Monday, June 1, 2020

Identity Stories for IT Pros

IT pros know that part of today’s cybersecurity toolkit is understanding people and how they interact with – and through – technology. Science fiction is another tool to gain more insight into other ways of thinking about identity today and tomorrow. Fortunately, the last decade of identity-focused science fiction is more accessible and inclusive than ever before.

So, for IT pros in a variety of job roles, others working in the tech sector and aspiring professionals, the following novels and novellas are just a few of the many about identity – and each book includes at least one adventure and some chaos. This list includes books with more hope than is typical in dystopian fiction, and the tone of these echoes the 1969 Philip K. Dick novel Ubik, so happy reading (or listening, if you prefer audiobooks).
A Security Nightmare with a Smile You’ll Forget

The Sudden Appearance of Hope (2016) by Claire North

Claire North is a pen name for Catherine Webb, a lifelong Londoner who published as a teenager under her own name. Now in her thirties, she’s continued writing (and winning awards) while also working as a technical lighting designer.

Many popular physical security protocols could be broken by someone who no one can remember. Hope is that someone. Her own identity has become fluid. She slides through new names and personas using familiar technology (such as the Tor browser) and social engineering techniques. Hope just might be a cybersecurity nightmare with a smile that can’t be remembered, unless you stare at a photo.

In The Sudden Appearance of Hope, she’s living in a near-future where an app called Perfection is what “just everyone” is using. Adding to the realism and pacing, Hope functions under stress by listing facts, counting and imagining disappearing into her surroundings. Whether she’s just an international jewel thief with bad language and worse behavior, or she’s an avenger, the story is Hope’s.

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