russia has money, prestige, and the kind of women Trump likes. Location 1038

Putin’s vision: use sycophant Trump as President to subordinate US to role of junior partner to a rising Russia Location 1048

In the intelligence business, we’d say Mr. Putin recruited Trump as an unwitting agent of the Russian Federation. Location 1119

OPERATION LUCKY-7; THE KREMLIN PLAN TO ELECT A PRESIDENT Location 1122

Vladimir Putin sees the election of Donald Trump as the fastest way to destabilize the United States. Location 1129

There is no greater threat to Putin’s policies than Hillary Clinton. Location 1167

The deep personal animosity between Clinton and Putin is long and sordid. Location1171

Trump: “Hats off to the Russians.” Location 1272

Trump himself believed that NATO was obsolete and should be disbanded, that Crimea should be given to Russia Location1283

Putin has been able to get Donald to tout his connections to Russia as a positive for America. Location 1352

Trump successfully spun the line: “Putin respects me & would work with me, he won’t work with Hillary.”
Location 1356

For old-school KGB officers, conducting a political & cyberwarfare operation would be a lifelong dream. Location 1364

Russian Intelligence can steal, smear, influence and quite possibly select a U.S. President. Location1371

Russian intelligence would spare no effort to elect Donald Trump President of the United States. Location 1371
209 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Norman A. Pattis
4.0 out of 5 stars Keystroke Combat Explained
Reviewed in the United States on December 18, 2016
Verified Purchase
This was a troubling read. Written before the general election, it makes the case that the Kremlin views Donald Trump as an unwitting dupe, and the American electorate as manipulable with massive doses of misinformation and propaganda. It makes the case that cyberwarfare can and will be a potent threat in years to come.

All this before Trump was actually elected.

From time to time, the author slips into self-righteous liberally hysteria, but his point remains valid: Vladimir Putin would like nothing better than to neutralize the influence of the United States in the world at large.

I would have liked to learn more about the actual mechanics of hacking -- how it works, how it can be attributed to particular parties, etc. Instead, the book offers a quick history of the general election,and an overview of Russian hacking in recent years.

It is a quick, eye-opening read. Indeed, it got me wondering how deeply involved the Russians are in financing and influencing bloggers in the United States. I suspect moreso than we realize.

The author aims to outrage, but does not. Cyberwarfare is simply peacetime keystroke combat -- the new cold war.
10 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

Anglian Traveller
5.0 out of 5 stars Prophetic book from a counter-intelligence expert in 2016
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 5, 2018
Verified Purchase
Multiply-decorated US Naval officer Malcolm Nance’s period of active duty was between 1981 and 2001, during which time he worked as a cryptology specialist and took part in counter-terrorist combat operations in Iraq. Fluent in Russian and Arabic, he is the author of several books on Islamic terrorism including the NY Times bestseller ‘Defeating Isis.’

In ‘The Plot to Hack America’ pub July 2016, Nance details how the DNC was hacked by two separate Russian-manufactured malware programs identified by cybersecurity professionals as ‘APT-28’ & ‘APT-29’. Starting in early 2016, thousands of emails plus cellphone, address and credit card details were stolen from everyone formally associated with the US Democrat Party. The book demonstrates why this hack was more complete & effective than the physical break-in to the Watergate offices on the orders of Richard Nixon in June 1972, which it resembled in all essential respects.

The author lays out the history of Russia’s covert intelligence operations over the decades and demonstrates how we can be certain that the ‘Cyber Bears’ are the product of the FSB (ex-KGB), GRU (Russian Military intelligence) and Russian criminal cyberwarfare subcontractors. Common KGB/FSB MO is that when physically breaking into someone’s apartment, the intruders ensure the occupant returning home is greeted by “calling cards”- cigarette butts stamped into carpets, household contents thrown about and ‘something unpleasant’ left in the toilet bowl. True to form, the Russian hackers deliberately left metadata behind in the DNC servers to advertise their successful break-in and ensure any competent IT professional investigating the breach would quickly discover the hackers were state-sponsored actors operating out of Moscow. Moscow then weaponised the hacked data and timed its selective release through Wikileaks in order to cause maximum damage to the Clinton campaign and suppress the vote for Hillary Clinton on election day.

These same hackers have been active in Lithuania, Georgia and other places, and in Estonia where they virtually shut down the country after successfully hacking and taking control of the power station network. They supported Marine le Pen in the French presidential election by attacking TV Monde in the “cyber-caliphate” false-flag operation. In France they failed despite their efforts, whereas in the USA they succeeded.

According to Nance, the strategic objectives of this 7-stage Russian operation included:

• To damage Hillary Clinton sufficiently for her to lose the US presidential election which she would otherwise win

• To install the favoured Russian candidate, Donald Trump, in the White House

• To damage/weaken NATO by getting the Russian-picked presidential candidate to publicly trash its reputation and proclaim NATO has "outlived its usefulness"

• "Repatriate" marginal ethnic-Russian regions like Crimea and the eastern part of Ukraine with no effective opposition from the west

And further:

• Force the USA into isolationism and weaken/diminish it internationally

• Bring about a new world order in which a renascent autocratic Russia would “call the shots” in the eastern hemisphere with an isolationist (obedient/compliant?) USA acquiescent/supportive of Russian actions

Wikileaks has for years been credibly suspected by many to be a fully-owned arm of Russian military intelligence created to damage western democracies under the pretext of “government openness”. Nance doesn't go this far, but names Wikileaks “Russia’s laundromat” as they were an essential part of this cyberwarfare attack.

The worrying questions are: to what degree was Trump aware of this Russian plot to hack his opponents when he made public statements on the campaign which demonstrated he knew about it in advance and publicly praised Wikileaks, and to what degree did he and his team actively assist the Russians? Is this treasonous, and can a sitting president be indicted while in office?

TPTHA was published prior to the Russians’ widespread election-day hacking of the voter rolls in Democrat-voting districts in swing states designed to suppress the Democrat vote and deliver the election to Trump, so was highly prophetic at the time of its publication.

The book is a fairly easy 153-page read, beefed out with 20 pages of appendices and 31 pages of endnotes. It's very thorough and professionally written. The sub-title of this July 2016-publication should be updated from “tried to steal” to “stole”.
8 people found this helpful
 Report
Dawnforce
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Overview of a Troubling Time
Reviewed in Canada on February 11, 2017
Verified Purchase
Read this book if you want to connect the dots as to what is going on in the States with this whole Trump thing....scary but true, backed by numerous sources and other things you can verify on your own with the abundance of info that's out there. Although understanding it all helps, it's too bad those Republicans that aren't speaking up or who still support the Trump agenda don't seem bothered by their candidate in the least.
4 people found this helpful
 Report
Alain Couniot
4.0 out of 5 stars A very well documented analysis of the 2016 US campaign
Reviewed in France on April 13, 2017
Verified Purchase
I haven't of course checked the many references cited by the author but the various elements he brings forward in his analysis are grounded, well documented and highly plausible. Further than that, everyone will make his own opinion. Taking into account that the book was published before the November ballot, the book seems quite prescient and is definitely worth reading.
Report
HDN
5.0 out of 5 stars Good Research, to the point and up to date
Reviewed in Germany on October 13, 2016
Verified Purchase
Malcolm is a respected scholar because his research is rock solid and to the point. This book takes on cyber security and the disturbing connections of FSB/ Putin's attempts at hybrid warfare tactics that seek to disrupt US Elections just like my research and evidence found in Ukraine in 2015. If you are in cyber security you NEED to read this book!
One person found this helpful
 Report
Garth Greatheart
5.0 out of 5 stars What’s going on!
Reviewed in Canada on May 19, 2019
Verified Purchase
This book reads like a spy novel! Really got me thinking about the deep state in a totally different way. The book challenges what you thought was true and can make you seriously wonder what is going on. Holy Smokes!
Report