How to tell if you’re experiencing a cyber attack, an EMP, or a solar flare

The speculation was fast and furious when AT&T’s cellular network went down recently. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) indicated that it could be an EMP. Florida Senator Marco Rubio (R) hinted at a Chinese cyber attack. Others insisted it was due to a solar flare. AT&T’s official explanation was a software update gone wrong.

How can you distinguish between an EMP, a solar storm, a cyber attack, or human error? I’ve been investigating these topics for the past few years, most recently in my Substack, Unprepared. I am also a General-class ham radio operator, requiring knowledge of radio waves and solar activity. Let’s explore each of these scenarios in real life at a level that makes sense, no matter your technical level.

In short:

• If one service or a handful of related services go down, it’s probably due to human activity: error or a cyber attack.
• If you see a massive disruption of electrical services, it’s likely an EMP or a solar event.

What are the signs of an EMP?

EMP is short for electromagnetic pulse. Technically speaking, small EMPs happen every day, causing minor annoyances like radio signal interference or even electrical problems in cars. For clarity, we will focus on the big EMPs you see in apocalyptic fiction like William R. Forstchen’s “One Second After.”

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