In the worst-case scenarios that the Biden administration has quietly simulated over the past year or so, Russian hackers working on behalf of Vladimir V. Putin bring down hospital systems across the United States.
In others, China’s military hackers trigger chaos, shutting down water systems and electric grids to distract Americans from an invasion of Taiwan.
As it turned out, none of those grim situations caused Friday’s national digital meltdown.
Among Washington’s cyberwarriors, the first reaction on Friday morning was relief that this wasn’t a nation-state attack.
It is hard to find, even harder to evict from vital computer networks and designed to sow far greater fear and chaos than the country saw on Friday.
Persons:
Biden, Vladimir V, Putin, ”, cyberattacks —
Organizations:
Pentagon, Massachusetts General Hospital, America
Locations:
United States, Taiwan, China, Massachusetts