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AnonTechie writes with news that a briefcase-sized radio weapon could wreak havoc in our networked world.

In the 2001 action movie Ocean’s Eleven, criminals use an electromagnetic weapon to black out a portion of Las Vegas. Very futuristic, you may say, but the threat is real and growing.

The problem is growing because the technology available to attackers has improved even as the technology being attacked has become more vulnerable. Our infrastructure increasingly depends on closely integrated, high-speed electronic systems operating at low internal voltages. That means they can be laid low by short, sharp pulses high in voltage but low in energy—output that can now be generated by a machine the size of a suitcase, batteries included.

Electromagnetic (EM) attacks are not only possible—they are happening. One may be under way as you read this. Even so, you would probably never hear of it: These stories are typically hushed up, for the sake of security or the victims’ reputation. Occasionally, though, an incident comes to light.

The linked story goes on to examine the differences between wideband and narrowband attacks at different radio frequencies, the mechanism that is used to conduct an attack, and what is required to defend against such an attack. The article is both well written and understandable.

[Ed's Comment: The type of GPS attack detailed in the linked Article is actually 'conventional' electronic warfare from a mobile ground installation and not from a suitcase. However, as TFA illustrates well, the threat remains present and IT systems are vulnerable.]