U.S. officials are urging Americans to use encrypted apps to protect their communications after telecommunications companies were compromised during a recent hack from communist China that is the largest breach in history.
Read More: Daily Wire
Tag Archives: telecommunications
Trump Administration Imposes New Restrictions on Chinese Firm Huawei
The Chinese telecoms giant and 70 of its affiliates have been placed on an “Entity List”. The list bans companies from acquiring US technologies without the government’s approval.
Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said the President backed the move saying, it was to “prevent American technology from being used by foreign owned entities in ways that potentially undermine U.S. national security or foreign policy interests.”
Earlier in the day the President signed an executive order banning US companies from using telecommunications technology from firms deemed to pose an national security risk.
Read More: France 24
SUN’S MAGNETIC FIELD SET TO FLIP
Within the next few weeks the Sun’s magnetic field will complete it’s process of flipping. This is an event which takes place every 11 years and is accompanied by intense solar activity.
This solar activity could have serious implications for us, as the solar flares thrown out by the sun at this time have the potential to damage satellites and take out power grids on earth. In this age where we are dependent upon telecommunications, and the blackout of vast areas of the country could have catastrophic consequences. In 1859 the solar maximum caused, the then new technology of telegraphs, to be damaged, resulted in telegraph operators to be electrocuted, the auroras caused were seen as far south as the Caribbean; and in 1989 a solar flare resulted in the blackout of Quebec, and melted power transformers in New Jersey. Scientists will be closely monitoring the sun hoping this solar maximum will pass without incident.
Read More: BBC
SUN ENTERING SOLAR MAXIMUM
Every 11 years the sun enters a period of increased activity. Currently, the earth is at an increased risk of being hit by solar winds. During the solar maximum there are more sun spots and solar flares emitted by the sun.
Quite often these can pass close to the earth causing disruption to telecommunications, and damage to power grids. However, if we were to be hit directly by a really big solar storm the damage could potentially be 20 times worse than Hurricane Katrina. An event on this scale would take out the global telecommunications systems, by destroying satellites. The power grids would be damaged, and entire nations could be plunged into darkness.
The last time earth was hit by such a storm was in 1859, it is known as the Carrington Event. That solar storm knocked out the telegram system (the latest technology at that time). The Aurora were so bright that they could be seen in Africa, and you could read a news paper in Cuba by their light. Unlike 1859, we now live in a digital age and the effects of a similar hit would cost trillions of dollars, and the effects could last years, modern life as we know it would come to a halt.
Solar Storm Batters Earth
There is a type of weather with the power to knock out a major cities power supply in seconds, or disrupt aviation travel, or destroy satellites orbiting the earth; this is space weather. Space weather is recreated when the sun is experiencing a period of heightened activity, and it ejects massive clouds of highly energetic particles, with a large magnetic field. Solar storms distort our own magnetic field, and the energetic particles can sometimes find their way way through to earth. When this happens national grids can be highly vulnerable to a build up of charge in the system, or satellites can be destroyed. This affects electricity supply, telecommunications, and air travel.
2012 is the beginning of a period of intense solar activity. March 8th saw one of the largest solar storms for many years. These events can have serious consequences. In 1989 a major storm plunged Quebec and parts of northern New York state into darkness. In 2003, part of Sweden’s national grid was taken out, and the GPS system controlling air traffic control was affected. These solar storms have the potential to cost lives, as well as causing millions dollars worth of damage. Support our work to protect your city!