Financial losses due to cybercrime now exceed the total dollar amount of the illegal drug trade globally: more than a trillion dollars. By 2025, the total loss is projected to be more than six trillion dollars. That is incredible!

The entire critical infrastructure of every nation state is clearly at risk.

The major threats to a modern country such as the United States can be viewed from the point of view of its sixteen vital and interconnected economic and industrial sectors. Elements range from the energy sectors and finance to national defense and health care. The interdependencies are totally intertwined.

A former director of national intelligence in the United States called cybercrime the number one threat to national security.

Any nation whose political and business leaders do not respond aggressively to the threats that are lined up against their vital infrastructure is in deep trouble. Truth be told, this author is unimpressed with the lukewarm response of businesses, government officials, and everyday citizens to massive threats against civil society. The risks are being virtually ignored.

The author has presented at dozens of venues in the United States and the world on the dangers facing digital processing infrastructure. All countries that have established automated computerized controls on their economy and lifestyle face similar threats, from cybercriminals to rogue nation states that want to steal money or wage unrestricted information warfare with the aim of world domination.

Our populations are largely unaware of the magnitude of the problem. Many of the same politicians and leaders who should be providing strong leadership are ignoring the obvious signs and consequences.

The critical national infrastructures of every modern nation are interconnected to the point where the weakest link can be exploited to create the catastrophic destruction of an entire country. However, we are still accelerating to become more and more dependent on digital interfaces, sensors and controls every day.

We are now completely open to what one author, Winn Schwartau, called “Digital Pearl Harbor.”

The combined package of information security threats and vulnerabilities is massive. Threats are asymmetric in nature. They can range from a single individual buying a malware software package on the Internet to a nation-state using an information warfare battalion to scout soft infrastructure targets for exploitation.

Part of the author’s professional experience included working with the intelligence community to detect what are known as ‘over the horizon’ threats. I can assure you that there are legions of threats focused on the disruption and destruction of civilized society.

Adversaries are currently cataloging vulnerabilities in interconnected information systems around the world. Law-abiding nations, as well as business and industry, are significantly lagging behind, largely due to complacency.

Is it really that bad?

Consider answering the following question if you are having difficulty understanding the scope of the information security threat: “How many critical national infrastructures are fully protected from the effects of a high-energy EMP* weapon attack on the digital nerve centers of the world?” his country?” The answer is very few. Businesses and commerce, as well as civil authorities, can barely handle the effects of a blizzard, let alone survive the widespread digital destruction.

An EMP attack targeting a nation’s digital infrastructure has the potential to destroy literally all unprotected computing circuitry and render all devices, including computers, digital controls, and smartphones, inoperable.

A modern nation-state faces horrific and unimaginable effects in the event of a successful attack against its nation’s critical national infrastructure. An intelligence officer once commented on reality in layman’s terms. He said, “The one with the oxcart wins!” Many of us do not even recognize the problem.

I challenge you to learn as much as you can about strengthening your information security readiness.

* An EMP is a weapon designed to generate a pulse of high-energy gamma rays that can be destructive or damaging to delicate electronic circuits and equipment over a wide area.