The Perfect Weapon: How the Cyber Arms Race Set the World Afire

May 22, 2024

This is an incredibly informative book about cyber warfare told in an accessible, highly entertaining way. It was heavier on the political intrigue and lighter on the technical details than I expected, but I love political intrigue so I didn't mind.

It also brings up some interesting moral questions, such as if the right to privacy trumps the right of the government to access your information if it can help prevent crime and terrorism. It turns out Tim Cook of Apple and Obama had a falling out over this very question.

I also suspect cyber warfare is a huge blind spot for many people. It shouldn't be - it's not some vague threat, it's something that has already had a significant impact on the U.S., such as the hack of the DNC during the 2016 election.

Do I Recommend This Book: Yes, for most people

I think everyone should be at least somewhat informed on this topic. Cyber warfare will only become more and more relevant and can have both physical (e.g. shutting down a power grid in the winter) and mental (e.g. propaganda bots on social media) effects. Whether you like it or not, you are exposed to cyber weapons, and it's valuable to educate yourself on what they look like and how governments and corporations are handling them.