Record #SolarSuperstorm shrank Earth’s plasma shield 78%, #GPS at risk

Story by Alexander Clark, 12/1/2025

Excerpt: "Why this storm is a warning shot for the #SatelliteEconomy

"Even without a total collapse of the magnetosphere, the recent superstorm delivered a clear warning to the satellite industry. Constellations in low Earth orbit [#LEO], such as #SpaceX’s #Starlink or #OneWeb, already have to contend with atmospheric drag and radiation, but they usually operate well inside the magnetosphere’s protection. When the plasma shield shrinks, those satellites face a double challenge: increased drag from a heated upper atmosphere and a more hostile radiation environment that can degrade electronics and solar panels. The event that compressed Earth’s shield by nearly 80 percent effectively stress-tested the assumptions behind the rapid expansion of commercial space infrastructure, a point underscored in analyses of how a solar storm can threaten satellites when the magnetosphere is squeezed.

"For operators of navigation, communications, and Earth observation satellites in higher orbits, the implications are even more direct. Many of these spacecraft were designed based on historical records of geomagnetic storms that did not include such extreme compression of the magnetosphere, which means their shielding, redundancy, and fault management systems may not fully account for the conditions seen in this event. As I look at the trajectory of the satellite economy, with thousands of new platforms planned for launch in the coming years, the lesson is clear: space weather resilience can no longer be treated as a niche concern. It has to be built into hardware design, constellation architecture, and operational playbooks from the start, or the next superstorm could turn a profitable orbital network into a liability overnight.

"Preparing for the next superstorm in a crowded sky

"The recent compression of Earth’s plasma shield did not trigger the kind of global blackout or navigation collapse that worst-case scenarios envision, but it came close enough to expose the seams in current preparedness. Space weather forecasting has improved, yet the lead times and confidence levels are still limited, especially for the most extreme events. To protect GPS, power grids, and other critical systems, operators need not just alerts that a storm is coming but actionable guidance on how severe the magnetospheric compression is likely to be, which orbits will be most exposed, and how long the elevated risk will last, insights that depend on the kind of multi-satellite observations and modeling showcased in the reconstruction of this storm.

"As I weigh the evidence, the path forward looks less like a single technological fix and more like a layered strategy. That means hardening satellites and ground infrastructure against radiation and induced currents, building redundancy into navigation and timing systems so that GPS is not a single point of failure, and integrating space weather scenarios into everything from grid planning to aviation routing. It also means improving public communication so that when the next superstorm hits, people understand both the seriousness of a 78 percent shrinkage of Earth’s plasma shield and the practical steps being taken to manage the risk. The recent event was a vivid reminder that our digital civilization is built inside a magnetic cocoon that can flex and falter, and that planning for those moments is no longer optional."

Read more:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/record-superstorm-shrank-earth-s-plasma-shield-78-gps-at-risk/ar-AA1RvRy2?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=U531&cvid=692e27870291497eb907556f3dfde189&ei=10

#SolarSuperstorm #SolarFlares #Magnetosphere #MagnetosphericCompression #Satellites #SpaceIndustry #DarkSkies #SpaceJunk #InternetOutages #KesslerSyndrome #CarringtonEvent #SystemVulnerabilities #ConnectedGrids #TechDisruption #DisruptiveTechnology
#Landlines #TechVulnerability

This article does not mention common sense stuff -- like making printed copies of important documents, storing data on external hard drives, or having a Ham radios and/or walkie talkies or mesh networks!

Experts Warn The #Internet Will Go Down In A Big Way — And You'd Better Be Ready

Story by Geoff Williams, 9/23/2025

"It’s bad enough when the internet goes down for a few hours because your power went out after a storm, but what if the internet went down indefinitely, sort of everywhere? What if your state or an entire region of the country lacked the internet or electricity because of a cyberattack or something innocuous, like problems with an aging grid or the federal government forgot to pay a bill?"

Read more (pretty lame -- reads like a #Starlink advert):
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/experts-warn-the-internet-will-go-down-in-a-big-way-and-you-d-better-be-ready/ar-AA1N8R1x?ocid=winp2fptaskbarhoverent&cvid=68d30a5c5f7c45d5a5daae8e70321664&ei=24

#InternetOutages #KesslerSyndrome #CarringtonEvent #cyberattacks #1000SIMCards #CyberAttacks #SystemVulnerabilities #ConnectedGrids #TechDisruption #DisruptiveTechnology
#Landlines #TechVulnerability #OneThousandSIMCards #Malware #Stuxnet

1,000 SIM cards, eh? Hmmmm...🤔

A plot could have caused #CellPhone chaos. It's part of a troubling trend.

The discovery of thousands of devices that could have wiped out communications in #NewYorkCity comes after a series of #cyberattacks targeting the US.

by N'dea Yancey-Bragg, Will Carless, and Michael Loria
September 23, 2025

Excerpt: "The discovery of a vast telecommunications network that authorities say was capable of wiping out cellular communications in the nation's largest city is just the latest in a steady series of high-profile plots targeting critical #infrastructure.

"With the right amount of resources, bad actors can shut down anything from hospitals to gas #pipelines, according to Kevin Butler, director of the Florida Institute for Cybersecurity Research.

" 'What we're really seeing is how cyber attacks can be targeting various aspects of critical infrastructure and in very meaningful ways,' said Butler. "Even things like our water infrastructure or the #electricgrid.

"What happened in New York City?

"Investigators found more than 300 co-located SIM servers and 100,000 SIM cards in the New York tri-state area. The Secret Service said it moved quickly to dismantle the network given its proximity to a meeting of the U.N. General Assembly.

"The devices allowed for anonymous, encrypted communication, which enabled criminal organizations to operate undetected, according to Matt McCool, special agent in charge of the Secret Service field office in New York. McCool said the network could have been used to disable cell phone towers, disrupt emergency communications, and shut down the city's cellular networks.

"Telecommunications devices discovered throughout the New York tristate area that the U.S. Secret Service claimed 'were used to conduct multiple telecommunications-related threats directed towards senior U.S. government officials.'

"It's not yet clear who is behind the plot in New York or what their intentions were, but Butler said the level of sophistication indicates the perpetrators are likely a highly organized group, like a foreign government or non-state actor.

"And though attacks against telecom providers are not unusual, this kind of brute force method is almost unheard of, said Butler, a professor of computer and information science and engineering at the University of Florida. Though fraudsters sometimes amass SIM cards to execute scams, Butler said those operations typically involved 'a couple thousand at most.'

" 'My initial reaction is this is a very large scale attack,' Butler said. 'I've never heard of somebody putting 100,000 #SIMCards together in such a coordinated way.' "

Read more:
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/09/23/nyc-cell-plot-cyberattacks-infrastructure/86309320007/

Archived version:
https://archive.ph/nWu9B

#1000SIMCards #CyberAttack #SystemVulnerabilities #ConnectedGrids #TechDisruption #DisruptiveTechnology
#Landlines #TechVulnerability #OneThousandSIMCards

Oooooh... Tell me more!

Secret Service dismantles threat around UN capable of crippling NYC cell service

By Mike Balsamo
September 23, 2025

NEW YORK (AP) — "While close to 150 world leaders prepared to descend on Manhattan for the U.N. General Assembly, the U.S. Secret Service was quietly dismantling a massive hidden telecom network across the New York area — a system investigators say could have crippled cell towers, jammed 911 calls and flooded networks with chaos at the very moment the city was most vulnerable.

"The cache, made up of more than 300 SIM servers packed with over 100,000 SIM cards and clustered within 35 miles of the United Nations, represents one of the most sweeping communications threats uncovered on U.S. soil. Investigators warn the system could have blacked out cellular service in a city that relies on it not only for daily life but for emergency response and counterterrorism.

"Coming as foreign leaders filled midtown hotels and motorcades clogged Manhattan, officials say the takedown highlights a new frontier of risk: plots aimed at the invisible infrastructure that keeps a modern city connected.

"The network was uncovered as part of a broader Secret Service investigation into telecommunications threats targeting senior government officials, according to investigators. Spread across multiple sites, the servers functioned like banks of mock cellphones, able to generate mass calls and texts, overwhelm local networks and mask encrypted communications criminals, officials said."

https://apnews.com/article/unga-threat-telecom-service-sim-93734f76578bc9ca22d93a8e91fd9c76

#TechDisruption #DisruptiveTechnology #Landlines #TechVulnerability

OpenAI is reportedly about to launch its own AI-powered web browser — a direct challenge to Google Chrome’s reign.
Unlike traditional browsers, this one’s expected to have ChatGPT at its core — handling bookings, forms, and even navigating the web on your behalf.
If it delivers, this could seriously disrupt Google’s ad empire and reshape how we use the internet.

#ai #openai #browserwars #google #chrome #chatgpt #technews #changingoftheguard #disruptivetechnology

https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/openai-release-web-browser-challenge-google-chrome-2025-07-09/

OpenAI seeks NYT source material for copyright defense

https://stackdiary.com/openai-seeks-nyt-source-material-for-copyright-defense/

#OpenAI #NewYorkTimes #Copyright #AI #Journalism #Lawsuit #Discovery #Originality #Infringement #Microsoft #SourceMaterials #Innovation #Media #Technology #Creativity #IntellectualProperty #FairUse #DigitalAge #Reporting #Ethics #LegalBattle #ContentCreation #DataTraining #Publishing #NewsIndustry #JournalisticIntegrity #ArtificialIntelligence #Investigation #Privacy #Confidentiality #DisruptiveTechnology

Looking for ways to earn passive income in web3? DePIN is the answer!

DePIN is a new frontier for entrepreneurs and investors.

👉 Read the full article to learn more: https://blog.spheron.network/best-ways-to-start-earning-in-depin-today

#DePIN #DecentralizedNetworks #Entrepreneurship #Investing #Crypto #Blockchain #Web3 #DataMonetization #SharingEconomy #Innovation #Startups #DisruptiveTechnology #web3 #blockchain

Will Consulting Be the Next Industry Disrupted by ChatGPT and AI? #AIConsulting

Hashtags: #AIConsulting #DisruptiveTechnology #FutureOfWork Summery: ChatGPT, while lacking in certain areas, has paved the way for alternative approaches in the field of AI-powered business intelligence. One such approach was developed by John D.C. Little at MIT, who created algorithms that could detect trends, variations, and anomalies in large datasets, such as those generated by optical…

https://webappia.com/will-consulting-be-the-next-industry-disrupted-by-chatgpt-and-ai-aiconsulting/