Book Review — This Is How They Tell Me the World Ends by Nicole Perlroth
Last night, I finished “This Is How They Tell Me the World Ends: The Cyberweapons Arms Race” by American journalist Nicole Perlroth. Perlroth is a cybersecurity journalist and digital espionage reporter working for The New York Times at the time of the writing of the book. It was published in 2021.
“This Is How They Tell Me the World Ends” is not just a book — it’s a warning. Through meticulous research, Perlroth unveils the shadowy world of cyberwarfare, where zero-day exploits (undisclosed software vulnerabilities on our digital devices) are sold for millions on a black market, and the lines between espionage, sabotage, and outright war blur.
A story that stayed with me was when Russian h*ckers sent John Podesta, Hillary Clinton’s campaign chairman, a phishing email disguised as a Google alert. When Podesta forwarded it to the DNC’s IT staff to check itys authenticity, a tragic typo in their response — “This is a legitimate email” instead of “illegitimate” — opened the door to one of the most consequential data breaches in U.S. history. You may have the most sophisticated systems, but the recounting of this episode underscores the fragility of digital systems and human error’s devastating potential in the cyber domain.
The 500-page book reveals that collaboration among intelligence agencies is not as robust as one might assume. Whether it’s between CIA and NSA, or between FBI and others of the FIVE EYES like MI5 and CSIS, competing priorities and bureaucratic silos prevent effective cooperation, even in the face of escalating cyber threats. This lack of unity is especially alarming when juxtaposed against the book’s recurring theme: no device is truly safe. H*ckathons where the most secure systems — iPhones, Androids, and even encrypted apps like WhatsApp — are h*cked in minutes reveal the extent of our vulnerability. When I shared an excerpt of this book, someone asked me if anyone is truly safe, and my response was “If they want to get you, they will.” But then, you leave the book knowing that using pirated software and not installing updates is at your risk.
One story that would make you gasp involves two young Dutch h*ckers in their 20s who infiltrated Silicon Valley’s top 100 tech companies. They did all 100 in just two weeks, each taking them just 15 minutes. Their actions, part audacious and part genius, illustrate the paradox of cybersecurity: those who expose vulnerabilities are often vilified or commoditized. In the cyber arms market, zero-day exploits are sold for staggering sums, sometimes to governments that weaponize them against rivals or their own citizens.
With insights gleaned from interviews with current and former government officials, cybersecurity experts, and h*ckers, Perlroth does not shy away from the geopolitical implications of cyberwarfare. She paints a grim picture of Russian interference in both the 2016 and 2020 U.S. elections, noting how President Trump’s disdain for media and disregard for established security protocols emboldened adversaries like Russia. His casual dismissal of intelligence findings — “I don’t see any reason why it would be [Russia]” — at a Helsinki summit with Putin, Perlroth argues, set a dangerous precedent for addressing cyber threats. The same Trump is back at the White House, this time with a vengeance, and I can imagine not just journalists everywhere bracing up for the impact, but ‘enemy’ states like Russia, Iran, and North Korea expectant, for different reasons.
Perlroth is unflinching in her portrayal of the cyber arms race as a global Pandora’s box. She covered numerous high-profile cyber incidents, including state-sponsored attacks and major data breaches. The reader would realize that the tools America once considered its greatest digital weapons are now available to adversaries and criminals alike. One of the most thought-provoking quotes in the book encapsulates this grim irony: “The same nation that maintains the greatest offensive cyber advantage is also the most vulnerable.” The Nigerian, reading this, would wonder where he stands in this space.
#WordAlert “apoplectic”. This has to be one of Perlroth’s favourite words. It is actually a fitting word for many stories told in the book. If you don’t know the meaning, you should look it up.
Despite being annoyingly ethnocentric American, the book’s tone is often urgent, and for good reason. The pace at which cyber threats evolve far outstrips defensive measures, leaving even the most sophisticated nations exposed. H*ckers in Russia, China, and North Korea routinely probe infrastructure the world over for weaknesses, and Perlroth’s account makes clear that a significant attack feels not like a question of if, but when. It’s probably in her quest to contribute to preventing these attacks that she left her journalistic role in 2023 to serve as an advisor to the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).
Perlroth ends her investigation with a chilling truth: our interconnected world is only as secure as its weakest link. She doesn’t offer simple solutions because there aren’t any. Instead, she challenges readers to think critically about the trade-offs of convenience and security. The book serves as a wake-up call for anyone who takes their digital safety for granted.
“How They Tell Me the World Ends” didn’t start up very readable but it does improve along the way until it became engaging and unsettling. Perlroth’s blend of meticulous research, real-world anecdotes, and sharp analysis makes it essential for understanding the stakes of living in a hyper-connected world. Little wonder Financial Times named it their book of the year in 2021.
