Recent walkies-talkie, pager and radio attacks opened the Pandora’s box: Turning everyday gadgets into bombs, legitimizing military technologies bringing the front line of every conflict into pocket, purse or home of innocent citizens and general adversaries..

Technology alone has no ethics: the difference between a patch and an exploit is the method in which a technology is disclosed. Exploding batteries have probably been conceived of and tested by spy & cyber-intelligence agencies, but never deployed en masse because while it may achieve a tactical win, it is too easy for weaker adversaries to copy the idea and justify its re-deployment in an asymmetric and devastating retaliation, primarily affecting the 99% non-combatants & non-elites. Tweaking consumer objects into fragmentation grenades should be a crime, as it blurs the line between civilian and military technologies.

Plasticizers to explosives: Based on available descriptions of the devices “getting hot” prior to detonation, one might suppose that blasts are initiated by a trigger-circuit shorting out the battery pack, causing the internal polymer spacers to melt, and eventually the cathode / anode pairs coming into contact, creating a spark. Such a spark may furthermore be guaranteed across the PETN sheet by introducing a small defect – such as a slight dimple – in the surrounding cathode / anode layers. Once the pack gets to the melting point of the spacers, the dimpled region is likely to connect, leading to a spark that then detonates the PETN layer sandwiched in between the cathode and anode layers.

It was necessary to modify OTA firmware to generate the pulsed current sequence to detonate. The malware injection could have been made by some military aircraft designed specifically for electronic warfare e.g. the EC-130J Compass Call: global military industrial complex AI testing from Pegasus to Megasus!

On soft side, a gang of AI powered white collar cyber-criminals (the smart guys) stole millions by hacking into a database of workers’s prepaid debit cards and draining cash machines around the world. The network used fake cards to target banks in the UAE, Oman etc.. some US court documents claimed. While showing very soft-corners for its digitally imperialistic patriots and anti-trust brands, prosecutors promptly said law enforcement agencies in Japan, Canada, the UK, Romania and 12 other countries were involved in the investigation.

Wonder why Hard Taliban has to sort-win a battle in 10 days running live for 20+ years by Capital Taliban, though these very well-oiled war wheels (getting unpopular?) are non-issue for same law enforcement agencies and will not be as lucrative as digital slavery, tech bombs or bio-warfare now or into future!

Members of the scheme allegedly hacked computer systems (includes mobile infra) to steal data on prepaid debit cards. The cards are pre-loaded with funds rather than being linked to a bank account or a line of credit. They cancelled withdrawal limits and distributed information to accomplices referred to as “cashiers” around the world. The cashiers then loaded other magnetic stripe cards, such as gift cards or old hotel keys, with the stolen data and used them to withdraw huge sums. Now with easy UPI, Adhar, OTP etc.. future frauds / attacks will be large-scale, precise, targeted, stealthy and विकसित!

Seven people have been arrested and face charges of conspiracy to commit access device fraud and money laundering. Law enforcement should not stand by as cyber-criminals and FAANG Privacy Looters Tech Cartel target our global financial system for their own profits, as per law makers.

If backdoor (hardware or software) are built into core technology of scanning systems (used at airports, stations, institutions, ports, etc) becoming nearly ubiquitous, how to detect threats? Would anybody have bothered to look if there was never an event triggering concern? How would they build dedicated scanners for use only at some borders without anyone raising a flag?

A high-end CT machine could pick out the PETN layer, but it’d cost millions per machine and scan times are around a half hour – not practical for i.e. airport security or high throughput customs screening. They can intercept and manipulate electronic devices anywhere in supply chain (including the curvy, branded and secretly sealed smart mobiles), to make sure that tampered equipment goes to desired targets anywhere in the world and not random folks.

Reuters reports, “The way the explosive material was integrated into the battery pack made it extremely difficult to detect..”. Such kind of discussions will not permeate mentally tampered brains of our main-cream media robin-hoods anywhere unless some politically funded terror groups carry mobile phone attacks in a major city center, a grand palace, on a fav country or an ally. Everyone would see increase in such new vulnerabilities, and leaders will be on their way to pitch large investments in security programs now – involving supply chains, transportation, cell-phone restrictions on airplanes, etc. and we’d all accept the changes subserviently. Nothing to do except cry some crocodile tears and sweep it under the rug.

No whataboutery, any country’s or religion’s right to exist and right to self defense does NOT confer a right to commit genocide elsewhere nor the right to violate human rights or repeatedly commit serious breaches of many international treaties. It neither confer entitlement to unquestioning moral support, projectile frog dances and financial aid from nationalist jerks in US, West or Rest.

Series: Global Digitability and bunniestudios.com