Summary of Lights Out: by Ted Koppel | Includes Analysis

By Instaread Summaries

Summary of Lights Out by Ted Koppel | Includes Analysis

 

Preview:

Lights Out by Ted Koppel is a journalistic report on the potential consequences of

a cyberattack on the United States. Koppel emphasizes the likelihood that a

cyberattack against US power grids will ca

• Language: English
• Publisher: Instaread, Inc
• Release date: May 18, 2016
• ISBN: 9781944195403

Book preview

Overview

Lights Out by Ted Koppel is a journalistic report on the potential consequences of a cyberattack on the United States. Koppel emphasizes the likelihood that a cyberattack against US power grids will cause widespread, long-lasting, catastrophic power outages.

Experts agree that cyberattacks on power grids are likely to be attempted, but disagree when it comes to the immediacy of the threat and the possible outcomes of such attacks. Power grids have already been physically attacked and are vulnerable to electromagnetic pulse attacks that disrupt electronics. A successful cyberattack, has the potential to be devastating for the US population.

Solutions to power-grid vulnerability are complicated because power distribution in the United States is coordinated by a network of private companies. While states have the ability to legislate regulations, they are not uniform across the country. Power industry lobbyists have dissuaded the federal government from passing legislation to enforce resiliency standards in the industry. Government plans for preventing attacks are also incomplete, and most plans for responding to an attack are impractical or inadequate.

Some citizens have decided to prepare themselves for the possibility of a catastrophic attack. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has a particularly robust plan in place. Aside from developing easily accessible disaster-preparation resources