Security software vendor McAfee has published a book to help C-level executives who may not have IT experience understand the threat landscape and how they can best protect their business.

Titled ‘Security Battleground: An Executive Field Manual’, the book divides into three war-themed chapters, Field Manual for the Battleground, Preparing for Battle, and Winning the War.

Five McAfee experts have contributed to the book, which ‘provides the security obligated executive with guidance about the hard questions to ask when validating a security team’s strategic plan, its budget and its operations’, according to the press material.

Michael Fey, senior vice president at McAfee and contributing author, says in the release that over US$1 trillion in damages can be put down to cyber-attackers, and this is estimated to soar to US$5 trillion over the next five years.

"This is a battle that has turned into a war and is being fought unlike any other,” Fey says, "and this was the question that started our journey to write this book.”

All proceeds from the US$49.95 book are going to a charity for war veterans.

Are you keen to read the book? Do you think the war theme is a bit over the top, or is cyber security really that serious? Post your comments below.