ChinaTalk The Future of Secure Telecom
Nov 25, 2025
John Doyle, founder of Cape and former Green Beret, teams up with Dmitri Alperovitch, cybersecurity expert and CrowdStrike co-founder, to discuss the future of secure telecom. They delve into the value of telecom data, highlighting risks like SIM-swapping and the exploitation of cell networks in conflicts such as Ukraine. Doyle reveals Cape's innovative approach to privacy-first mobile networks, while Alperovitch analyzes telecom data weaponization by various actors and Taiwan's strategies against undersea cable sabotage.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Telcos Are A Crown-Jewel Intelligence Source
- Telecom networks hold the richest personal intelligence because they store location, call records, voicemails, and device sensors.
- Salt Typhoon showed a state actor can exploit telco access, so this data is a national-security crown jewel.
Combat Reliance On Cell Phones
- John recalled carrying a cell phone on missions because it reliably worked even when heavier military radios existed.
- The ubiquity and reliability of commercial cellular made it an informal part of comms plans in combat.
Wars Run On Commercial Cellular
- Commercial cellular networks power modern conflicts, enabling tactics like remotely piloted drones over enemy networks.
- Both sides in Ukraine have exploited commercial networks for offense and defense, proving their wartime centrality.