Intercept: The Secret History of Computers and Spies

INTERCEPT is the previously untold - and previously highly classified - story of the melding of technology and espionage. Gordon Corera's compelling narrative, rich with historical details and characters, takes us from the Second World War to the internet age, with astonishing revelations about espionage carried out today. The computer was born to spy. Under the intense pressure of the Second World War and in the confines of Britain's code-breaking establishment at Bletchley Park, the work of Alan Turing and others led to the birth of electronic espionage. It was a breakthrough that helped win the war. In the following decades, computers transformed espionage from the spy hunting of the Cold War years to the data-driven pursuit of terrorists and the industrial-scale cyber-espionage against corporations in the twenty-first century. Together, computers and spies are shaping the future, and from the rise of China to the phones in our pockets, what was once the preserve of a few intelligence agencies now matters for us all. Drawing on unique access to Western intelligence agencies, on the ground reporting from China and insights into the most powerful technology companies, Corera has gathered compelling stories from heads of state, hackers and spies of all stripes. INTERCEPT is a ground-breaking exploration of the new space in which the worlds of espionage, geopolitics, diplomacy, international business, science and technology collide.