We Try and Kill the Internet
Summary
Host Ben Bradford explores the fragility of the internet with experts Bruce Schneier and Doug Madory, examining what would happen if it vanished. They discuss vulnerabilities like undersea cables, cyberattacks on critical infrastructure, and the lack of analog backups for essential services. The episode concludes that while technical failure is unlikely, political suppression poses the greatest risk to global connectivity.
Topics discussed
Schwab investment advertisement
Introduction: The fragility of the internet
Bruce Schneier on societal collapse without internet
Doug Madory on attacking undersea cables
Internet resilience and solar storm risks
Cyber attacks on DNS and the Slack Avengers
Software monoculture and single points of failure
Funding open source and AI cyber warfare
Political internet shutdowns and democracy
Outro, credits, and NPR promotions
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