From battleships to bandwidth: Why a cyber 'Pearl Harbor' could cripple America from within

To make sense of the difference between Pearl Harbor in 1941 and a potential cyberattack by China today, some suggest using an example comparing the situation to a "knight inside their armor." In terms of an attack today, the "armor" represents our nation's Armed Forces, spy networks, satellites and physical defenses. The "knight" inside that suit of armor is our "population," thee and the Ole Seagull, our factories, infrastructure, communication and power grids, and, perhaps, the most important of all, a united shared identity of America as a whole.

As the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, showed, the "armor" of the United States was dented. The military technology of the time could not detect an enemy fleet on the horizon, allowing Japan to make physical contact with the U.S. Pacific Fleet even as diplomats were still talking peace in Washington. The armor was breached, and American blood was spilled.

On the other hand, the "knights" within the armor were in excellent shape, particularly in spirit. They listened to the same radio news reports and agreed on who the enemy was. The country experienced a "Spirit of 1941," with politicians stopping their bickering and focusing on the war effort.

America's "knights," her people, factories, infrastructure, communication and power grids, and its shared identity and spirit fixed the dents in the "armor" and enabled the restoration of the peace. Because of the distance between where the war was being fought and America, the average American never experienced the war's direct effects, and daily life continued much as it did before the Pearl Harbor attack.

The potential Pearl Harbor of today presents the reverse of the 1941 attack. In 2025, a cyberattack by a significant rival power like China could reverse the situation from Pearl Harbor in 1941. The "armor" of the United States is thicker than ever. America's military is the most capable fighting force in history.

Satellites and a global intelligence network make it exceedingly difficult for an enemy to sneak an army or a fleet within striking range of the United States. Generals are confident America can handle a face-to-face battle.

The difference is that after an effective cyberattack, America's "knights" her people, factories, infrastructure, communication and power grids would be nowhere near what they were after the attack on Pearl Harbor and would be in no shape to restore the peace, if anyone even knew what that would be. The enemy doesn't have to conquer us and take our land. All they have to do is paralyze us by crippling our infrastructure and then sit back and wait.

"Oh, come on, Seagull, surely that can't happen." Sure hope you are right, but what happens today when the electricity goes out in a neighborhood because of one ice storm? Multiply that effect over a large area of the country. Add in communications blackouts, disruptions to supply, and the distribution of food, water and supplies on a scale never seen before.

The “armor,” our military, is still strong and capable of protecting the “knights” from any enemy force getting through. What it can't protect them from is the internal injury, sickness and the stress that will impact them if there is ever a successful cyberattack. It can't protect them from the chaos that will develop internally as people fight for food, fuel, medical supplies, etc. to survive.

"Surely if attacked in such a manner, we will come together with the same spirit we did after Pearl Harbor in 1941?" "Wouldn't bet the farm on it. In 1941, we came together to fight a common enemy from afar, free from the effects of the warfare itself, and our individual day-to-day survival was not at risk. For what it matters, in an Ole Seagull's opinion, that will not be the case the day after an effective ‘Pearl Harbor’ type cyberattack.