In August, I released my book on improving our nation's preparedness, entitled Pivot Points: Creating A Culture Of Preparedness And Resiliency In America. Koppel's latest missive to the American people on the state of our national preparedness in general and cyber security specifically confirmed the thesis of my book: we need a culture of preparedness in America.
As you would expect from a Ted Koppel production, he weaves his keen grasp of the English language with the down-to-earth, "here's what the American people need to know" tenor of a seasoned reporter. Readers will learn about recent cyber attacks on the electrical grid as well as a number of data breaches within the private and public sector, the difficulty of preventing them, and what some people are doing to be better prepared for a wider variety of disasters and emergencies.
My takeaways:
1. The April 2013 attack on the Pacific Gas and Electric Company's transmission station, executed by simply cutting some fiber optic cable and some well placed shots from an AK-47, managed to take the transmission station off line for 27 days. Navy SEALs who toured the facility after the attack to provide insight into it said the attack "was a targeting package just like they [SEALs] would put together for an attack." (pg. 18-19).
2. There is significant disagreement within the electrical industry regarding the ability of hackers to take out large sections of the grid. [My personal note: in discussing the matter with a friend who works within the electrical transmission industry, he made it clear to me that while it would be challenging for saboteurs to do so, it was by no means impossible.] This lack of consensus is one of the reasons the industry has not taken steps to further beef up security.
3. Simply beefing up that security isn't as easy at it seems. JPMorgan spent $600M in cyber security in 2013, creating over 40 firewalls within its systems....yet in 2014, hackers managed to access 84 million JPMorgan files.
4. The government isn't ready for a massive cyber attack. Interviews in the book with current DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson and former Secretary Michael Chertoff make this abundantly clear. The most helpful comments came from current FEMA director Craig Fugate, who without hesitation tells Koppel that America is not prepared for a major cyber attack that would plunge large sections of the nation into darkness. The message every American needs to take away from this book: There is no government plan to deal with this situation.
5. The severity of a major cyber attack is hard to comprehend. Long term survivability for the affected areas is bleak. To what extent would unaffected states be willing/able to help those in states who are without power? We assume unaffected states would cheerfully pitch in. One state official told Koppel that the state had rehearsed plans for a scenario where refugees from an affected city came to their state looking for assistance. The message that state would give fellow Americans seeking help? "Our state doesn't have the infrastructure to support large numbers of evacuees. Please keep moving." (pg. 234) Let that sink in for a moment.
6. We lack a preparedness culture in America. Note well: Koppel doesn't come out and say those words in the book, but after dedicating three chapters to the efforts of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormons) to create a culture of preparedness, it's clear he believes that is the case. (I've heard him in subsequent interviews about the book where he does go on to make this point, however). [Personal note - as an advocate for building such a culture in America, it's refreshing to hear someone of Koppel's gravitas reach the same conclusion.]
7. Solutions? Ted is light on specifics, although this book wasn't marketed as a blueprint for securing the grid. He is simply doing the research to demonstrate to the reader the nature and extent of the problem. The last chapter of the book, however, gives us some insights into what you and I should be doing: getting involved in community efforts to make our towns more resilient. He aptly points out that preparedness efforts by individuals and communities - even those not specifically aimed at cyber attacks - have positive consequences on our readiness and sense of community nonetheless.
If I were to take issue with anything in the book, I note his repeated expression of frustration that the private sector puts "profits ahead of resiliency." For example, he laments the fact that gas stations don't invest in expensive back up generators to enable them to pump gas during a power outage. As a lobbyist for the insurance industry, I'm keenly aware of such criticisms (we have our own cyber security issues as you might imagine). Simply spending money is no guarantee that it will result in more resiliency. Look at JPMorgan. Look at the federal government's own inability to protect personnel files of current and former employees (Koppel points out that the breach of the Office of Personnel Management compromised personal data of millions of federal workers). While resiliency will no doubt require investment, policymakers and the public should be aware that simply investing in technology and other resources is no guarantee that our economy will remain on line after an emergency.
For those interested in cyber security, disaster preparedness, or public policy, I highly recommend this book. Koppel has done a fantastic job interviewing a plethora of experts in various fields and cataloging their arguments and suggestions.
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About the author
Last week I gave 4 stars—then read book again—bumping up to 5 stars
Initially, I gave Ted Koppel's book a 4-star review. But I've now reread it and want to add one more. Also gave copies of the book to my adult children and other family members. The gifts sparked a lively discussion around the Xmas tree—a talk about our need to work out a family "what if" plan. We're now into the 2nd revision of that plan and I've been referring back to book regularly. As mentioned in last week's review (and by other reviewers) the book is light on specific steps people should take if their grid goes dark (the pages about the buttoned-up Mormon preppers don't help much.) But Koppel does effectively describe WHY people should plan ahead for the horrifying possibility of grid failure.Koppel's interviews with top officials at FEMA and Homeland Security clearly demonstrate they have no plan of action if the U.S. gets hit with a cyberattack. Their retro thinking looks backward—and seems to use as models—the government's badly handled responses to Hurricane Katrina and Sandy, both pipsqueaks compared to the potential damage of a grid shutdown.Key Message: if the lights do go out, families should have already made some sort of a plan. A suddenly dark living room—with a dead computer and black TV—are not where you should first begin to think about "what the hell do we do now?"One quibble: The book should have shown a map of the 3 U.S. electric grids so readers can see where they live and how far they'd need to travel—which could be halfway across the country—to get to a grid that's working. (I just attached a map; you're welcome.)
Top reviews from other countries
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StreifineReviewed in Germany on June 28, 2021
Spannendes Buch über eine reale Bedrohung
- jill johnston.Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 13, 2024
Thought provoking book
