logo
episode-header-image
Dec 2022
36m 46s

Babbage: The surprising ineffectiveness ...

The Economist
About this episode

When Russia invaded Ukraine, for the first time ever, two mature cyber-powers began to fight over computer networks in wartime. But while Russia’s cyber-war may have been intense, its impact has been modest. Has the country’s cyber prowess been overrated?

 

The Economist’s Benjamin Sutherland describes the cybercriminals joining the war effort in Ukraine. Paul Chichester, operations director at the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre, analyses why Russia hasn’t had more success in the cyber domain. And Shashank Joshi, our defence editor, finds lessons from Ukraine on cyber warfare more broadly. Alok Jha hosts.

 

We are always trying to improve our podcasts. To help, please complete this short questionnaire: economist.com/babbagesurvey


For full access to The Economist’s print, digital and audio editions, subscribe at economist.com/podcastoffer and sign up for our weekly science newsletter at economist.com/simplyscience.



Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Up next
Today
Sprawl of duty: Trump’s tariff drama
Once again President Donald Trump extended the deadline for spine-stiffening tariffs to go into effect on trading partners. We look at the effects of all the uncertainty. Brazil once dominated the world of football; we ask where it went wrong and assess the route to a comeback. A ... Show More
21m 53s
Yesterday
The French reconnection: Macron in Britain
Anglo-French relations have not been so good since before the Brexit vote. Beneath the state-visit pageantry, though, there is much co-operation for President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Keir Starmer to discuss. Gangs have infiltrated many of Latin America’s mining operati ... Show More
21m 10s
Jul 7
Trump card: can he broker a Gaza deal?
While Israel and Hamas officials discuss a ceasefire via mediators in Qatar, a key meeting will take place at the White House today, when Israel’s prime minister talks to the US president. Why the Chinese Communist Party is removing alcohol from official events. And remembering J ... Show More
21m 7s
Recommended Episodes
Mar 2022
Babbage: The threat of cyber-warfare
The conflict in Ukraine has brought renewed fear of a global cyber-war. We explain the technology behind the digital threat and its role in modern warfare. And, why hasn’t Russia carried out large-scale cyber-attacks so far? Alok Jha hosts. Keep up-to-date with the developing sit ... Show More
42m 22s
Aug 2022
Babbage: The open-source intelligence war
Six months have passed since Russia invaded Ukraine. It is arguably the most transparent conflict ever, thanks to publicly available satellite data and social media. How has open-source intelligence (OSINT) shaped the war? The Economist’s defence editor Shashank Joshi examines th ... Show More
41m 42s
May 2022
A new loader variant for wiper campaigns. Sanctions, hacktivism, and disinformation. Conti’s toxic branding. Happy birthday, US Cyber Command.
There’s a new loader identified in wiper campaigns. President Putin complains of sanctions and cyberattacks, and vows to increase Russia's cybersecurity. Coordinated inauthenticity at scale. Killnet crows large over Italian operations. Conti's dissolution doesn't mean its operato ... Show More
23m 25s
Mar 2022
Surface Pressure: Oil Ban, Cyberattacks, Tech CEO TV Shows
First: We’re entering a new phase of the war in Ukraine as Russia ramps up its attacks on civilians. Cue: pressure on the US to hit Russia harder. We’ll break down Biden’s big announcement this week banning Russian oil, the damage it could cause to Russia, and what it means for u ... Show More
35m 8s
Dec 2018
US Defense Department and UK’s MI6 aren’t buying Russian honey over cyber operations. Iranian influence operations. Marriott breach fallout. Court upholds Kaspersky ban. Ransom and sanctions.
In today’s podcast, we hear that senior US and UK officials have harsh words for Russian actions in cyberspace even as President Putin undertakes a charm offensive at the G20 meetings. (In fairness to the US and UK officials, it’s a pretty dour charm offensive.) Iran ups its infl ... Show More
16m 8s
Dec 2022
Cyberespionage, privateering, hacktivism and influence operations, in Ukraine, Russia, the Middle East, and elsewhere. Criminals need quality control, too. A new entry in CISA’s KEV Catalog.
A Chinese cyberespionage campaign is believed to be active in the Middle East. Poor quality control turns ransomware into a wiper, and a typo crashes a cryptojacker. A large DDoS attack is reported to have hit a Russian state-owned bank. Privateers compromise Western infrastructu ... Show More
28m 30s
Feb 2023
How the C2C market sustains ransomware gangs. In Russia’s war, intelligence services deploy wipers, and hacktivist auxiliaries handle the DDoS. And a look into other corners of the cyber underworld.
Microsoft tallies more than a hundred ransomware gangs. Sandworm's NikoWiper hits Ukraine's energy sector. Mobilizing cybercriminals in a hybrid war. Firebrick Ostrich and business email compromise. Telegram is used for sharing stolen data and selling malware. Crypto scams find t ... Show More
31m 34s
Mar 2022
Cyber Threat
Even as Russia’s advance into Ukraine leaves cities in ruins, many Ukrainians feel they have no choice but to fight on. We speak to Maxim, a street artist from Nova Kakhovka in the Russian-controlled region of Kherson, who’s been graffitiing enemy tanks.After President Biden warn ... Show More
31m 29s