And Then There Was Ted Koppel

The Charlie Rose show was on in the background a few nights ago and I heard a voice that hadn't been on TV in a while.  Ted Koppel was a newscaster for years but has since retired almost a decade ago.  As my attention was split between the book I was reading and the show, I began to wonder why he was the interviewee instead of the interviewer.  Then words like "hackers", "preppers", and "completely unprepared" caught my complete attention and I learned quite a few things (having come in mid-interview I'm sure there was stuff I missed)...

• He recently wrote a book called "Lights Out: A Cyber Attack, A Nation Unprepared, Surviving the Aftermath".
• The book (which I haven't yet read but understand from his interview) points out how the US is both very vulnerable to a cyber attack that could take down important pars of our critical infrastructure and how we (individually, collectively, as a nation) are woefully unprepared for such an event.
• There is more info about the book here.
• And here.
• And an even better article here.
• During the interview he pointed out that the only people who are even marginally prepared for such an event are the Mormons.
• Now you don't have to actually be a Mormon but you should definitely prepare like one.
• Another interesting fact he pointed out as an example: The state of New York has about 24 million MREs in reserve to provide to citizens during a disaster.  There are 8 million people in the city of New York.  Even if they skip the entire state of New York and only help those living in New York City, that would mean people would get a total of 3 MREs to help them survive a disaster that could last for weeks or months.
• I'm a little disappointed that a book with information as important as this has barely made a blip in the national media but a mouthy teenager getting tossed out of her desk gets international attention and days of publicity.  Shows you what most people find important.
• The bottom line: Koppel estimates that should the worst happen (total collapse of the power grid) many people won't survive.  No food, no safe water, no electricity, et al, could lead to a mass die off.  The prepared people will be the ones who survive.  Be prepared.