Cybersecurity

Watch

• Cyberattacks, data encryption, extortion - How cybercriminals operate | DW Documentary ↗DW Documentary
• Hackers, malware and the darknet - The fatal consequences of cyberattacks | DW Documentary ↗DW Documentary
• Why Hacking is the Future of War ↗Johnny Harris

Read

• Dark Territory: The Secret History of Cyber War ↗Essential reading for understanding how American policymakers grappled with the nascent threat of cyber warfare, shaping the doctrines that define today's digital battlefields.Fred Kaplan
• Countdown to Zero Day: Stuxnet and the Launch of the World's First Digital Weapon ↗A gripping, forensic account of Stuxnet, the pioneering digital weapon that redefined the capabilities of state-sponsored cyber attacks and exposed critical infrastructure vulnerabilities.Kim Zetter
• This Is How They Tell Me The World Ends: The Cyberweapons Arms Race ↗A sobering exploration of the global cyberweapons trade, detailing how nation-states acquire and deploy digital tools that threaten critical infrastructure and global stability.Nicole Perlroth
• Sandworm: A New Era of Cyberwar and the Hunt for the Kremlin's Most Dangerous Hackers ↗A meticulous investigation into Russia's most destructive state-sponsored hacking group, revealing the tactics and devastating impact of their campaigns against critical infrastructure worldwide.Andy Greenberg
• Cyber War Will Not Take PlaceThis seminal essay provocatively argues that cyber attacks, while disruptive, rarely meet the traditional criteria for 'war,' prompting a crucial re-evaluation of military doctrine in the digital age.Thomas Rid

Voices to follow

• Bruce Schneier ↗His incisive analysis demystifies complex security issues, offering critical perspectives on government and corporate digital vulnerabilities.Security Technologist, Author, and Lecturer
• Chris Krebs ↗As the inaugural director of CISA, he offers unparalleled insight into US government efforts to protect critical infrastructure from cyber threats.Former Director, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)
• Katie Moussouris ↗A leading voice on vulnerability disclosure and bug bounty programs, she shapes policy discussions on how governments and companies secure their digital assets.CEO, Luta Security; Cybersecurity Policy Expert
• Dmitri Alperovitch ↗His expertise in nation-state cyber espionage and defense strategies provides crucial context for understanding geopolitical digital conflicts.Co-founder, CrowdStrike; Chairman, Silverado Policy Accelerator

Glossary

• CybersecurityCybersecurity is like protecting your digital stuff – your computer, phone, and online accounts – from bad guys who want to steal information or cause trouble. It's about keeping your online world safe and secure. For example, using strong passwords and antivirus software on your laptop is part of cybersecurity.
• Data BreachA data breach happens when unauthorized people gain access to sensitive or private information that should have been protected. This can involve personal details, financial records, or other confidential data. For example, if a company's customer database is hacked and your email address and phone number are stolen, that's a data breach.
• EncryptionEncryption is the process of scrambling information so that only authorized people with a special key can read it. It turns readable data into a secret code to protect it from prying eyes. For example, when you send a message on WhatsApp, it's often encrypted, meaning only you and the person you're messaging can read it, even if someone else intercepts it.
• FirewallA firewall is like a security guard for your computer network, controlling what information can come in and go out. It blocks unauthorized access and protects your computer from threats on the internet. For example, your home router often has a built-in firewall that stops suspicious connections from reaching your devices.
• MalwareMalware is a general term for any harmful software designed to damage your computer, steal your data, or mess with your online activities without your permission. It's short for "malicious software." For example, if you accidentally download a game from an untrustworthy website and it secretly installs a program that slows down your computer, that program is malware.
• PasswordA password is a secret word or combination of characters you use to prove your identity and gain access to your online accounts, like email or social media. A strong password is hard for others to guess. For example, you use a password to log into your school's online learning portal or your favorite streaming service.
• PhishingPhishing is when someone tries to trick you into giving them your personal information, like passwords or bank details, by pretending to be a trustworthy company or person in an email or message. They "fish" for your info. For example, you might get an email that looks like it's from your bank asking you to click a link and "verify" your account, but it's actually a trick to steal your login.
• PrivacyPrivacy, in the digital world, means having control over your personal information and deciding who can see, use, and share it online. It's about keeping your personal life separate from public view. For example, choosing not to share your location on social media or setting your profile to private helps protect your online privacy.
• Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)Two-Factor Authentication, or 2FA, adds an extra layer of security to your accounts by requiring two different ways to prove who you are before you can log in. This usually means something you know (like a password) and something you have (like your phone). For example, after you enter your password for your email, 2FA might send a special code to your phone that you also need to type in to access your account.
• VirusA computer virus is a type of malware that attaches itself to legitimate programs and spreads from one computer to another, often damaging files or disrupting how your computer works. It's like a biological virus, but for computers. For example, if you open an infected email attachment, a virus might spread to your computer and start deleting your photos.

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Where this connects to other fields, and why it's worth knowing.

• Public Health Health

  Updating your software is basically getting a vaccine. One computer that skips its security patch, like one person who skips their shot, can spread an infection through everyone connected to it. So being safe online isn't only your own business; it's a herd thing, where your neighbor's carelessness can put you at risk too.

• Biosecurity & Engineered Threats Global Risks

  We can now write DNA almost like code, which means a dangerous germ starts to look like a computer virus for living cells. And it inherits hacking's most brutal rule: an attacker only needs one hole to sneak through, while the defender has to seal every single one. That imbalance is why both fields keep everyone up at night.

• Democratic Backsliding Political Science

  Modern strongmen rarely rip up the constitution. Instead they exploit its bugs, emergency powers, loopholes, rules about stacking the courts, chaining legal moves together the way a hacker chains harmless-looking commands into a break-in. In both cases, the weak spot isn't a smashed wall, it's the fine print nobody thought to guard.

• Personal Finance & Money Skills Economics

  The CFPB describes identity theft involving existing financial accounts or new accounts opened in another person’s name. Financial records, identity verification and account access therefore form a practical cybersecurity problem; suspicious messages should be checked using an institution’s official contact details rather than the message’s links.

  Sources: CFPB — What do I do if I am a victim of identity theft? ↗