I've Never Had a Real Adversary
3 days ago
- #adversarial-thinking
- #psychological-strategy
- #cyber-threat-intelligence
- The author reflects on the lack of real adversaries in their life, contrasting everyday interactions and single-player video games with true adversarial situations.
- Single-player games and everyday transactions (like buying donuts) involve counterparties, not adversaries, as both parties ultimately share some common goals.
- Online chess is closer to a true adversarial situation but still involves mutual agreement to play and accept outcomes.
- The Russian IRA (Internet Research Agency) is highlighted as a real adversary, working full-time to sow discord online, which is hard for most people to internalize.
- Eliezer Yudkowsky's example of Mossad illustrates the power of a dedicated adversary, emphasizing how unprepared most people are for such threats.
- The author acknowledges the difficulty in distinguishing between paranoia and legitimate adversarial threats in everyday life.
- Cyber threat intelligence is suggested as a field to study for understanding adversarial thinking and planning.
- The book 'The Cuckoo’s Egg' by Cliff Stoll is recommended for its portrayal of shifting mental models when facing a real adversary.