Washington Post: Could an attack on the electric grid mean cybergeddon?
When it comes to cyberwar and cyberterrorism, we need to think the unthinkable, says veteran TV journalist Ted Koppel. And for Koppel, the unthinkable is this: Someone hacks into the nation’s electric power grid and causes large parts of it to crash for a prolonged period.
Anyone who has endured a blackout from a storm or mechanical breakdown — probably most Americans — knows how frustrating and infuriating it can be. You lose your lights, refrigeration, communications and sense of control. But two certitudes limit the anger and anxiety: First, outages are usually small geographically; and second, we know that power will be restored in days or weeks.
Not so with a cyberattack, which aims to cripple the system and cause chaos. Lengthy disruptions may be widespread. Then the effects become horrific, as Koppel writes in his new book, “Lights Out.”
Darkness descends on cities and suburbs. As refrigeration fades, food inventories are exhausted. Resupply is difficult, because — among other reasons — “gas stations without backup generators are unable to operate their pumps.” Water supplies are also paralyzed by inert pumps. “There is little running water . . . toilets no longer flush.” Routine payments, being mostly electronic transfers, are virtually impossible. People feel increasingly isolated and vulnerable.
There are emergency plans, Koppel writes, for natural disasters and electrical outages “of a few days” but no plan for many millions losing electricity “for months.” Once people realize they’re “on their own,” there’s a “contagion of panic.” The likelihood of looting is obvious.
