Global tech outage exposes vulnerability to space weather, cyberattacks
A global technology outage on July 19, 2024, caused many Windows device users worldwide to experience functionality problems. The disruption was attributed to issues with the Azure service and a faulty update from the American company CrowdStrike. The effects of the outage were felt in sectors such as banking, media, and transportation. Faulty updates are not the only factor that can cause similar chaos. The technology accompanying us in daily life also depends on space weather. It can also be affected by cyberattacks.
The global technology outage led to chaos around the world. Other factors can also cause similar disruptions. One is space weather, a set of phenomena occurring on the Sun and in our terrestrial magnetosphere and ionosphere. Adverse space weather conditions, for example, strong geomagnetic storms, can generate disruptions in radio and satellite communications, cause failures and damage to satellites, and disrupt the functioning of power grids.
Space weather and technology
One of the worst scenarios is the destruction of large transformers, the backbone of the global power grid. There are few of them, and their repair or reconstruction would take a long time. Experts estimate that Earth could be plunged into darkness for 10 to 15 years without them. This would also risk paralyzing the global economy, which relies heavily on cashless transactions today.
The same scenario could happen if a strong geomagnetic storm led to an internet blackout. Recalling the effects of the so-called Carrington Event of 1859, the strongest geomagnetic storm recorded is worth recalling. It caused numerous auroras and also sparked failures and fires in many telegraph stations.
Cyberattacks and technology
Cyberattacks are another factor that can affect the proper functioning of technology. An example of hazardous activity is spoofing, which disrupts the signal so that GPS receivers provide a completely incorrect location. In such a situation, an aircraft loses its maritime capabilities, which can lead to a serious disaster.
As reported by Łukasz Michalik, a WP Tech journalist, Iran took over the American RQ-170 Sentinel drone by disrupting its GPS. The device's navigation systems indicated that it was over its own base in Afghanistan, while in reality, it was in a completely different area. This way, the Iranians took over the RQ-170 Sentinel and gained access to American technologies.
