Why a Cyberattack on the Power Grid is more likely than an EMP Attack

The U.S. power grid is extremely vulnerable and would not take much for a cyberattack to bring it down for months to years at a time. In fact, there are only nine critical substations that need to be targeted to wipe out power for the entire country according to a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) report. Not to mention, we’ve already had to fend off plenty of these cyberattacks. It’s a constant threat and nothing drives this home more than the current situation with Ukraine and Russia where Russia has used these tactics to harm Ukraine. With Russia waging this kind of warfare against the Ukraine, a more serious attempted attack on the U.S. power grid seems imminent. We have to assume that these hackers are getting better and better every day. We just have to hope that we’re outpacing them by staying at least one step ahead defensively. Whether or not we’ll be able to prevent such attacks always remains unknown but, as with most things in life, a ‘hope for the best, prepare for the worst’ strategy is always advisable.

While a cyberattack wouldn’t necessarily render all technology useless (as an EMP is more likely to do), it will still cause considerable damage and likely result in many causalities. If there’s no power, gasoline will soon run out and hospitals will basically become useless. Then, food deliveries will cease, and people will be left to fend for themselves. I don’t believe a response similar to the one in my book, The Days That Followed, is out of the realm of possibility. In fact, I think it’s likely that people will immediately enter a scarcity mindset and adopt a “every man for himself” mentality. There will be a run on grocery stores, gasoline, and other supplies just as would occur with an EMP.

The upside to a cyberattack: you may have enough gasoline and a working vehicle to get you somewhere that’s safer and/or more conducive to sustainable living. This ideally would be some place with fewer people, access to water, and access to hunting/trapping/gathering/growing food. The other upside: it’s likely that power will be restored at some point, unlike with an EMP which causes physical damage to the electronics’ components, a cyberattack could potentially be countered or reversed with more speed.