Weapons of Math Destruction

Weapons of Math Destruction: How Big Data Increases Inequality and Threatens Democracy by Cathy O’Neil

Not strictly about cybersecurity, but an excellent novel about the dangers of big data. Cathy O’Neil is a skilled mathematician and a veteran of the data sciences industry after having worked for years as a quant on Wall Street. For those unfamiliar with the phrase, “big data” is the term used to describe data sets that are too large to analyze with traditional methods.

As mentioned above this book isn’t exactly related to cybersecurity, you won’t discover the secret to securing your workspace within its pages. What you will find is a treatise on how more access to data an make systems less equal and inaccurate instead of more. It delves into the societal impacts big data can have and why we need to be wary about using it, she even coined the acronym WMD (Weapons of Math Destruction) for big data algorithms that cause more harm than good or have unintended consequences.

This novel is a short read, but definitely a worthwhile one. It will make you reconsider the importance of your own privacy and how much we should really rely on these algorithms to influence us and make decisions for us.

Team Recommendation: Good Read