Welcome to the Age of Malware. It promises to be a huge downer and, possibly, a great tragedy.
For years, we have regarded personal computers, the internet, smartphones and various digital devices as evidence that America continues to dominate the central new technology of our time. Apple just attained a stock market value of $1 trillion — the first company ever to do so. This seemed yet again to confirm American leadership.
The reality, of course, is much different. By now most Americans must recognize that the internet and its digital sidekicks constitute a double-edged sword. They provide services that now seem indispensable. Yet, the same technologies increasingly pose a fundamental threat to our way of life.