What would happen if Hackers Shut Down Power in the USA? Ted Koppel Explores the Question In Lights Out.....

Four out of Five Stars for Lights Out by Ted Koppel....

From amazon.com:

In this New York Times bestselling investigation, Ted Koppel reveals that a major cyberattack on America’s power grid is not only possible but likely, that it would be devastating, and that the United States is shockingly unprepared.

Imagine a blackout lasting not days, but weeks or months. Tens of millions of people over several states are affected. For those without access to a generator, there is no running water, no sewage, no refrigeration or light. Food and medical supplies are dwindling. Devices we rely on have gone dark. Banks no longer function, looting is widespread, and law and order are being tested as never before.

It isn’t just a scenario. A well-designed attack on just one of the nation’s three electric power grids could cripple much of our infrastructure—and in the age of cyberwarfare, a laptop has become the only necessary weapon. Several nations hostile to the United States could launch such an assault at any time. In fact, as a former chief scientist of the NSA reveals, China and Russia have already penetrated the grid. And a cybersecurity advisor to President Obama believes that independent actors—from “hacktivists” to terrorists—have the capability as well. “It’s not a question of if,” says Centcom Commander General Lloyd Austin, “it’s a question of when.”  And yet, as Koppel makes clear, the federal government, while well prepared for natural disasters, has no plan for the aftermath of an attack on the power grid. The current Secretary of Homeland Security suggests keeping a battery-powered radio.

In the absence of a government plan, some individuals and communities have taken matters into their own hands. Among the nation’s estimated three million “preppers,” we meet one whose doomsday retreat includes a newly excavated three-acre lake, stocked with fish, and a Wyoming homesteader so self-sufficient that he crafted the thousands of adobe bricks in his house by hand. We also see the unrivaled disaster preparedness of the Mormon Church, with its enormous storehouses, high-tech dairies, orchards, and proprietary trucking company – the fruits of a long tradition of anticipating the worst. But how, Koppel asks, will ordinary civilians survive?

With urgency and authority, one of our most renowned journalists examines a threat unique to our time and evaluates potential ways to prepare for a catastrophe that is all but inevitable.

My review:

I wanted to read this book as soon as I heard about it. I’ve always wondered what would happen, what the USA would do if everything electronic was suddenly shut down by a cataclysmic event or otherwise. This book brings to light with scary facts, opinions from the experts and those everyday people that are already preparing for such an event. Koppel is a journalist. Hence, his writing is a bit dry. Think school text book. Not everyone will enjoy this book because of that, but he presents the evidence that shows what I knew all along, what a great many probably know. Woe to the US should an enemy shut down one or all of our power grids. Nothing will work. There’ll be no electricity to run televisions, or radios or computers. Banks can’t process money in or out. Pharmacies won’t be able to get in medication. Supermarkets won’t be able to bring groceries in. Fact is, as Koppel shows, the United States is the country that is most dependent on electricity. Metropolitan areas will feel the power loss first and foremost. What will you do should this scenario play out for not just hours, but days, weeks even months? Would you be prepared? The government certainly isn’t.

Disclaimer: I received an ARC from blogging for books in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Product Details:

Hardcover: 288 pages

Publisher: Crown (October 27, 2015)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 055341996X

ISBN-13: 978-0553419962






                    

Until next review, stay safe. Smile! Show compassion to others. Be nice to one another. Read a book and pass it on. Review it. Cheers!
Regards,
S.J. Francis
In Shattered Lies: "It's All About Family."  Released from Black Opal Books Oct. 24th, 2015 and available at all on-line retailers and indie booksellers.

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