Welcome to the episode number 33 of the Authors of Mass Destruction podcast. My name is Natasha Bajema, aka WMDgirl on Twitter. I’m a fiction author, national security expert and your host for this podcast.

• If you’re interested in science & technology, in reading good fiction, or want to write fiction based on technology, you’re in the right place.
• Before we get started, a few notes:
  • The views expressed on this podcast are my own and do not reflect the official policy or position of the National Defense University, the Department of Defense or the U.S. Government.
  • The AOMD podcast is proud to be part of the Authors on the Air Global Radio Network. Check us out at www.authorsontheair.com
  • If you enjoy my podcast and want me to keep it up, I hope you’ll become a patron for only two dollars a month at Patreon at www.patreon.com – p a t r e o n / natashabajema
• Personal Update: I’m working on planning for my Kickstarter campaign for a dark comedy stage play entitledAmerican Doomsday. I’ve decided on the goal for the campaign—audio drama podcast
• I have two headlines for this week:
  • The first headline is “Your Philips Hue light bulbs can still be hacked — and until recently, compromise your network” published on theverge.com on February 5.
    • Internet of Things – Smart TVs, Alexa, Smartphones – any electronic device connected to the Internet is vulnerable to hacking or cyberattacks. Oftentimes, the firmware created for these devices are not designed with security in mind.
    • Cyberattacks used to be solely digital – in the future, they will also be “cyberphysical”
    • Four years ago, researchers demonstrated a cyberhack of Philips lightbulbs carried about using a drone. These light bulbs are controlled with the Philips Hue Hub which has firmware that connects to the Internet. Using the drone, a hacker gained access to a light bulb and then the hub which controls the light bulb.
    • Guess what? That vulnerability never got fully fixed. Researchers have now figured out how to leverage vulnerabilities in these lightbulbs to gain access to your computer network. Once in control of the hub, a hacker can install malware to gain access to other internet-connected appliances in your home. If you haven’t installed a patch, then your system is still vulnerable.
  • My second headline is “All the Invasive Ways China Is Using Drones to Address the Coronavirus” published on slate.com on February 4.
    • You’d have to live in a cave not to know about the coronavirus, a virus that started in China and causes a severe respiratory illness. It’s spreading rapidly around the world and could end up turning into a global pandemic. This is scary stuff.
    • Another interesting aspect, the authoritarian power of the Chinese government is on display. Not only did it quarantine tens of millions of its citizens, it is using some extreme measures to contain the disease.
    • This article describes how China is using loudspeakers on drones to communicate with pedestrians who are not wearing masks.
    • Sounds helpful, right?
    • “China has been using drones, some of which are disguised as birds, on a mass scale since 2016 to track down fugitives, catch people making traffic infractions, monitor students taking college entrance exams, and surveil the Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang, particularly for illegal border crossings.”
    • The drones are coming…
• Let’s go to the interview.