CRC Press Guardians of the Digital Age: Securing the Future (Security, Audit and Leadership Series)

The internet wasn’t built for time travelers. But when ethical hacker and mother Elsa and her 14-year-old son, Aiden, uncover a hidden code buried deep within cyberspace, they are pulled into a high-stakes journey through cybersecurity history – from the birth of ARPANET in 1969 to the artificial intelligence (AI)-driven cyberwars of 2040. Their mission? Trace the origins of digital security before an unknown force alters history and reshapes the future of technology forever. As they jump across decades, they encounter internet pioneers, legendary hackers, and cyber-rebels who changed the digital world. But not everything in the past wants to stay in the past. Real dangers lurk in the timeline. Elsa and Aiden must navigate malware, mass surveillance, cyberwarfare, and a growing mystery that threatens the foundation of the internet itself. As they race against time, they also face their own fears and shifting trust in each other. A thrilling bridge between past and future, this book introduces parents and teens to the evolution of the internet and the most essential skill of our time – digital security. The future is written in code – but cybersecurity is about trust and humanity. Will they protect it, or rewrite it?