The Lazarus Heist: Based on the No 1 Hit podcast

Book quality is not worth the price. On the roadside, this could be bought for under 200 rupees.

If this book doesn’t make you stop and pause for though on how safe you are given the Internet, likely nothing will. From your bank account being emptied to your hospital not being able to operate on you as your medical records can’t be accessed. Along the way you learn how it is done, at a conceptual level. There are only a few lines of code in the book that are well explained in the context of a scam.It never occurred to me that Internet influencers could be part of cyber crime scams, along with the perhaps more expected bankers and lads in their bedroom with a computer.The book weaves a fascinating story from start to finish that is well worth a read.

Ever wonder how North Korea keeps going despite enslaving and starving it’s people under the pseudo communist Juche (self reliance) philosophy? The Marxist regime steals to keep its inner circle fed, in Mercedes cars and living a life of luxury. This book explains the state sponsored robberies which help them maintain the regime’s power.

I work in information security, so the topic of this book was naturally interesting to me, but Geoff did such a great job with his incredibly in-depth research to set the scene for those who may not have been as familiar with some of the activity. I learned so much about the scope and depth of NK, and think it’s a must-read for anyone who’s connected to the internet. Those scam emails that you (hopefully!) ignore, those influencers you see on Instagram… at face value, it’s part and parcel of the world we live in, but Geoff breaks down the behind-the-scenes activity that few of us ever really see. Definitely worth a read!

Having lapped up the podcast I couldn't wait to get my mitts on the book and it did not disappoint. The books goes in to more detail (which I was craving) than the podcast and you really get a sense of the depth of research Geoff has done. It really is incredible how they pull all of this off and what lengths and depths they are prepared to go to and what they are behind. It reads like fiction as it's an unbelivable story but told in a way where topics I had previously thought I couldn't get my head round are easily understood. More please!

Written in a style that keeps up the pace while making it easy to read and understand, you don't have to know anything about cyber and crime before picking up this book. By the time you put it down, your perception of the world and the way criminal operators work will have changed forever. This is a brilliantly researched work, presented in a way anyone can appreciate. It's a must read, and I am recommending it to everyone I meet.