Title: Zero Day
Author: S. Hussain Zaidi
Publisher: HarperCollins India (2022)
Genre: Crime Thriller
Pages: 224
Buy Link: Amazon
S. Hussain Zaidi’s Zero Day, is a
crime thriller ̶ a captivating story that revolves around cybercrimes.
Phishing, hacking, and online harassment are so common these days. This is a
digital era. In a way, the universe is at our fingertips. We are breathing in
the world of internet. And each coin has two sides. Isn’t it too scary that these
devices in our hands and homes, listening, watching and sharing our personal
data.
Zero Day begins with the sequence of DDoS attacks in Mumbai. Team of Anti Terrorism Squad receives an email about the hacking of traffic signals and more potential cyber threats. How team handled this situation tactfully. What is the connection between this hacking and child pornography? What is online solicitation?
Basically, through this roller-coaster ride, author tried to depict the current situation of cyber terror in our country, how innocent lives are crushed by terrorists, that too without arms and ammunitions. There are sub-plots unfolded eventually and those interlaced characters wrapped this tale in the end. With many twists and minor detailing, Zaidi has presented a refreshing story. As far as, prose style is concerned, it is simple yet gripping. The only thing I would like to ask for is deep layered characters.
Zero Day, is an engaging rush-ride thriller for beginners. This book takes you deep inside the criminal world of dark cyber space. Read!
‘In the midst of all the chaos around him, as his vehicle slowly inched towards Nagpada, Vikrant reread the email that Mirza had forwarded him on the messaging app. He had read it twice already but was still trying to believe what it said.
What you are experiencing right now is called a Distributed Denial of Service or DDoS attack. I’m sure you have experts who will break it down for you in simple terms, but what I have basically done is caused the server that controls your traffic signals to crash.
As your experts will tell you, such an attack requires a massive number of hacked devices. I should warn you that the number of devices I used for this DDoS attack is only a fraction of what I have at my disposal. If my demands, which will be conveyed shortly, are not met, my next target will be an even bigger public utility. Consider this a warning.’
Synopsis
Mumbai is in a state of chaos. All traffic signals across the entire city have stopped working.
Shahwaz Ali Mirza, head of the
Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad, receives an anonymous email claiming it to be
a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack. He quickly puts together a crack
team that includes his protege, IG Cybercrime Vikrant Singh, and gets to work
trawling the dark web for more information on this mystery attack. However, a
move to bring forward the hacker backfires, leading to a second, deadlier
attack on Mumbai's lifeline, the railway system.
It is their first brush with
cyberterrorism: a zero-day vulnerability in the Indian government's system that
could bring the country to its knees. Racing against time and investigating a
case unlike any other, in Zero Day, Mirza and Vikrant face the most
dangerous mission of their lives.
About the Author
S. Hussain Zaidi is a veteran of investigative, crime and terror reporting. His previous books include Black Friday, Mafia Queens of Mumbai, Dongri to Dubai, Byculla to Bangkok, Mumbai Avengers and Eleventh Hour, some of which have been adapted into Bollywood films. Hussain Zaidi lives with his family in Mumbai.
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