In the latest episode of The Great Tech Game podcast, cyber conflict expert Max Smeets—senior researcher at ETH Zurich and co-director of Virtual Routes—draws on his books “No Shortcuts” and “Ransom War” to explore why most states struggle to build effective cyber forces and how ransomware has become a major national security threat. He breaks down the contrasting cyber strategies of the US, China, and Russia, the rise of professionalized ransomware groups like Conti, and what it takes for governments to build capable cyber commands. A must-watch for anyone seeking to understand the evolving frontlines of cyber conflict.
Chapters
00:00 Trailer
03:37 Introduction to the Great Tech Game Podcast
03:51 Meet Max Smeets: Cybersecurity Expert
06:04 Max's Journey from Finance to Cyber Warfare
08:22 Discussing No Shortcuts: Challenges in Cyber Command
17:11 Global Cyber Strategies: US vs China
27:09 Building Cyber Capacity: The PETIO Framework
46:38 Ransomware: A Growing National Security Threat
52:03 Evolution of Ransomware
53:30 The Rise of Conti
55:03 Global Ransomware Landscape
59:14 Ransomware Trust Paradox
1:02:48 Conti Group and the MOB Framework
1:09:45 Ransomware Attack Lifecycle
1:19:36 Government Responses to Ransomware
1:25:25 Comparing Ransomware to APTs and Terrorist Groups
1:29:14 Book Recommendations and Final Thoughts
Book Links:
By Max Smeets
No Shortcuts: Why States Struggle to Develop a Military Cyber-Force:-https://a.co/d/03FfTol
Ransom War: How Cyber Crime Became a Threat to National Security:-https://a.co/d/2FuXaWS
By Anirudh Suri:
The Great Tech Game by Anirudh Suri - https://amzn.eu/d/1Su38My
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