Is Cyberattack the Next Pearl Harbor?

Central Intelligence Agency Director, Leon Panetta, states in his Secretary of Defense confirmation testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee that, “[t]he next Pearl Harbor that we confront could very well be a cyberattack that cripples America’s electrical grid and its security and financial systems.” Cyberattacks have become a daily threat to businesses, consumers, and all nation states resulting in the profound loss of economic assets and intellectual property. Cyberattack represents a real threat to geopolitical stability and world peace. This article depicts a fictional scenario of what a cyberattack on a massive scale might look like and examines current and historical factors to better understand how such a devastating cyberattack is set in motion and how we might avoid it.