These books read like thrillers, but every story is real. They reveal how cybercriminals, fraudsters, and global networks operate – and how their actions affect all of us.

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1. Kingpin – Kevin Poulsen

The true story of Max Butler, a hacker who took over huge parts of the cyber-crime underground. A gripping look at online fraud and the people behind it.

2. McMafia – Misha Glenny

A global tour of modern organised crime. Glenny shows how criminal networks operate like multinational businesses, shaping politics, economies, and everyday life.

3. The Lazarus Heist – Geoff White & Jean Lee

A fast-paced account of North Korea’s state-sponsored hacking group. It covers the Sony Pictures attack, global bank heists, and the political motivations behind them.

4. Spam Nation – Brian Krebs

Krebs uncovers the criminal empires behind spam emails, fake pharmacies, and identity theft. A fascinating look at how online crime is organised.

5. American Kingpin – Nick Bilton

The rise and fall of Ross Ulbricht, creator of the Silk Road dark-web marketplace. Bilton tells the story like a crime novel – but it’s all true.

6. Sandworm – Andy Greenberg

A chilling investigation into a Russian hacking group responsible for major cyber-attacks, including the Ukraine power grid. Clear, accessible, and deeply researched.

7. DarkMarket – Misha Glenny

A behind-the-scenes look at the early days of online criminal marketplaces. Glenny explains how cybercrime communities formed and evolved.

8. The Perfect Weapon – David E. Sanger

A history of how cyber-attacks became a tool of state power. Sanger uses real incidents to show how nations now fight in the digital shadows.

9. No Place to Hide – Glenn Greenwald

The inside story of the Snowden leaks. Greenwald focuses on the human drama as much as the technical detail, making it easy for non-experts to follow.

10. Billion Dollar Whale – Tom Wright & Bradley Hope

A jaw-dropping account of the 1MDB scandal – a global fraud involving banks, celebrities, and governments. Essential reading on how financial crime really works.