@War: The Rise of Military-Internet Complex

Cloak-and-dagger, high tech, and big business converge in this revelatory, page-turning account of a new kind of conflict, less visible but more invasive than any wars America has fought before.

The United States military views cyberspace as the fifth domain of warfare (alongside land, air, sea, and space), and the Pentagon, the National Security Agency, and the CIAfield teams of hackers who launch cyber strikes against enemy targets and amass staggering quantities of personal information on all of us. These same virtual warriors, along with a growing band of private-sector counterparts, are charged with defending us against the vast array of criminals, terrorists, and foreign governments who attack us with ever-increasing frequency and effectiveness.

Shane Harris infiltrates the frontlines of this fifth domain, explaining how and why government agencies are joining with tech giants like Google and Facebook to collect vast amounts of information. The military has also formed a new alliance with tech and finance companies to patrol cyberspace, and Harris offers a more penetrating and unnerving view of this partnership than we have ever seen before. Finally, he details the welter of opportunities and threats that the mushrooming military-Internet complex poses for our personal freedoms, our economic security, and the future of our nation.