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3 min read

GroupSense Founder Kurtis Minder Publishes “Cyber Recon” – a Firsthand Account of Fighting Cybercrime

Jul 22, 2025 7:43:10 PM

ARLINGTON, Va. – July 22, 2025 – GroupSense, a digital risk protection services company now owned by Cognyte Software Ltd., today announced the launch of company founder Kurtis Minder’s new book titled “Cyber Recon.” Published by Wiley & Sons, the book is now available on Amazon and in national bookstores, such as Barnes & Noble. It shares Minder’s up close and personal look at his unparalleled journey into the covert world of cyber threat intelligence, ransomware negotiations and national security.

Drawing from nearly three decades of real-world experience, including critical lessons learned at GroupSense through many of the most dramatic incidents of online crime, Minder delivers a fascinating exploration of real-world cyber espionage in some of the most dangerous places on the internet. Through his experiences watching and hunting cybercriminals as varied as lone wolves, the Russian mafia, and other official and unofficial nation-state hackers, he explains how cyber espionage is performed, the tools and skills that people like him use, and the consequences of engaging with cybercriminals every day.

The thought-provoking narrative also explores how empathy and a deep understanding of threat actors’ motivations can shift the balance in cyber defense. Readers will gain firsthand insights into adversaries’ tactics, from leveraging generative AI (GenAI) to exploiting cryptocurrency. In addition, Minder teaches readers that the same operational security practices that keep him and his team of spies safe can also protect them and their organizations’ secrets.

“As a lifelong proponent of cybersecurity, I was compelled to write a book about my personal account of cybercrime to help as many people as I can understand how these crimes happen, and most importantly, how they can be prevented,” said Minder. “Cyber resilience begins with education, building the right partnerships and a commitment to cyber hygiene best practices. With this defensive approach, I strongly believe that as a nation, we can significantly reduce future cybercrime activity.”

Inside the book, readers will discover:

  • Original profiles of cyber espionage and negotiation professionals, including Jon DiMaggio, Jason Ingalls, Brye Ravattine, Jax Scott, Beau Woods and many more, with QR-code links to extended YouTube interviews.
  • A unique, non-technical primer on the people that populate the cyber risk landscape and the methods they use to carry out attacks.
  • Steps to avoid becoming a target of Lockbit, BlackMatter, Akira and next year's most dangerous ransomware groups, as well as how to minimize the damage to businesses.
  • How the intersection of business negotiation and hostage negotiation relates to high-stakes ransomware negotiations.
  • The fast-moving transformation GenAI is unleashing in cyber-attacks and defense.

Chris Voss, author of “Never Split the Difference” and former Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) hostage negotiator, commented: “Kurtis Minder is operating in the shadowy world where cyber espionage meets high-stakes negotiation — and in ‘Cyber Recon,’ he pulls back the curtain. This isn’t theory; Kurtis has lived it. From digital tradecraft to navigating conversations with cybercriminals, this book delivers hard-won insights from the front lines.”

Minder will be attending the Black Hat USA conference for book signings, August 2-7, 2025, at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas and at the DEF CON 33 conference, August 7-10, 2025, at the Las Vegas Convention Center West Hall in Las Vegas. For more information or to set up a meeting with Minder, contact Meghan Locke at mlocke@threeringsinc.com.

About GroupSense 

GroupSense is a digital risk protection services company that delivers customer-specific intelligence that dramatically improves enterprise cybersecurity and fraud-management operations. Unlike generic cyber-intelligence vendors, GroupSense employs a combination of automated and human reconnaissance to produce comprehensive intelligence that is tailored to each customer's unique digital business footprint and risk profile. This enables customers to immediately use GroupSense's intelligence to reduce enterprise risk, without requiring any additional processing or management by overstretched security and fraud-prevention teams. GroupSense is based in Arlington, Va., with a growing customer base that includes large enterprises, state and municipal governments, law enforcement agencies, MSPs, MSSPs and more. 

Media Contact 

Meghan Locke

Three Rings Inc.

413-627-5335

mlocke@threeringsinc.com
Topics: News Press Releases Ransomware dark web digital risk
Editorial Team

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