Blog Tour Tens List & Giveaway: The Quantum Breach by Denver Acey

Quantum Breach blog tour

The Quantum BreachThe Quantum Breach
by Denver Acey
Adult Suspense
Paperback256 Pages
June 10th 2014 by Cedar Fort Publishing & Media

Summary

Tanner Zane is a Mormon with a secret criminal past. Nobody suspects that, before his religious conversion, Tanner hacked into thousands of computer networks across the globe. He accumulated millions of dollars from his illegal activities until a sudden, life-changing event caused him to abandon hacking and give his fortune to charity. But Tanner’s guarded past is exposed when he is kidnapped by his mysterious neighbor and forced to hack into an impossible target – Los Alamos National Labs. Inside the government facility is a prototype quantum computer that is powerful enough to crack the digital safeguards of the Internet. When Tanner learns that cyber-terrorists will use the quantum computer to commit massive identify theft and corporate espionage around the world, he deliberately engages in an intellectual battle with his captors to prevent them from obtaining the device.
   

Ten Things to Do to Protect Yourself Online

Social media is a great tool for interaction, especially among the tech-savvy youth of today. Unfortunately, most people who use social media are unaware of the inherent risks of the Internet.  They assume that their personal information is always protected and secure.  They are wrong.  Computer hacking is a billion dollar business, and identify theft is no longer just a threat – it’s a reality.  Utilizing actual hacking concepts and scenarios I have witnessed in my career as a computer specialist, I wrote The Quantum Breach to entertain, yet illustrate how vulnerable we all are to cybercrime.  

So how does someone keep their personal information secure in Cyberspace?  Here are ten ways that I suggest to keep ahead of the hackers.

  1. Use separate passwords for each of your social media accounts – This can be a pain, but it is extremely crucial to keep your data safe.  If you use the same password for every site, once a hacker gets one of your passwords, he’s got them all.
  2. Use strong passwords – I recommend a minimum of ten characters, using a combination of upper/lowercase, numbers, and symbols.  Think of a special phrase and use the first letter of each word to make an easy to remember password.  For example: “I want to ski all day long!” could be a password like: Iw2Skiadayl!
  3. Run an antivirus program on your computer, and keep it updated – This is a basic concept, yet so many people fail to do it.
  4. If you use Windows, install the monthly security updates from Microsoft –Those monthly updates fix many of the security holes that hackers use to get into your system.
  5. Use a password or PIN to secure your smartphone – You’re smartphone is a computer, and it contains all sorts of personal information.  Keep it locked.  Better yet, don’t store personal information like birthdates, Social Security numbers, or bank account information on your phone.
  6. Avoid public Wi-Fi – Before you send personal information over a public wireless network, like those found in coffee shops, libraries, or airports, remember that the hackers also have access to the same wireless network.  They’ll be sniffing the network for your personal information, I guarantee it.
  7. Keep your private life private – As tempting as it is to post a picture of your new driver’s license on Facebook, think about what an identity thief can do with that information.  Never post your full name, Social Security number, address, phone number, or account numbers on publicly accessible sites, even if think that only your ‘friends’ will see it.
  8. Avoid phishing emails – Don’t open files, click on links, or download programs unless you know for sure the content of the email is secure.  It’s best to just delete a suspicious email.  Also, remember that no legitimate business will EVER send you an email, asking for personal account information.  If you get an email asking to verify your username or password, it’s a trap.
  9. Be Alert to Impersonators – We call this social engineering in the computer security world, and it’s a huge problem.  Don’t give out your personal information on the phone, through the mail or over the Internet unless you’ve initiated the contact, or you know exactly who you’re dealing with. 
  10. Use credit cards for all online purchases – Credit cards offer some protection against identity theft and can limit your financial exposure.  On the other hand, debit cards give an attacker immediate access to a bank account and all the available funds.

About the Author

Few people understand the terrifying, yet realistic threat of computer hacking like Denver Acey. Acey has spent his entire professional career in the information technology industry where he has witnessed and even thwarted actual cybercrime. From his top-secret job working for the US government to securing computer networks at Fortune 500 companies, Acey is personally familiar with hackers and their unscrupulous activities.

But over the years, Acey has become increasingly frustrated with Hollywood’s inaccurate portrayal of cybercrime. Hackers are more intelligent and more sophisticated than simple teenagers, who guzzle down Mountain Dew while playing video games. Cybercrime is a billion-dollar business that encompasses organized crime and foreign governments. For these elite hackers, the fruits of success are iconic trademarks, innovative patents, and government secrets.

Because of his unique background, Acey decided to write a book to dispel hacking myths while highlighting the tenacity of cybercriminals. Utilizing actual computer hacking concepts and scenarios that he has experienced firsthand, Acey illustrates — in a simple way for even the non-techie to understand — how vulnerable we all are to cybercrime.


Giveaway

Ebook of The Quantum Breach
Ends June 12th

a Rafflecopter giveaway

27 comments

  1. These are some great pick. I like the sounds of both of them.

    Jenea @ Books Live Forever's WoW

    ReplyDelete
  2. ooh how did I miss City of Heavenly Fire?!! Great list!!

    Here's my TTT for this week!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I've been debating if I'm going to do the same since I don't have the ARC for it.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thanks for stopping by! I'll come check out yours...

    ReplyDelete
  5. Both should be really good - I hope.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Battle Angel just sounds like a great and intense end to the series, so I'm really looking forward to it!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I've read one and really enjoyed it. This one sounds really good though. Hopefully it will end up meeting my expectations.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I can't believe number three is almost out for Immortal City, I haven't even read the second one yet.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I read this book and many of the things on the list are illustrated in the book. It is a wonderful book. It's worth taking the time to read. :)

    ReplyDelete
  10. Me too!!! :D I'm pretty sure that I'll love COHF. I'm much lighter in July and August and I'm planning on getting a lot of books read that I just want to read.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I meant to already have On the Fence read. I've been looking forward to it for forever!! My physical copy is coming on release day, so either way I'll be getting to it soon. I love Karen Witemeyer too! Her first book is my favorite, but this one looks and sounds really cute. :)

    ReplyDelete
  12. I'm about ready to do a huge YA binge. I haven't been getting enough of those read and there a ton that I've missed that I really want to read. Too scheduled lately. July is going to be great for reading and reviews. :)

    ReplyDelete
  13. The last two books were so-so for me. I've heard good things about this one so far - I'm hoping I'll really love it.

    ReplyDelete
  14. I agree - there aren't many books out there that have genies! I've requested it on Netgalley, so it's unknown so far if I've been approved, XD



    ~Sophia @ Bookwyrming Thoughts

    ReplyDelete
  15. That's me too. The second one is just waiting on my shelf and has been for almost a year. I've got to get it read!!

    ReplyDelete
  16. I haven't gotten approved for it yet and I requested it some time ago. I will wish us both luck that we get it!

    ReplyDelete
  17. I have 8 and 10, 2 looks like one I would like to look into. Great list.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Have you read any of Deeanne Gist's books? If you haven't, I highly recommend her if you love historical romance with plenty of humor and a little action/suspense. They are inspirational/Christian, but not ever preachy. Just really good. :)

    ReplyDelete
  19. When I found out about the tour I was already so booked up and I have really pushed it in May and this month so far, so I skipped the review. I am planning on reading this though. It sounds like a book I would really get into with all the suspense and I hear there is a little bit of romance too, which is exactly how I like them. :)

    ReplyDelete
  20. On the fence was adorable :D Midnight thief sounds like a great book and I love the cover. I can't wait to read The kiss of deception and I definitely need to get started in the second book from Laini Taylor. Happy reading!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Ooh…Fire Wish sounds good. I haven't read the Immortal City series, but I do like angel books so I may have to check it out. Great picks! ~Pam

    ReplyDelete
  22. I can't believe I haven't gotten to On the Fence yet! I'm pretty sure it will be an automatic favorite, so I can't wait! Happy reading to you too, Mel! :)

    ReplyDelete
  23. The angel book (the first one) did have these celebrity/news parts that I just skimmed but besides that it was such a fabulous book! I think you'd like it.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Looks like a great book and I love the list.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Thanks, Sherry! I've seen some good reviews for the book, so I'm looking forward to eventually reading it.

    ReplyDelete

I love comments! I try to read and reply to them all. Feel free to agree or disagree and generally share your thoughts with me.