Last month, several news outlets reported that Russia could be planning to deploy a space-based nuclear weapon, alarming, well, pretty much everyone.
Technology
Nuclear weapons in space are bad news for the entire planet
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25342236/247051_Nukes_in_Space_CVirginia_C.jpg?ssl=1 "Nuclear weapons in space are bad news for the entire planet")
US policy hawks, space environmentalists, and anyone with a lingering memory of Cold War-era fears over nuclear annihilation were all sounding the alarm about the threat posed by a Russian nuke in space.
As scary as the prospects sound, the US government has assured people that the weapon doesn’t necessarily pose a threat to people on the ground. Instead, it would target other objects in space, like the satellites used by the US military for communications and other operations.
But that struck some as cold comfort, especially given Russian President Vladimir Putin’s unpredictability. And Putin has indicated that putting a nuclear power unit in space is a priority for the country.
In the long term, defense experts warn that having a nuclear weapon positioned in space could pose a threat to life on Earth by eroding international relations and space law. From clouds of space debris that could cut off access to space to the development of weapons that could launch from space to hit targets on the ground, space-based nukes have the potential to impact everything — and everyone.
Anti-satellite weapons already exist — but not nuclear ones
No country has ever used an anti-satellite weapon against another country, but several countries have destroyed their own satellites in demonstrations of their military capabilities — including the US, Russia, China, and India.
These tests are not without controversy: a 2021 Russian test of an anti-satellite weapon, for example, drew condemnation from NASA for creating debris that threatened astronauts on the International Space Station (including Russian cosmonauts). Since then, a UN panel has called for a ban on the testing of such weapons and several European Union nations and the US have pledged not to perform destructive tests.
A nuclear weapon in space would cause much more destruction than previous anti-satellite weapons tests, explained Andrew Reddie of the Berkeley Risk and Security Lab, as existing space-based weapons typically destroy just one satellite at a time. In the age of huge satellite constellations such as Starlink, knocking out a single satellite is more of an annoyance than a major threat.
To destroy satellites at scale, you need a different weapon, such as a directed energy weapon based on the ground. Or, you could use a nuclear weapon in space, which creates not only shock effects but also heat, radiation, and an electromagnetic pulse — giving it the ability to take out or impair entire networks.
A nuclear weapon in space would cause much more destruction than previous anti-satellite weapons tests
International laws protecting space
The best response the international community has had to date in restricting the stockpiling and use of nuclear weapons is international law. When it comes to space, the key piece of legislation is the Outer Space Treaty of 1967, of which Article IV prohibits placing nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction in orbit.
Detonating a weapon in space would be unprecedented and could run afoul of international rules barring the use of indiscriminate weapons on civilians or civilian objects.
“It seems to be that any kind of destruction of something in space is an indiscriminate weapon, and indiscriminate weapons are prohibited, and the use of indiscriminate weapons are a war crime,” said Christopher Johnson, professor of law at Georgetown University.
However, this assumes that satellites are being destroyed by a kinetic impact. It might be possible to disable or jam satellites in another way, such as using an electromagnetic pulse, or EMP. Some reports have suggested that Russia is developing an EMP anti-satellite weapon rather than a nuclear one. If that could be done in a way that doesn’t create a debris field, that may not contravene the international law because it would no longer be a weapon of mass destruction or indiscriminate in its effects.
With the current situation, “We don’t know what is being threatened,” Johnson said and pointed out that the details matter a lot here and that Russia is capable of a very close reading of the relevant laws to stay within them.
Detonating a weapon in space would be unprecedented and could run afoul of international rules
The cascading debris problem
The reason that the use of weapons in space could be considered indiscriminate is because of the debris field they create. Destruction of objects in space creates large pieces of debris, which are hazardous but relatively easy to track. Where it gets dangerous is the increasing number of medium and small pieces of debris, which are too small to be trackable but are still traveling at high enough speeds to do tremendous damage to other objects or even people in space.
“A fleck of paint the size of your thumbnail can go through most spacecraft. Traveling at a very high velocity — 18,000 mph — it’ll go right through it,” said space debris expert Vishnu Reddy of the University of Arizona.
A serious collision in orbit could create a field of small debris pieces that would quickly collide with other satellites, creating a cascade. At a critical mass, each collision creates more debris, which creates more collisions, which creates more debris, until an entire orbit becomes difficult or impossible to access.
This scenario, known as the Kessler syndrome, could cut off access to space for generations: from making rocket launches more difficult, dangerous, and expensive to, at worst, making any kind of space travel completely impossible for decades and shutting humanity off from the stars.
This concept of the syndrome was first proposed in the late 1970s, when there were optimistic predictions that the Space Shuttle might fly as often as once per week. That never came to fruition, so in the intervening decades, there was less concern about the possibility of a cascading debris event.
But now, with the pace of both government and private launches ramping up to the highest levels ever, space debris is once again on everyone’s radar, Reddy said: “The old fear has come back.”
“A fleck of paint the size of your thumbnail can go through most spacecraft.”
Vulnerable orbits
The most useful orbits around the planet are getting increasingly crowded, and even if humanity stopped launching things into space tomorrow, the debris already in orbit would continue to collide and make the problem worse.
Over the long term, if this problem isn’t addressed, it could spiral into a Kessler syndrome, as the situation can go from bad to catastrophic quickly. “The timeline for the cascading collisional scenario is very short,” Reddy said. “We’re talking anywhere from hours to days to weeks, not months to years to decades.”
The use of a nuclear weapon in orbit, depending on its size and in which orbit it is detonated, could kick off such a cascading scenario. But this isn’t exclusive to nuclear weapons. It’s possible that a bad actor destroying a single, carefully chosen satellite could create a cascade, Reddy said, if they picked a vulnerable target.
In geostationary orbit, for example, there are only so many slots available for satellites in the ring around the Earth’s equator. That makes the slots in high demand, as they are a limited resource. And this scarcity is compounded by the fact that it’s very difficult to remove debris from an orbit so distant, at over 20,000 miles from the Earth’s surface. If these slots are blocked by debris, it could cut off functionality for systems like communications satellites, weather satellites, and navigation satellites.
“That would be really, really bad,” Reddy said. “One satellite explosion big enough would be enough to destroy a lot of assets in geostationary orbit.”
Fears for the future
Although it’s unlikely that any actor would launch a nuclear weapon in space with the specific intention of kicking off a cascading debris effect, it might happen as a consequence of trying to destroy a particular military system. But the debris isn’t the only thing that has experts worried.
Security risk expert Andrew Reddie questioned what it would take to convert the technology for a nuclear anti-satellite weapon into a platform that could deploy nuclear weapons from space to targets on the ground. This would require a reentry vehicle, for example, which doesn’t exist yet but could theoretically be constructed based on existing technology. Nukes launched from space would give less warning time than those launched from the surface, threatening thousands or even millions of people.
It’s not that the deployment of nukes in space is necessarily likely, with no current indication that Russia is developing such a weapon. But it does show how nuclear weapons in space could shift the geopolitical landscape dramatically and why reports of potential space-based nuclear weapons have drawn such condemnation.
“The old fear has come back.”
A matter of global governance
Russian President Vladimir Putin has denied any plans to develop a nuclear anti-satellite weapon and has said that Russia is against the deployment of nuclear weapons in space. And experts agree that Russia takes pride both in its space program and in its role in international governance as a permanent member of the United Nations, though the invasion of Ukraine has shaken the country’s international status and resulted in the suspension of joint space missions with other space agencies.
For the Russians to develop or deploy such an anti-satellite weapon “would undermine their diplomatic efforts,” Johnson said. Russia has a global leadership role in space governance and was a key negotiator in the Outer Space Treaty, and going against that would be self-undermining. “They take their role seriously,” Johnson said.
There is also international pressure from beyond the US and Europe. Even China, which has a space program that is notably separate from other nation’s space programs and does not participate in international projects like the International Space Station, has emphasized that it is against the proliferation of weapons in space. US government representatives are trying to recruit China and India in discouraging Russia from pursuing nuclear anti-satellite technology.
Deploying a weapon in space would be against Russia’s own self-interest, experts argue. Spreading a debris field across an entire orbit limits the ability of everyone to access space, including those who fired the weapon.
However, those effects are not necessarily symmetrical. “The Americans rely on space far more than both Russia and China, so in most domains, if you were to degrade it for everybody, that would be a problem,” Reddie said. “But if you’re degrading space, it’s going to asymmetrically affect the Americans. And the Russians know that.”
This raises the question of what the global consequences might be if — or when — any nation chooses to use a space-based weapon and whether the existing international legal structure could respond to that.
Space debris expert Reddy compared firing such a weapon to flipping a chess board when you’re losing a game: “It’s no longer about winning. It’s ‘I’m losing, so nobody wins.’”
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Though Tim Cook is shedding his CEO title for the role of Apple’s executive chairman, it appears he’ll keep one of his most important duties: that of the company’s Trump whisperer.
“As executive chairman, Cook will assist with certain aspects of the company, including engaging with policymakers around the world,” Apple writes in a press release. Translation: he’s sticking around to deal with thorny political relationships — in particular the one with President Donald Trump.
Throughout his tenure, Cook has navigated Apple through tricky political terrain. He’s had to balance the company’s massive business interest in China with US policymakers’ concerns, and he’s worked to appease Trump for favorable regulatory decisions, without alienating too many Apple employees and customers in the process.
Cook has navigated Apple through tricky political terrain
The task of wooing Trump has repeatedly placed Cook in embarrassing situations: Cook showed the president around a factory in Texas in 2019, where Trump wrongly boasted that because of his policies, Apple was building a new manufacturing plant in the US. Last year, he presented Trump with a symbolic gift of “Made in the USA” glass from Apple supplier Corning set in 24-karat gold.
Recently, Cook took criticism from Trump critics for attending a movie night at the White House, for a screening of the documentary Melania, the same day that Alex Pretti was killed by federal agents on the streets of Minneapolis during a protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Cook later vaguely referred to the “events in Minneapolis,” and referenced a “good conversation with the president.”
As Apple’s senior vice president of hardware engineering John Ternus takes over as CEO, the company will need to overcome significant policy challenges, including global efforts to regulate AI, and a push for app stores to verify user ages. Lucky for Ternus, Cook will still be there to take on that job.
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Just about every day, we receive emails from readers who have encountered new scams. Many involve cryptocurrency. The pattern keeps repeating. Someone receives a message that feels urgent, emotional or exciting. The person on the other end sounds confident and persuasive. Before long, the victim is being asked to send money through cryptocurrency. Once the money is sent, it often disappears forever.
Cryptocurrency appeals to scammers for a simple reason. Transactions move quickly, often cross international borders and usually cannot be reversed once completed. That combination makes crypto payments especially attractive to criminals.
Kate recently wrote to us with a great question.
“Could you do an article that illustrates the scripts used by scammers to lure people to send money using cryptocurrency. Those scripts must be very convincing to get so many reasonably intelligent people to send money. Maybe five or six examples of the scripts, so people, especially seniors, will know what to watch out for.”
Kate is absolutely right. These scripts are convincing because scammers practice them constantly. They use psychology, urgency and emotion to push people toward quick decisions.
FAKE GOOGLE GEMINI AI PUSHES ‘GOOGLE COIN’ CRYPTO SCAM
Crypto scammers use polished scripts built on urgency, trust and emotion to pressure victims into sending irreversible payments. (gpointstudio/Getty Images)
Let’s break down some of the most common crypto scam scripts, so you know what they sound like before they reach your inbox or phone.
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The investment opportunity script
This script often begins with a friendly introduction through social media, email or even a text message.
Example script:
“Hi, I work with a private investment group that trades cryptocurrency. We’ve helped many people earn steady returns. If you invest $500 today, you could earn $5,000 within weeks. I can show you proof of other investors’ success.”
The scammer may send fake screenshots of profits. Some will even allow a small withdrawal early on to build trust. Eventually, they push the victim to send larger deposits. Once the larger transfer is sent, the account suddenly stops responding.
The romance crypto script
This scam often starts with a simple message on a dating app, Facebook or Instagram. The first contact is friendly and low-pressure.
Example initial script:
“Hi, insert name here, I hope you don’t mind me saying hello. Your profile caught my attention, and you seem like a very kind person. How has your day been?”
After a few days of conversation, the scammer begins sharing details about their life. They often claim to work overseas as an engineer, doctor or business owner. Eventually, they mention cryptocurrency trading as something they do on the side.
Later message in the script:
“I have been doing some short-term crypto trading after work. It has helped me save a lot faster. If you are interested, I can show you the platform I use. It is very easy to start with a small amount.”
From there, the scammer guides the victim to a fake trading site or asks them to transfer cryptocurrency to a wallet they control. At first, the account may show fake profits. The victim believes the investment is working and sends more money. Eventually, the victim cannot withdraw any money.
MALICIOUS MAC EXTENSIONS STEAL CRYPTO WALLETS AND PASSWORDS
From romance schemes to fake government threats, scammers often follow repeatable crypto scripts designed to sound convincing. Knowing the pattern can help you stop the fraud early. (Nhac NGUYEN / AFP via Getty Images)
The government impersonation script
Scammers often pretend to represent government agencies or law enforcement.
Example script:
“This is an urgent notice regarding your tax account. Your Social Security number has been linked to suspicious activity. To prevent legal action, you must verify your identity and pay the outstanding balance today using cryptocurrency.”
Government agencies do not demand payment through cryptocurrency. The goal is to scare you into acting quickly without checking the facts.
The tech support emergency script
This scam often begins with a pop-up warning or an unexpected phone call.
Example script:
“Your computer has been compromised by hackers. Your bank information may be at risk. To secure your system, we need you to transfer funds temporarily into a protected cryptocurrency wallet.“
The scammer claims the funds will be returned once the system is secure. In reality, the transfer moves the money directly to the criminal.
The crypto giveaway script
This scam frequently appears on social media or video platforms.
Example script:
“We are celebrating a new crypto launch. Send 0.1 Bitcoin to this wallet, and we will immediately send back double the amount.”
The message may appear to come from a well-known company or public figure. The wallet address belongs to the scammer. Anyone who sends funds receives nothing in return.
The fake recovery service script
This scam targets people who have already lost money.
Example script:
“We specialize in recovering stolen cryptocurrency. Our investigators located the wallet that received your funds. To begin the recovery process, we require a small crypto payment to unlock the legal tracing tools.”
The victim believes they are hiring professionals to recover their money. Instead, they are being scammed again.
Why these scripts work so well
These scams succeed because they exploit human behavior. First, they create urgency. Victims feel pressured to act quickly.
Second, they create trust. The scammer may sound friendly or sympathetic.
Third, they promise rewards. Investment scams offer profits that feel life-changing.
Finally, cryptocurrency adds confusion. Many people are still learning how it works. Criminals take advantage of that uncertainty.
Understanding these scripts is the first step to protecting yourself. Once you recognize the patterns scammers use, it becomes much easier to stop the conversation before money is involved.
How to protect yourself from crypto scams
Crypto scammers rely on urgency, trust and confusion to pressure victims into sending money. These practical steps can help you recognize warning signs and avoid costly mistakes.
1 CLICK COST A FATHER $4 MILLION IN BITCOIN TO VISHING SCAMMERS
Criminals favor cryptocurrency because transactions move fast, cross borders easily and usually cannot be reversed. That makes crypto a powerful tool for scammers. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)
1) Slow down when money is involved
Scammers depend on urgency to push victims into fast decisions. If someone pressures you to send money immediately, treat it as a warning sign. Pause the conversation and verify the situation independently. Contact the company, agency or person through a known phone number or official website. Taking even a few minutes to step back can stop a scam before money leaves your account.
2) Never send cryptocurrency to someone you do not know
Cryptocurrency transactions work very differently from credit cards or bank transfers. Once funds are sent, they usually cannot be reversed. Scammers prefer crypto because it moves quickly and often crosses international borders. If someone asks for payment through Bitcoin, Ethereum or another digital currency, assume the request is suspicious until proven otherwise.
3) Verify investment opportunities independently
Many crypto scams promise fast profits or guaranteed returns. Legitimate investments never guarantee profits. Before investing, search the company name, website and contact information online. Look for warnings from regulators or consumer protection agencies. If you cannot find reliable information about the company, that is a major red flag.
4) Use strong antivirus software on your devices
Scammers frequently use phishing links, fake websites and malicious downloads to trick victims. Strong antivirus software can help detect these threats before they cause damage. Strong antivirus software can warn you about suspicious websites, block malicious downloads and help stop phishing attempts that try to steal your financial information. Get my picks for the best 2026 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices at Cyberguy.com.
5) Reduce the personal information scammers can find online
Scammers often research their targets before sending messages. They may gather details from public records, social media or data broker websites. Limiting the amount of personal information available online can make it harder for criminals to craft convincing messages. Removing your data from people search sites with a data removal service can reduce the chances of becoming a target. Check out my top picks for data removal services and get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web by visiting Cyberguy.com.
6) Be cautious with online relationships
Romance scams often begin with friendly messages on dating apps or social media. Over time, the scammer builds trust and eventually introduces a crypto investment opportunity. If someone you have never met begins discussing cryptocurrency investments or asks you to move money, take a step back. Real relationships do not require financial transfers to strangers.
7) Never trust screenshots or profit dashboards
Crypto scammers often show screenshots of trading accounts that appear to generate large profits. These images are easy to fake or are displayed on fraudulent websites controlled by the scammer. Even if a platform shows profits, it does not mean the money exists. If you cannot withdraw funds easily through a verified exchange, the investment may be fake.
8) Watch for requests to move conversations off the platform
Many scams begin on social media, dating apps or messaging platforms. After the first contact, scammers often ask victims to continue the conversation on WhatsApp, Telegram or another private messaging app. Moving the conversation helps them avoid detection by the original platform. If someone quickly asks you to switch apps, treat it as a warning sign.
9) Talk to someone you trust before sending money
Scammers often isolate their victims and discourage them from discussing the situation with friends or family. Before sending cryptocurrency or making a large investment, pause and talk to someone you trust. A second opinion can often spot warning signs that are easy to miss when emotions are involved.
What to do if you already sent cryptocurrency to a scammer
If you believe you sent cryptocurrency to a scammer, act quickly. Contact the exchange or platform you used to send the funds and report the transaction immediately. Some exchanges may be able to flag the receiving wallet and help investigators track suspicious activity.
You should also report the scam to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov and notify your local law enforcement agency. If the scam began on a social media site, dating app or messaging platform, report the account there as well so it can be investigated and removed.
While recovering funds can be difficult, reporting the incident can help authorities identify larger fraud networks and potentially prevent others from becoming victims.
Kurt’s key takeaways
Cryptocurrency scams continue to grow because the scripts are polished and carefully tested. The criminals behind them understand human psychology. They know when to apply pressure, when to build trust and when to promise rewards. Recognizing these patterns is one of the most powerful ways to stop them. When you know the script, the scam becomes much easier to spot.
Have you ever received a message that tried to convince you to send cryptocurrency, and did the script almost sound believable? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.
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As if there weren’t already enough devices listening in on everything being said in your home, Prego, the pasta and pizza sauce brand, is releasing a device designed to record everything said around the dinner table for posterity. The Connection Keeper, which looks like an oversized pasta jar lid, was created in collaboration with StoryCorps, the nonprofit organization focused on preserving the stories of Americans in a collection housed at the Library of Congress’ American Folklife Center. There’s no AI, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth, but you can optionally upload recordings to StoryCorps’ website to make them easier to share with family.
Prego says the goal of the device is to encourage families to make memories through conversation during dinner instead of staring at their phones — but only for a small number of families. The company is only planning to make less than 100 of them. The Connection Keeper will be available for purchase online starting on April 27th for $20 as part of a bundle that includes the device, a jar of Prego sauce, spaghetti noodles, and a deck of cards featuring conversation prompts and ideas.
Using the device is as easy as plopping the Connection Keeper down in the middle of everyone at the table and pressing one button to start recording. Using a pair of microphones, it captures CD-quality audio to a 16GB microSD card for up to eight hours when fully charged.
When dinner’s over, the recordings can be transferred to a computer over USB-C and then uploaded to a dedicated microsite created by StoryCorps where they’re preserved and accessible only by the uploader, unless they choose to share them with other StoryCorps users or the general public. You even have the option to archive them within the Library of Congress, which makes them public automatically, so hopefully your family talks about more than just stealing brainrots.
The recordings can be accessed on a smartphone through the StoryCorps app, but Prego intentionally left phones out of the rest of the process to discourage their use at the table. It’s also why the Connection Keeper lacks a screen. The goal was to minimize interactions with the device so family members instead focused on talking with each other.
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