EMP threats to the enterprise
As the world economy becomes increasingly dependent on electricity, circuit boards, computer circuit boards, and other electronically powered devices, services, and infrastructure, the Chinese research and development of EMP attack capabilities is directed as a front line item toward disabling the first line of defense of an opponent, according to Fleming.
The effect would be that the enterprise would be immediately shutdown and become inoperable. “Anything to do with circuit boards and electronic technology would be blown out unless it is hardened,†says Fleming. Hardened electronics require features such as heavy wiring and additional capacitors to withstand the EMPs and absorb the energy enough to at least come back up after the attack. Since to date EMP attacks have been highly unlikely, such expensive electronics hardening is extremely uncommon even though the impact of an EMP attack would be severe.
The nation’s defenses are secure. NORAD has taken preventive measures to protect its technology. “The measurements at the Nevada Test Site during the last of the surface nuclear tests and the subsequent work to protect the NORAD Cheyenne mountain site ensures that EMP effects will not disable NORAD,†says Peter M. Livingston, president, The Alembic Group and an expert in early U.S. government EMP technology experiments.
If successful, the very first attack would disable servers, cause wide spread data loss and the inability to transact business through technology, crippling an economy. It would take out the water supply, utilities, financial trading floors and banks, and send a country back into the Dark Ages in a matter of an hour.
NORAD’s preparation doesn’t do anything to directly shield the enterprise in the event of a successful EMP attack. “There’s not much the enterprise can do because there will always be weak links in the system,†says Fleming. A large scale EMP attack would disable the public electric utilities and infrastructure so that the enterprise would lose power in addition to the damage those EMPs would directly inflict on an organization.
Linkback:
https://tubagbohol.mikeligalig.com/index.php?topic=81459.0