Weapons of Mass Destruction
1

An electro-magnetic pulse (EMP) attack could crash the American economy and bring virtually every industry to a standstill—such is the reliance of modern business upon the digital infrastructure. Thus, considering an EMP attack is something that government should take very seriously. As more and more of the world becomes dependent upon cyber infrastructure for the maintenance of other systems, the complexity of the security services of a country grows and intensifies. Is it possible therefore that there is an overreliance upon technology and that this overreliance can actually compromise a country’s progress and increase its risk of falling into ruin should a sudden attack like an EMP attack hit where it hurts most? Absolutely—and both state and non-state actors know that, which is why either one could conduct a high altitude EMP attack upon the US. The consequences would be devastating.

Non-state actors are just as likely as state actors to strike at the US, especially considering the age of proxy wars that have begun since 9/11, with various groups of mercenaries essentially fighting wars for host nations. Cyberwarfare may thus be trigged by a wider war among nations; or it may occur as a result of retaliation—blowback for American “adventurism” abroad, as some foreign nations see it. Regardless, an EMP attack upon the US should not be considered an unlikely scenario. The recent killing of the top Iranian General, for instance, is unlikely to go without some sort of major retaliation. That retaliation could come in the form of a transnational cyber attack on the nation’s energy infrastructure. After all, Iran has many non-state actors that it patronizes and can outsource an attack to. Much of the Arab community in the Middle East appears to harbor resentment towards the U.S. after two decades of war.

One question that one might ask is this: would the threat of cyber terrorism and cyber war upon the nation’s energy infrastructure be as great or exist at all if the U.S. were not so insistent upon attacking the energy infrastructures of other nations, from Venezuela to Syria to Iraq and so on? It seems that perhaps the real cause of transnational threats to America’s energy infrastructure might start right at home, with America’s own foreign policies. It might be that were America to adopt less of an intrusive and interventionist foreign policy, its own domestic infrastructure might be safer in the long run.

The protection of energy infrastructure is vital to a nation because energy is the backbone of a nation. That is why an EMP attack could be catastrophic. Without a functioning electrical, oil and gas pipelines, etc., a nation can quickly become plunged in darkness and chaos. Energy keeps a nation’s businesses and activities operational and therefore the economic and social life of a nation depends upon having a functioning energy infrastructure (Maras, 2014). Making sure that the “generation, transmission, distribution, and system operations” of the energy infrastructure are secure is a top priority of every nation that aims to survive in an increasingly hostile world (Wilshusen, 2012, p. 2).

Energy has to be constantly generated and delivered for a nation to function healthily. Stability and continuity are essential to the nation’s vitality and if there is ever any disruption in the generation or delivery of energy, the nation’s progress can be halted and the way of life of its people disrupted. One need only look at the situation in Venezuela last year when it experienced immense blackouts all over the country to see the effect that a loss of the energy infrastructure has on a country. Venezuela experienced food shortages, businesses closed, and crime broke out with gangs roving from place to place to try to find resources for themselves.

Energy security is needed to support the lives of people who depend upon electricity for work and livelihood. Everyone from farmers to accountants will use electricity in some meaningful way. Protecting the energy infrastructure is necessary to protect people and society in its most basic forms. A military must not only think about fighting foes abroad but also maintaining secure systems at home—including a secure energy system.

Utilities are needed to keep the country running. Hospitals and schools require utilities to keep patients and students supported. If the energy system is compromised, hospitals are unable to provide adequate healthcare. If a country has no energy security, it cannot provide all the services required by people when they are most needed—i.e., in a time of attack.

Even though most of the energy infrastructure of the U.S. is privately owned, there is still a need for the government to provide security for it. The reason for this is that energy is a vital resource as it supports so many services in the land. The government must defend the borders of its country to protect the people within. Securing the nation’s private energy infrastructure is no different in essence: the security of the people of the nation is at stake.

A question to consider is this: with the reliance up cyber technology for maintaining energy infrastructure, what is the likelihood that cyber warfare could be used to attack America’s energy infrastructure in the event that an international conflict breaks out in the coming years? What can the U.S. do to protect its network given that cyber attackers are always developing innovative new ways to hack and take over systems of targets?

2

The National Guard is a military unit that is part of the CBRN Response Enterprise. Its mission and capabilities in response to a CBRN attack focus mainly on search and rescue operations. For instance, if a bomb is used in an urban area, the National Guard will conduct a search and rescue operation to find people who are trapped beneath piles of rubble and help bring survivors of the attack back to the surface where they can be treated.

The resources the National Guard brings to a WMD response consists of a specialized, trained Fatality Search...…of Charleston, San Diego, the Port of Miami and the Port of Everglades among others.

Training, field exercises, models, simulations and games are also used in CG-2 to keep forces ready and able to execute on command. Training cannot be overstated as it equips personnel with the knowledge and experience necessary for making sure that ports and seaways are safe. Field exercises also allow for simulation exercises to take place that can keep systems strong and alert (Pate et al., 2007).

CG-2 also has a cyber strategy in place that aims to prevent cyber attacks on ports. Defending cyberspace and protecting infrastructure are vital ways in which the Coast Guard is seeking to protect seaports. Cyber vulnerabilities exist as a result of old infrastructure, poor education of end users, and lack of protocols to maintain a diligent and strong system. The U.S. Coast Guard has shown itself time and time again to be up for the task of responding to disasters. It showed it during Hurricane Katrina, and was the only agency to really have a true “spirit of mission” according to Samaan and Verneuil (2009).

Additional DHS agencies that CG-2 coordinates with include FEMA, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency, the U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services, U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Secret Service and the Transportation Security Administration. These groups should all be collaborating to stop or to reduce the risk of unsecured ports so that an attack by an organization like Antifa in collaboration with ISIS using a WMD could be reduced. Otherwise, the US risks facing a major catastrophe. Collaboration and communication are essential tools in the effort to prevent attacks on the US infrastructure, as so many stakeholders are included in the operation of a port and so many other stakeholders depend on ports being able to stay open and operational.

Securing America’s seaways and ports is a major job and the U.S. Coast Guard under the DHS helps to secure it by honing its monitoring and tracking capabilities with projects like Project Hawkeye implemented at the Port of Miami. It also coordinates between local, state and federal agencies to bring about a robust application of surveillance and oversight to ports and seaways. However, as technological advancements increase and more and more ports see more and more traffic, the risk of an attack or assault also increases. These attacks could come in the form of a hijacked ship controlled by remote as a result of a cyberattack; or they could come in the form of a container full of explosives. The U.S. Coast Guard works with sea marshals and divers to inspect ships, escort them to harbor, and keep order on the bridge and in the engine room should a physical threat occur. Keeping up these strategies and implementing them at other American ports would help to reduce the risk of a WMD attack that would destabilize American industry.

References

Chatfield, A. T., Reddick, C. G., & Brajawidagda, U. (2015, May). Tweeting…