America faces growing EMP and cyber threats while infrastructure remains fragile

Widespread disappearances that recently brought in parts of Spain and Portugal to stops launched global speculations: Was this an attack of an electromagnetic pulse (EMP)?

Although the authorities later excluded the EMP, the incident conquered urgent questions about the vulnerability of America to similar Large -scale disorders And are they now prepared for the modern “Black Sky” event.

According to an expert on cyber security and former Cyber ​​Institute’s board member, Bryson Bort, the United States are still dangerously exposed to a series of threats: not just EMP -I, but an increasingly sophisticated Cyber ​​attacks and artificial intelligence (AI).

“There are many other problems that are more likely,” Bort told Fox News Digital. “A thing EMP -a is a bit of a distraction – but that doesn’t mean it’s not a threat.”

​​As Chinese Cyberespionage has changed

EMP: The catastrophic potential that is held

The EMP is a sudden burst of electromagnetic energy capable of disabling electronic devices in huge areas. It can be a natural-oD of solar flashes or made of man, triggered by a nuclear detonation of high height.

Unlike Cyber ​​-Following software, EMP disables physical systems: from car motors and mobile towers to hospital generators and water pumps. The main attack could bring society back to before electrical age, with devastating consequences.

Former CIA Director James Woolsey Once called emps “One of the greatest national vulnerability,” and some estimates suggest that EMP could result in death up to 90% of Americans within a year due to the collapse of infrastructure.

“The first thing you have to lose is your water supply,” said Dr. William Forstchen, a longtime EMP explorer. “In a few days, nursing homes, hospitals, law enforcement – everyone is in deep problems.”

While Trump’s administration issued an executive order that directed the Federal Agency to prepare for such an event, Bort said that implementation was inconsistent and fragmented.

“We’re not ready at all,” he warned.

Forstchen expressed optimism that is the administration The “Golden Dome” projectThe proposed defense system based on the ground floor and space, could intercept the EMP threat-but the project remains for years since completion.

The nuclear EMP attack moves on a large screen while the author reflects on “invisible lifeline”

Cyber ​​attacks: more likely threats

While EMP attacks remain things and night guys national security and Hollywood scripts, experts say Cyber ​​are far more likely and still very destructive.

“We know that the Chinese have been in American civilian critical infrastructure since 2010,” Bort said. “They have not done anything yet, but they are absolutely there and they are set up to do something at some point.”

This week, Said Reuters That US officials have found communication modules embedded in Chinese energy converters that are used to connect solar panels and wind turbines to the network.

Bort pointed to “Jack Voltaic”, a perennial simulation of the Cyber ​​War by the Cyber ​​Institute’s Army, intended for testing of military civilian coordination in response to attacks on critical infrastructure.

“What we found was that it was a great interdependence,” he said. “You can’t have an electric network if you don’t have water – because you can’t cool it.”

Bort said that Cyber-Napadi are often a product of long-term reconnaissance, and hackers have been quietly positioning within the system for months or years.

“Cyberabpt is not something Putin says,” Hey, a Detroit hit tomorrow, “he explained.” That’s already set. When the political situation is called to it, then the trigger withdraws. “

AI and AGI: A future threat is growing fast

The second, less understood, the threat to American infrastructure is an increase in AI. Specifically, a race according to artificial general intelligence (AGI) or AI AI systems with cognitive abilities at the level of humans.

Tyler Saltzman, a military technologist working on AI systems that are capable of acting in unrelated environments like EMP, warned that AI – if used maliciously – can completely lower the network. “Our infrastructure is very fragile,” Saltzman said. “All you have to do is bring down our electric network and we are in complete chaos.”

Saltzman expressed deep concern about the effort to create agi – a system that he says could ultimately surpass human control.

“Once Agi comes to the net, it could easily take our electric network, infiltrate our financial systems, destroy our economy,” he said. “If he sees how violent people are to each other, why would it serve us?”

Balloon warning – and what follows

In 2023, the Chinese supervisory balloon crossed for days through the US territory before the army collapsed. Although it is believed to be spying, defense officers notice that high-height balloon could be used for electronic warfare-by-EMP.

Commission to evaluate the threat of the United States since the EMP attack has long warned of a balloon-based delivery. Others claim that the rocket would be more effective because it would be harder to intercept it.

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Whether the next big threat comes from above or from the keyboard, experts agree: they are not ready now.

“We’re still thinking about tanks wars,” Bort said. “Meanwhile, a real struggle is already happening within our infrastructure.”