The Foreign Affairs Interview

Is America Ready for the Age of Cyber Warfare?

27 snips
Sep 18, 2025
In this discussion, Anne Neuberger, former cybersecurity leader at the NSA/DoD and the U.S. National Security Council, shares insights on China's troubling Salt Typhoon operation, which compromised significant U.S. telecommunications infrastructure. She emphasizes the urgent need for America to improve cyber defenses as threats grow alongside AI advancements. Neuberger highlights the risks posed by Chinese surveillance and discusses the complexities of U.S. vulnerabilities, offensive strategies, and the importance of international cooperation in cybersecurity.
Ask episode
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
INSIGHT

Telecoms Turned Into Espionage Platforms

  • Salt Typhoon was China's compromise of many U.S. telecommunications companies to collect vast communications data.
  • The campaign turned U.S. telecom networks into a global signals-intelligence vehicle that tracked and copied conversations.
INSIGHT

Malware Infrastructures Enable Coercion

  • China planted malware in energy, water, pipeline, and transportation systems beyond pure espionage goals.
  • That presence enables pre-positioning for disruption to delay mobilization or coerce U.S. leadership in crises.
ADVICE

Prioritize Defending Critical Networks

  • Build confidence that the most critical military and power networks cannot be disrupted by adversaries.
  • Coordinate government and private sector responsibilities to harden those essential systems.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
Get the app