--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's no surprise that hackers working for…" description: "\"It's no surprise that hackers working for North Korea, Iran's mullahs, Vladimir V. Putin in Russia, and the People's Liberation Army of China have all ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ec3/david-e-sanger-15061_army_it-s-no-surprise-that-hackers-working-fo_2105727.jpg" --- # It's no surprise that hackers working for North Korea… ![“It's no surprise that hackers working for North Korea, Iran's mullahs, Vladimir V. Putin in Russia, and the People's Liberation Army of China have all learned that the great advantage of cyberweapons is that they are the opposite of a nuke: hard to detect, easy to deny, and increasingly finely…” quote by David E. Sanger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ec3/david-e-sanger-15061_army_it-s-no-surprise-that-hackers-working-fo_2105727.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ec3/david-e-sanger-15061_army_it-s-no-surprise-that-hackers-working-fo_2105727.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ec3/david-e-sanger-15061_army_it-s-no-surprise-that-hackers-working-fo_2105727.jpg) > “It's no surprise that hackers working for North Korea, Iran's mullahs, Vladimir V. Putin in Russia, and the People's Liberation Army of China have all learned that the great advantage of cyberweapons is that they are the opposite of a nuke: hard to detect, easy to deny, and increasingly finely targeted.” [David E. Sanger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-e-sanger/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Cyberweapons are stealthy, deniable, and precise, making them a strategic alternative to nuclear weapons. **In simple terms:** Cyber weapons are hidden, hard to deny, and very targeted. Key Takeaway Recognize the subtle threats in modern conflict. Themes security technology warfare Mood cautious analytical Type analysis informative When to use this quote - government policy - military strategy - corporate defense - public awareness Key Concepts cybersecurity geopolitics deterrence Questions to Reflect On - How can nations develop norms to address covert cyber attacks? - What defenses can reduce vulnerability to precise cyber threats? A Different Perspective Their impact can be hard to attribute, complicating retaliation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Advantage Cyberweapons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advantage-cyberweapons-4227961/) [Army](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/army/) [Cybersecurity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cybersecurity/) [Cyberweapons Opposite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cyberweapons-opposite-4227960/) [Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great/) [Hacker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hacker/) [Hackers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hackers/) [Hackers Working](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hackers-working-4227962/) [Hard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard/) [Iran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/iran/) [North korea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/north-korea/) [Surprise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surprise/) [Surprise Hackers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surprise-hackers-4227963/) ## Related quotes > [It's true, I had hacked into a lot of companies, and took copies of the source code to analyze it for security bugs. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/it-s-true-i-had-hacked-into-a-lot-of-companies-and-took-copies-of-the/) [Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/) > [I am well aware of the facts presented by numerous security experts on the many ways in which the United States' digital networks have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-mackinnon/i-am-well-aware-of-the-facts-presented-by-numerous-security-experts/) [Rebecca MacKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-mackinnon/) > [Being a journalist, Hacker had no particular talent for reporting facts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-lynn/being-a-journalist-hacker-had-no-particular-talent-for-reporting-facts/) [Jonathan Lynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-lynn/) > [God is a hacker, not an engineer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-crick/god-is-a-hacker-not-an-engineer/) [Francis Crick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-crick/) > [A hacker is someone who enjoys playful cleverness—not necessarily with computers. The programmers in the old MIT free software community of the 60s and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stallman/a-hacker-is-someone-who-enjoys-playful-cleverness-not-necessarily/) [Richard Stallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/) > [You have a very large population of hackers in Eastern Europe in general and Russia especially. A lot of them consider themselves patriotic individuals…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dmitri-alperovitch/you-have-a-very-large-population-of-hackers-in-eastern-europe-in/) [Dmitri Alperovitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dmitri-alperovitch/) > [ We are now debating and talking about a story \[Russian hacker attack\] based on something that isn't true. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reince-priebus/we-are-now-debating-and-talking-about-a-story-russian-hacker-attack/) [Reince Priebus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reince-priebus/) > [The Hacker Ethic: Access to computers--and anything which might teach you something about the way the world works--should be unlimited and total. Always yield…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-levy/the-hacker-ethic-access-to-computers-and-anything-which-might-teach/) [Steven Levy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-levy/) > [New security loopholes are constantly popping up because of wireless networking. The cat-and-mouse game between hackers and system administrators is still in full swing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/new-security-loopholes-are-constantly-popping-up-because-of-wireless/) [Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/) > [I characterize myself as a retired hacker. I'm applying what I know to improve security at companies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/i-characterize-myself-as-a-retired-hacker-i-m-applying-what-i-know-to/) [Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/) > [It is widely grokked that cats have the hacker nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-s-raymond/it-is-widely-grokked-that-cats-have-the-hacker-nature/) [Eric S. Raymond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-s-raymond/) > [The workstation-class machines built by Sun and others opened up new worlds for hackers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-s-raymond/the-workstation-class-machines-built-by-sun-and-others-opened-up-new/) [Eric S. Raymond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-s-raymond/) > [“But in the end, the hackers were misunderstood figures. They wanted nothing more than to belong, to subsume their brilliant selves in an even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-foer/but-in-the-end-the-hackers-were-misunderstood-figures-they-wanted/) [Franklin Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-foer/) > [When an attacker fails with one person, they often go to another person. The key is to report the attack to other departments. Workers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/when-an-attacker-fails-with-one-person-they-often-go-to-another/) [Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/) > [In the hacking world, security is more of a response than a proactive measure. They wait for hackers to attack and then they patch,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-demon-calce/in-the-hacking-world-security-is-more-of-a-response-than-a-proactive/) [Michael Demon Calce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-demon-calce/) ## More by David E. Sanger > [The remarkable thing about the Chinese is that they've operated differently than the Russians, the Iranians, and the North Koreans. By and large, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-e-sanger/the-remarkable-thing-about-the-chinese-is-that-they-ve-operated/) [David E. Sanger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-e-sanger/) > [A Trump presidency will plunge the United States into an era of unknowns that has little parallel in the nation's 240-year history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-e-sanger/a-trump-presidency-will-plunge-the-united-states-into-an-era-of/) [David E. Sanger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-e-sanger/) > [In the old nuclear age, you could sit under a big screen under a mountain in Colorado, and you could see where the missiles…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-e-sanger/in-the-old-nuclear-age-you-could-sit-under-a-big-screen-under-a/) [David E. Sanger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-e-sanger/) > [Once cyber crosses into the realm of the physical, then it's a physical attack, but it starts with cyber. And the idea of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-e-sanger/once-cyber-crosses-into-the-realm-of-the-physical-then-it-s-a/) [David E. Sanger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-e-sanger/) > [Mr. Obama is the first president to have grown up in the region - he lived in Indonesia as an elementary school student -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-e-sanger/mr-obama-is-the-first-president-to-have-grown-up-in-the-region-he/) [David E. Sanger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-e-sanger/) > [American officials sometimes dig into corporations because they are suspected to be witting or unwitting suppliers of technology to the North Koreans or the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-e-sanger/american-officials-sometimes-dig-into-corporations-because-they-are/) [David E. Sanger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-e-sanger/) > [What the Russians did in the election in 2016 was clearly short of war, yet it was a pretty aggressive act to go into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-e-sanger/what-the-russians-did-in-the-election-in-2016-was-clearly-short-of/) [David E. Sanger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-e-sanger/) > [When Japan was on the rise, American governors would come to inspect Toyota City and study 'just in time' manufacturing to increase efficiency; when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-e-sanger/when-japan-was-on-the-rise-american-governors-would-come-to-inspect/) [David E. Sanger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-e-sanger/) > [“We are in a strange world,' one senior Israeli official said to me, 'where the defense minister and to a lesser degree the prime…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-e-sanger/we-are-in-a-strange-world-one-senior-israeli-official-said-to-me/) [David E. Sanger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-e-sanger/) > [The government does not deny it routinely spies to advance American economic advantage, which is part of its broad definition of how it protects…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-e-sanger/the-government-does-not-deny-it-routinely-spies-to-advance-american/) [David E. Sanger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-e-sanger/) > [There are certainly some secrets the government needs to protect, but many of the most important clues about revolutions, nuclear transfers, and new military…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-e-sanger/there-are-certainly-some-secrets-the-government-needs-to-protect-but/) [David E. Sanger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-e-sanger/) > [State oil companies in Saudi Arabia, Africa, Iran, and Mexico have often been intelligence targets for the United States.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-e-sanger/state-oil-companies-in-saudi-arabia-africa-iran-and-mexico-have-often/) [David E. Sanger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-e-sanger/) > [“China's internal divisions have made it far harder to strike the kind of deals that made it possible for the two countries to open…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-e-sanger/china-s-internal-divisions-have-made-it-far-harder-to-strike-the-kind/) [David E. Sanger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-e-sanger/) > [We have spent so much time worrying about a 'cyber Pearl Harbor,'' the attack that takes out the power grid, that we have focused…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-e-sanger/we-have-spent-so-much-time-worrying-about-a-cyber-pearl-harbor-the/) [David E. Sanger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-e-sanger/) > [When Russia's intelligence agencies obtained some of the National Security Agency's secrets about its own cyberweapons, it appeared to do so by manipulating a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-e-sanger/when-russia-s-intelligence-agencies-obtained-some-of-the-national/) [David E. Sanger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-e-sanger/) [Explore all 44 David E. Sanger quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-e-sanger/) ## More Army quotes > [There are no more worlds to conquer!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-the-great/there-are-no-more-worlds-to-conquer/) [Alexander the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-the-great/) > [“In American terms, the accomplishment of Genghis Khan might be understood if the United States, instead of being created by a group of educated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-weatherford/in-american-terms-the-accomplishment-of-genghis-khan-might-be/) [Jack Weatherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-weatherford/) > [Every army in the history of the world has always had some deserters, usually much greater than we have today, because once again every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-hilferty/every-army-in-the-history-of-the-world-has-always-had-some-deserters/) [Bryan Hilferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-hilferty/) > [It is the rule in war, if our forces are ten to the enemy's one, to surround him; if five to one, to attack…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/it-is-the-rule-in-war-if-our-forces-are-ten-to-the-enemy-s-one-to/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [The surprise of an army is now next to an impossibility. ... Prearranged surprises are rare and difficult because in order to plan one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-henri-jomini/the-surprise-of-an-army-is-now-next-to-an-impossibility-prearranged/) [Antoine-Henri Jomini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-henri-jomini/) > [I just read an article about how young American males feel uncomfortable appearing naked in front of each other in locker rooms. That was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-ivory/i-just-read-an-article-about-how-young-american-males-feel/) [James Ivory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-ivory/) > [ I can't imagine that I would be asked that by the president-elect \[Donald Trump\], or then-president \[Barack Obama\]. But it's - I'm very clear.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mattis/i-can-t-imagine-that-i-would-be-asked-that-by-the-president-elect/) [James Mattis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mattis/) > [Holy shadows of the dead, I'm not to blame for your cruel and bitter fate, but the accursed rivalry which brought sister nations and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-the-great/holy-shadows-of-the-dead-i-m-not-to-blame-for-your-cruel-and-bitter/) [Alexander the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-the-great/) > [“The most important lesson that came out of Vietnam for me was that Marines take care of Marines.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-clancy/the-most-important-lesson-that-came-out-of-vietnam-for-me-was-that/) [Tom Clancy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-clancy/) > [One of our great allies at present is the Church itself. Do not misunderstand me. 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