As an IT professional, I do not reside in the intended audience of this book. It is geared towards business leaders, not software developers. It provides a high-level and non-technical overview of the field of cybersecurity. Through several authors, it makes the case that cybersecurity cannot be overlooked by all C-suite executives, even in non-technology-based companies. That case is underscored by the direct impact cybersecurity has on a business’ bottom line.

Having in-depth technical experience in the field, I can see this book covers the right issues when it comes to cybersecurity. It does so mindfully, without becoming too technical. As expected from the brand of Harvard Business Review, it addresses the appropriate audience, the business community. Even for a developer like myself, it is helpful to think through how other people at the meeting table view these issues.

The book crescendos with the most interesting topics at the end – artificial intelligence (AI) and data privacy. While this book only devoted one chapter to AI, this chapter underscored the point that investment in AI by all sorts of businesses is becoming necessary to position for the quickly approaching future. In forthcoming editions of this book, I would like to hear more on this topic – or perhaps a separate HBR book.

Several chapters address data privacy concerns among businesses. These are real and present challenges that companies face. Many prominent companies have had to cough out huge payouts from privacy lapses, and prudent leadership would seek to mitigate these risks well. The so-called “right to be left alone” and other ethical issues also are summarized in this book. This field is actively discussed, and HBR hits most of the highlights.

This book is well-tailored to those in business leadership – especially those in non-IT companies. Like it or not, IT continues to become part and parcel of almost every company, and as is made clear in this text, these issues cannot be relegated simply to IT leadership. Cybersecurity is a company-wide issue and requires a company-wide response. IT folks will benefit from understanding how the business views relevant issues and gain financially informed perspective on what issues matter to the business. Nonetheless, business leaders – who can no longer dismiss cybersecurity’s relevance – will benefit the most from this concise yet power-packed summary. ( )