After President Trump's executive order requesting a study of the country's vulnerability to an EMP attack, Gregory Kiley, a former Air Force officer and member of the staff of the Senate Armed Services Committee has written an op-ed in The Hill both applauding President Trump for highlighting the EMP threat, and outlining some of America's current efforts at protecting the grid and infrastructure. He writes: Currently, the federal government and electrical industry work together across the sector and through the Electricity Subsector Coordinating Council (ESCC); the North American Electric … [Read more...]
Survive and Thrive April: Is an EMP Attack Imminent?
In March, President Trump signed an executive order directing federal agencies to identify the threats posed by an electromagnetic pulse (EMP)—believed to be potentially dangerous to critical infrastructure like the electric grid (understatement to be kind)—and find ways to guard against them. As you have read right here we’ve been sounding the alarm for years. Boom—Your Life Changes EMP Threat: Be Prepared EMP Technology in the Hands of Terrorists EMP Attack: When the Lights go Out SCADA Vulnerable to Cyber Attack and EMPs Is Your Data Protected from EMP? Nukes, … [Read more...]
Is an EMP Attack Imminent?
This week President Trump signed an executive order directing federal agencies to identify the threats posed by an electromagnetic pulse (EMP)—believed to be potentially dangerous to critical infrastructure like the electric grid (understatement to be kind)—and find ways to guard against them. As you have read right here we’ve been sounding the alarm for years. Boom—Your Life Changes EMP Threat: Be Prepared EMP Technology in the Hands of Terrorists EMP Attack: When the Lights go Out SCADA Vulnerable to Cyber Attack and EMPs Is Your Data Protected from EMP? Nukes, … [Read more...]
A Cyber-attack Didn’t Take Down Venezuela’s Power Grid, Socialism Did
Rolling blackouts have plagued Venezuela's capital, Caracas, since February, and longer blackouts have been the norm more recently. The government and even Russia have blamed the blackouts on a cyber-attack by the United States, but the Wall Street Journal's Ryan Dube reports that the problem has more to do with the brain drain happening at the country's power company. He writes: President Nicolás Maduro’s government convened an urgent meeting of 12 technicians in February 2016 at the giant El Guri hydroelectric complex after rolling blackouts had hit Venezuela. Despite the presence of … [Read more...]
Has North Korea Put an EMP Weapon in Orbit?
In a somewhat terrifying interview with Newsmax Now host John Bachman, former CIA director James Woolsey raises the prospect that North Korea has put an EMP weapon in orbit, or could do so. Woolsey says America must be in a position to shoot down a satellite. Watch the interview here. The threat of an EMP attack is serious. Such an attack on the United States could be devastating, as found by the Congressional commission set up to examine such an event. A burst with enough power from a high enough altitude could have effects on almost the entire contiguous 48 states, not to mention Canada … [Read more...]
GPS, Both Vital and Vulnerable: America’s Infrastructure Under Threat
As of 2010 the “world’s only global utility,” the U.S. owned Global Positioning System (GPS), a constellation of twenty-four satellites, has been operating without a viable backup system. The GPS market can be divided into three broad categories: commercial, noncommercial (consumer), and military. The use of GPS is essential to financial systems and is extremely vital to high frequency trading, when milliseconds can be worth millions. Other areas that are heavily reliant on GPS are shipping, air traffic controls, the military, agriculture, railroads, and emergency services. Estimates of the … [Read more...]
Companies Struggle to Restore Operations after Crippling Cyber Attack
The virus known as NotPetya has crippled operations at companies around the world, including major shipping operator A.P. Moeller-Maersk. The virus has been especially troublesome in Ukraine, but has hit major corporations in many countries. Nick Kostov and Costas Paris report: Companies that reported disruptions included U.S. pharmaceuticals firm Merck & Co., British advertising giant WPP Group PLC and Russian oil producer PAO Rosneft. Rosneft said on Twitter Wednesday that the virus hadn’t affected production, but added that “it is premature to evaluate the cyber attack … [Read more...]
This Critical Piece of the Grid is Vulnerable to Cyber Attack
Even before the the EMP Commission report, utilities have been trying to harden their infrastructure against the multitude of threats they face. EMP attacks, cyber threats, and even physical attacks like the one in Metcalf, California in 2014 are situations that power stations must prepare for. But at The National Interest, Constance Douris writes that power utilities have left a gaping hole in their defenses against cyber threats. Utilities operate the distribution part of the grid -- the final stage where electricity is delivered to customers. Currently, mandatory cybersecurity standards … [Read more...]
Part B—Are You on the Right Survival Security List? Probably Not!
You may be terrified or just simply shocked. Your personal concern for your family’s security and wellbeing has to be a function of how much time you have put into reading about the vulnerability of America’s citizens. Quite honestly, I have found few who have the remotest idea about personal security and vulnerability. Our country is not prepared to deal with the long-range damage caused, for example, by an EMP attack or by a solar flare. Critical systems could be out for many months. I analyze the critical timeline for such an event to kick in is on day number one, never mind many months. … [Read more...]