Electromagnetic threats have been known, and to a degree understood, for almost a century. Nevertheless, it is only in the past couple of decades that governments and military organizations have come to realize the extent of the threat that intentional/ unintentional electromagnetic interference (IEMI/ UEMI) poses to critical facilities, infrastructure, aerospace, and land mobile electronic systems. Most nations’ electrical infrastructure and utilities have been identified as vulnerable to sabotage and intentional disruption using IEMI, the threat to these systems has been a known entity for many years. What is an emerging unknown, and possibly equally as disruptive, is the new threat to digital and communications network infrastructure (data centers and internet systems) that the world’s banking, transportation, and resource allocation now relies on.
The threat of IEMI, and even UEMI and natural EMI, on every level of modern society only grows, as people become more dependent on electrical systems to enhance efficiency, reduce expenditures, speed processes, and raise profits. Additionally, the most recent electronics are built with low-power Integrated Circuits (ICs) and other sensitive active and passive devices whose economics depend on miniaturization, power reduction, and feature integration. Unfortunately, few non-governmental/ military organizations have come to recognize this threat, and fewer have taken action to ensure their essential systems, for which many other organizations and individuals depend, are robust toward IEMI, or EMI in general.