Former Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano gave her farewell speech last week. She had quite a bit to say, but there was one thing that caught my attention: She warned that a major cyberattack is on the way.
I believe it. Most major U.S. companies have been under siege from hackers over the past 18 months.
In fact, two days after Napolitano's speech, a hacker group called the Syrian Electronic Army hacked the New York Times' website and Twitter feed - for the second time this year.
Of course, Napolitano wasn't just talking about American business. She was talking about America's infrastructure: power grid, communications, banking and so forth.
Every one of these services relies on computers. A well-placed virus could do a lot of damage.
Imagine waking up one morning with no power. Cellphones can't connect, banks are closed, the Internet is down and credit cards don't work.
In localized emergencies, workers from other areas help to restore services quickly. A cyberattack could affect wide regions of the country, overwhelming the available manpower.
It could take days, weeks or months for basic services to be fully restored. Not a pretty picture.
Now, a cyberattack might not take down everything, but it could make basic services unreliable. That's why you need a backup plan for your family. I would plan for at least 30 days of limited to nonexistent services.
Keep a supply of water and canned food on hand, along with a first-aid kit. Knowing exactly what other survival tools to include can be difficult. Fortunately, the government's site -
tulsaworld.com/ready - can help you plan your disaster kit.
Your emergency kit should contain cash. After all, debit and credit cards may not work.
Keep important documents within easy reach, too. You may not be able to get to documents stored on your computer. Keep physical copies in a small safe near your disaster kit.
In a disaster, remember it's better to text than to voice call. Texts use less information, so they don't overwhelm local cellular towers. Plus, texts can wait to send, so they'll still get through without your constant attention.
In localized disasters, it is often easier to contact people outside the area. Designate an out-of-town relative as a contact person. However, cellular towers aren't as robust as traditional landlines. Don't count on your cellphone working reliably. I would have one or more sets of two-way radios. They'll work in any situation.
An AM/FM radio is another essential for any emergency kit. Radio stations have generators and can still keep broadcasting important information when other communication systems fail.
Whether a cyberattack ever happens, these are still good planning ideas. You never know when another kind of disaster might strike.
Kim Komando hosts the nation's largest talk radio show about consumer electronics, computers and the Internet. Listen to her show from 1-4 p.m. each Sunday on KRMG am740 or fm102.3. To read more of her columns or sign up for her newsletters, go to
tulsaworld.com/komando
Original Print Headline: Be prepared for major cyberattack
Column - Komando
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